CrunchWrapSupreme

Haha, I find this event especially hilarious, considering how I've been dragged to so many of these by the schools I've worked at.

The purpose of them is hardly for you to be entertained. For the locals, it's for them to be seen by the local big wigs and feel important. For the big wigs, it's for them to feel important seeing all their loyal constituents lovingly looking onward. And in my case, it was for my school director and head of department to look good, with their bright new farang teachers front and center.

The Chinese tour directors saw this event on a list of events somewhere, described as some cultural festival, and thus spun it as something they could sell. Oh, the cultural disconnect.

I'm now into my second year teaching here in Thailand, and nearly three years traveling to teach overall. I realize I'm still a novice compared to many, but I figure I'll go ahead and throw my two cents in anyway.

Many seem to have a rather poor opinion of teaching in Thailand, per the negativity in this thread, echoing the sentiments I've heard elsewhere. It's for losers, it's a waste of time, etc. Thus, I'd like to offer there is still value in teaching here, and success has been found by the teachers I've met here. Among my current and former colleagues, two have been at this for six years, two others for three years, and I just met a Canadian at immigration who's done it for 15, now spending the rest of his days here retired. All of them have mentioned they found it worthwhile in one way or another, some putting in more effort, or being more involved than others.

It's certainly not for everyone. You've got to have patience, and as many have said on this site, you've got to have an exit strategy. Even if you can hack it, this is a country that certainly doesn't want us here long term. My plan is ten years at the most, depending on my mom's health. Maintain those family ties, guys. I know of a nearby school where two foreign teachers decided they couldn't do it after trying for a few days, then were stuck in a hard place, not knowing what else to do in this foreign country, and unable to easily get back home. I can confirm that out of the average classroom of about 40 students, maybe five or six manage to be engaged. As for the rest, you do what you can.

Why's it so difficult teaching here? My colleagues have said it's due to a lack of discipline, beginning in elementary school then continuing onward. There are just too many students to deal with, and especially with long time Thai teachers who enjoy solid job security, it's learned to get away with doing the bare minimum. There's also the face saving they must maintain, not wanting to be seen as the bad guy among students and peers, nor upset any parents who turn out to be connected. Thus students don't expect much consequence to bad behavior or grades, and even less from farang teachers they know aren't allowed to discipline at all. They know the grades farangs give account for a small percentage of their total, and many times the exams we give are just for show. Think of the substitute teachers you had in elementary school, who weren't taken very seriously and made the butt of jokes. That's who we are here, to a large extent.

Regardless, we farangs are here for a reason, and generally speaking, it's not because things were so wonderful back home, something I've heard from colleagues and other expats at the local watering holes. As all those who've migrated throughout history, we had been looking for a change, and one typically seeks that when things weren't going well in whatever their situation was. We all sought some escape from crappy jobs, bad relationships, and limited opportunities. I will say that despite the cons of living here, the low pay, difficult working conditions, outsider status, language barrier, ridiculous bureaucracy in regards to employment and immigration, I still find they are outweighed by the pros.

Though low, relatively speaking, the pay is steady and it more than covers my expenses. The rent is easily covered, and I finally have my own nice apartment, which I hadn't in years back home. I was able to buy a motorbike, I have a short commute each day, and the work is relatively easy. Aside from the teaching itself, which can be trying at times, there are no office politics, no trying to scratch backs to climb the ladder, no picking sides. Just sit at your desk, do your job, and watch the Thais get into it, it's not your concern. The pay is enough to afford me evening outings, weekend trips, and traveling on school holidays. And finally, I've had a wonderful girlfriend during most of this time, who has been of invaluable assistance and made the whole experience much more worthwhile.

In regards to choosing a woman, an area where there are no issues with availability here, I'll offer this. If you're a young guy, give the older single ladies who no longer gain the interest of Thai men a try. If you're older like me, stick to someone your own age. Go for someone with whom you can communicate, with the least amount of language issues. And most of all, go for someone modest and humble. Stay away from the stunners, who are invariably looking to leverage their assets.

It's sad to say that this and life's other necessities have become extremely difficult if not impossible to get back home. I won't get into the dating scene, it goes without saying. With jobs, unless you're connected, your resume's most likely being "circular filed". With housing, my friends back in California keep telling me how much worse it's getting each day. Unless you're loaded, you're stuck with a hole in the wall, or sharing one with several people, or commuting 2-3 hours to stay somewhere affordable. You're living paycheck to paycheck, barely making the rent, unable to afford much in your downtime. That's why so many go straight home after work, to TV or video games, and why shopping malls and entertainment venues are dying.

Many foreigners who've had experience with or witnessed teaching in Thailand often have made the same comments, ranging from "It's not really teaching, you're a babysitter or entertainer, you can't take it too seriously" to "teaching here's a complete joke, the system needs an overhaul". It certainly is whatever you make of it. The teachers here are granted a wide range of latitude, and if you want to make a joke of it you certainly can, like the 20-somethings who show up still drunk from the night before, play Hangman for 20 minutes, then go home to sleep it off and get back on Tinder for their next adventure. On the other hand, if you show up wanting to be the authoritarian who gets everyone's attention and expects to whip some slackers into shape, you're not going to have much luck. The best approach lies somewhere between, someone willing to make just enough of a sincere effort. 

As with most things about Thailand, it's a culture that's been far removed from Western thinking, having resisted colonization and too much influence upon their own way of doing things. As such, it's often something we fail to grasp, or are able to use our frame of reference to compare against. "Respect is earned" is an attempt to apply a simplified, Western way of thinking to a complex situation, out of touch on multiple levels. It's analogous to saying "a look in the eye and a firm handshake" is all that's really needed to gain employment, something I've heard my grandparents tell my mom, now out of touch in my home country, let alone a foreign one, in very different times.

One important lesson this experience has taught me thus far, is the importance of having patience. Getting stressed is just a waste, I've found after the situation has passed. If you think someone's out to get you, stay on the safe side, and consider it a misunderstanding. Wait for the paperwork to go through, it'll eventually get done. Don't stress over "special projects" they're saddling you with. It's often just talk that doesn't go anywhere, or if anything is done, it ends being getting together with a poster for a photo op. Be calm, be polite, don't get involved in gossip, get through your lessons. Getting angry won't get you anywhere or make you many friends. Realize there are some you'll never get through to, both students and colleagues, so you've got to find those you can and get through to them. Hope that your efforts will be appreciated by some, and more will eventually follow. It's actually not much different than what I remember from my American high school experience, which also had far from ideal conditions and few good students. Getting through this has certainly tested me, but I like to think that I've grown from the experience.

I go home each day believing I've made some kind of difference, for at least some small percentage. There are small improvements I see in some of my students with each passing week, some creativity in what I see them produce, as opposed to copying the examples I give. It's particularly uplifting to run into my students around town and get recognition, with smiles, waves, and occasional small conversation. When my girlfriend is with me and talks to the parents, or introduces me to others and says I'm a teacher, there are smiles and nods of approval. Despite those here strictly for partying, and how futile at times it seems getting through to everyone, being a teacher here is still valued.

I believe this is because there are teachers here who still have some kind of conscience, who still feel obligated to their jobs and doing something for their students. There are some teachers who need to go home each day feeling they were able to get something accomplished, and have some positive effect. There are some who still want to believe this job finally means something, as opposed to all the crappy ones they left back home, wanting to give something back to people who at times can be difficult and confusing, but overall still warm and accommodating. Thus, you'll be able to find some teachers who still make that investment, and find some success.