Beginner advice - Lesson planning and teaching hours

[Lake Palmer]

Hello there,

 

I am currently looking at starting English teaching, and a few schools and companies have responded with interest.

 

I have a few questions for anyone with experience:

 

- How many hours a week are usually asked for working at a government school as an English teacher? Is there a limit to where they are taking the p***?

- Some companies are offering lesson plans, does this increase the teaching hours?

- If choosing a school where lesson planning is required, is this something that will be taking up evenings and weekends?

 

I'm semi-retired so money isn't an issue, i'm just looking for a good work-life balance.

 

Best regards,

Lake

[Surelynot]

Off the shelf lesson plans are worth considering, but I always found them wanting......they could act as a starting point to develop your own though......there are a lot of very good, free resources on TES.

 

It is true .....some school managers are mental about planning....I think it is a sign of their insecurity and lack of faith in their staff.....research 5 part lesson plans......I used to do mine on a single sheet of formatted A3 for each lesson (when I had to show the idiots something)....all the usual...prestarter/starter/objectives/outcomes/content.....

 

When I started teaching, lesson plans took up a monumental amount of time.....and only lasted for the first 10 minutes of the lesson.....panic! Always have extras up your sleeve.

 

Towards the end of my time teaching I used to go into school as early as 0530, plan the day ahead, prepping' all the resources I needed......it made for a very relaxing day......nothing worse than winging it as a teacher.....kids can sense blood.

[BangkokReady]

Around 20 periods (at 40-60 mins a period) is the sweet spot.  Much more than that and you're probably being taken advantage of.

 

One thing you can do is ask to speak to one of the current teachers, you can then ask them a few questions.  If they don't want you to speak to anyone currently teaching there, that may be a bit of a red flag in itself.

 

What are the wages like?  If it's a 30-40K government school, you would hope for something fairly relaxed.  If it's a 60K private school, they will probably have you doing all sorts of extra stuff.

[2530Ubon]

 

How many hours a week are usually asked for working at a government school as an English teacher? Is there a limit to where they are taking the p***?

 

24 contact hours is the maximum allowed by law. A lot of outer city, poorer schools will have you working the max. This time doesn't include all of the extra activities that you'll be expected to do/attend such as; weekend English camps, field trips, STEM camp, sports day(s), parents evening (private/upper class schools), homeroom teacher duties, morning assembly, retirement parties, etc.

A good city school will have you teaching around 15 classes a week. Some schools will allow you to come and go as you please when your not teaching, as long as you are there for morning assembly, meetings and lessons. Make sure you know whether your expected to be at school from 7:30-4 all day, or if you can come and go.

 

Some companies are offering lesson plans, does this increase the teaching hours?

 

No. May I suggest a reputable agency such as MediaKids. I started out teaching with these guys and ended up working my way up to consultant at head office. They pay well (30-35k standard), provide lesson plans and materials, do all of your visa and work permit paperwork, they will also provide you with an apartment/house to live in for free. You usually only have to pay for utilities. I haven't worked there for many years, but I still keep in touch. Lovely people.

 

If choosing a school where lesson planning is required, is this something that will be taking up evenings and weekends?

 

It takes as much time as one needs. I used to plan all of my classes in one hit and have the whole term planned in the first week. If you go with an agency, then the lesson plans are pretty much done for you.

 

I'm semi-retired so money isn't an issue, i'm just looking for a good work-life balance.

 

I'm afraid this just isn't likely. Thai schools love to get you to do as much as you can. They will keep asking you to do more and more. They aren't shy! If money isn't an issue, then may I suggest you ask for part time work? Schools really do take the p-ss, and your life will revolve around the school and the directors whims.

[DavisH]

Try language schools instead, if you are semi-retired and don't really need the money. Regular schools may require a lot extra aside from actual teaching, as has been mentioned. If you are new to teaching, it requires quite a bit of effort at the start, as you may need to rite your own units and lesson plans, gather materials, organise your thoughts on how to teach certain topics, learn the grammar rules (if you don't know them already), etc. After a few years it gets easier, especially if you stay at the same establishment. I've been teachign many years, and rarely look at my lesson plans once they are submitted to the office.

[J Town]

22 hours ago, DavisH said:

Try language schools instead

I did teaching at a regular Mon-Fri private school, then went to a language school. MUCH better at the language school. More money, fewer hours, and none of the extra duties.

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, J Town said:

I did teaching at a regular Mon-Fri private school, then went to a language school. MUCH better at the language school. More money, fewer hours, and none of the extra duties.

No teacher licence requirements, don't need to be on campus all day, extra duties, etc..many schools do pay 12 months though, so that's one benefit.