You are merely entertainers
Postbox letter from John in China
I really can’t see the point of teachers complaining about salaries. Time after time there are instances of corruption, bad behavior by directors and coordinators, unruly student behavior with no disciplinary procedures.
Ghosts in the teachers room
Postbox letter from Steve Bold
This is the story of the ghost of an ex-English teacher who hunts the Principal of a Thai school.
Is the grass greener on the other side?
Postbox letter from Christian Brookes
The first six months in Thailand is spent re-adjusting. Thai culture, lifestyle, climate, food and working environment are alien to most. Some days I found myself getting annoyed and frustrated at the smallest issues. I spoke about this to a friend. I was quickly reminded of life back home - the pressures, weather, cost of living, attitude, food and climate.
Working smart, not working hard
Making the most of your teaching time
By paying more attention to your teaching hours and your overall availability, it's possible to juggle teaching jobs around and watch your monthly earnings soar.
China is no different
Postbox letter from Kelvin
Do you think you can come here with 1,000 baht straight off the plane, never have a problem and just live the good life? I sympathize, but if you intend to live from pay day to pay day, (and just concentrate on having a good time in between) then surely the financial position you’re in is yours and not anyone else’s?
Soaked during floods
Postbox letter from Jimmy
I am not surprised some teachers are being told by Thai schools that they will not receive money for the time they didn't work during the floods. The safety net is for the Thais, not the falang. If you've been there long enough, you should know the pecking order by now.
Making the transition
Reasons why people teach English and the possible career paths
Foreign ESL teachers in Thailand or other parts in Asia are a diverse lot and have many different motivations for teaching abroad.
Scammers looking for teachers
You develop a sixth sense for these online teacher scams
You need to develop a sixth sense when you run an online business that takes credit card payments. It can often be hours before a bank flags up a credit card as stolen and in those few hours, the scammer can use their credits to view teacher resumes and dupe unsuspecting victims.
He sleeps in a storm
Disorganization, discipline, and decisiveness in the overseas TEFL industry
I really dislike job interviews. Not because of anything I do. I show up on time; I wear the right clothes; I'm polite; I listen and I ask the right questions. But when it comes to the interview and meeting other people in this industry, whether fellow teachers, administrators, principals, or directors, the ‘niceties' stop at my cover-letter.
ESL teachers and global poverty reduction
Teaching English is a valuable contribution to our global society
I recently signed an agreement with a publisher for a new book which will focus on the private sector's role in poverty reduction in Asia. It is always exciting to have an agreement for publication for a writing project and poverty reduction is a topic I am passionate about.
