Farang English Teachers In Thailand

[garro]

OK here is my 2 baht! Obviously there are many reasons why farangs choose to teach in Thailand, but it does not take a brain surgeon to figure out the obvious. Many of us come from different backgrounds as well as different professions and almost all of us are living in the LOS by choice, because we have chosen to make a life change. Girro worked as a nurse for years in the UK, I worked as a Mental Health counselor for almost ten years in the U.S. before making the great leap to the LOS. Apparently there is not much need for an English speaking Mental health counselor any more than an English speaking nurse in LOS, however there is a huge need for Native speaking English teachers since Thailand is way below International standards, yet Thailand is a huge International player so for a Thai, learning English is an economic necessity. I happen to have a Thai wife and child on the way. My wife has no interest in moving to the U.S., and frankly I have no interest in moving back to the U.S. so it is a means to stay here. I have heard every opinion imaginable, especially from those "adolescent whiners" who dominate Ajarns forum on how the priority should be "teaching the poor poo ying and poo chai English and not to teach for self serving reasons." Well I am definitely not teaching for the money, that would be a laugh! I am trying to provide for my family, so that is my first priority plain and simple. Is teaching hard? Most definitely. Does it take an "academic" to teach English in Thailand? Definitely not. Knowing how to deal with people and understanding human nature is the main requirement. I have a B/A in Counseling which is of very little use to me here since it has nothing to do with teaching, but it keeps me legal so I guess it is good for something. If Thailand set their criteria so high as to only hire "qualified" teachers then Thailand's English Programs would be non existent. Fortunately I am blessed to be working for a great school ,director, and colleagues so no complaints!

I agree with a lot of what you have written, but I don't think teaching long-term just to make money is feasible. I feel fairly certain that it wasn't just the money that brought you into counselling originally. While the need to make a crust here is a priority, for those of us with families, I believe that teaching long-term needs to involve the ability to care, and I am sure that this has carried over from your previous job. I couldn't imagine anything more soul destroying than teaching and going through the motions just for the salary at the end of the month.

[mizzi39]

OK here is my 2 baht! Obviously there are many reasons why farangs choose to teach in Thailand, but it does not take a brain surgeon to figure out the obvious. Many of us come from different backgrounds as well as different professions and almost all of us are living in the LOS by choice, because we have chosen to make a life change. Girro worked as a nurse for years in the UK, I worked as a Mental Health counselor for almost ten years in the U.S. before making the great leap to the LOS. Apparently there is not much need for an English speaking Mental health counselor any more than an English speaking nurse in LOS, however there is a huge need for Native speaking English teachers since Thailand is way below International standards, yet Thailand is a huge International player so for a Thai, learning English is an economic necessity. I happen to have a Thai wife and child on the way. My wife has no interest in moving to the U.S., and frankly I have no interest in moving back to the U.S. so it is a means to stay here. I have heard every opinion imaginable, especially from those "adolescent whiners" who dominate Ajarns forum on how the priority should be "teaching the poor poo ying and poo chai English and not to teach for self serving reasons." Well I am definitely not teaching for the money, that would be a laugh! I am trying to provide for my family, so that is my first priority plain and simple. Is teaching hard? Most definitely. Does it take an "academic" to teach English in Thailand? Definitely not. Knowing how to deal with people and understanding human nature is the main requirement. I have a B/A in Counseling which is of very little use to me here since it has nothing to do with teaching, but it keeps me legal so I guess it is good for something. If Thailand set their criteria so high as to only hire "qualified" teachers then Thailand's English Programs would be non existent. Fortunately I am blessed to be working for a great school ,director, and colleagues so no complaints!

I agree with a lot of what you have written, but I don't think teaching long-term just to make money is feasible. I feel fairly certain that it wasn't just the money that brought you into counselling originally. While the need to make a crust here is a priority, for those of us with families, I believe that teaching long-term needs to involve the ability to care, and I am sure that this has carried over from your previous job. I couldn't imagine anything more soul destroying than teaching and going through the motions just for the salary at the end of the month.

I hope that you did not misinterpret my reply Garro. I have a very good relationship with my students and enjoy teaching very much I cannot stand being idle so going into work everyday gives me a sense of satisfaction and makes me feel productive, and like I stated, to teach in Thailand for the money would be laughable. I am fortunate to have other financial means and my teaching job is a good supplement. I also just got done running a seminar for Thai teachers, helping them to obtain their TKT certification and narrated an Information for investment DVD for the Governors office (at no cost), and volunteer every Saturday morning at the local temple school teaching students who cannot afford the 35,000 baht per term to attend the EP that I work for so yes, I think some compassion carried over from my previous job!

Edited June 12, 2008 by mizzi39

[garro]

OK here is my 2 baht! Obviously there are many reasons why farangs choose to teach in Thailand, but it does not take a brain surgeon to figure out the obvious. Many of us come from different backgrounds as well as different professions and almost all of us are living in the LOS by choice, because we have chosen to make a life change. Girro worked as a nurse for years in the UK, I worked as a Mental Health counselor for almost ten years in the U.S. before making the great leap to the LOS. Apparently there is not much need for an English speaking Mental health counselor any more than an English speaking nurse in LOS, however there is a huge need for Native speaking English teachers since Thailand is way below International standards, yet Thailand is a huge International player so for a Thai, learning English is an economic necessity. I happen to have a Thai wife and child on the way. My wife has no interest in moving to the U.S., and frankly I have no interest in moving back to the U.S. so it is a means to stay here. I have heard every opinion imaginable, especially from those "adolescent whiners" who dominate Ajarns forum on how the priority should be "teaching the poor poo ying and poo chai English and not to teach for self serving reasons." Well I am definitely not teaching for the money, that would be a laugh! I am trying to provide for my family, so that is my first priority plain and simple. Is teaching hard? Most definitely. Does it take an "academic" to teach English in Thailand? Definitely not. Knowing how to deal with people and understanding human nature is the main requirement. I have a B/A in Counseling which is of very little use to me here since it has nothing to do with teaching, but it keeps me legal so I guess it is good for something. If Thailand set their criteria so high as to only hire "qualified" teachers then Thailand's English Programs would be non existent. Fortunately I am blessed to be working for a great school ,director, and colleagues so no complaints!

I agree with a lot of what you have written, but I don't think teaching long-term just to make money is feasible. I feel fairly certain that it wasn't just the money that brought you into counselling originally. While the need to make a crust here is a priority, for those of us with families, I believe that teaching long-term needs to involve the ability to care, and I am sure that this has carried over from your previous job. I couldn't imagine anything more soul destroying than teaching and going through the motions just for the salary at the end of the month.

I hope that you did not misinterpret my reply Girro. I have a very good relationship with my students and enjoy teaching very much I cannot stand being idle so going into work everyday gives me a sense of satisfaction and makes me feel productive, and like I stated, to teach in Thailand for the money would be laughable. I am fortunate to have other financial means and my teaching job is a good supplement.

Not at all, I just thought that maybe you were doing yourself a disservice in your original post. Who is Girro by the way?

[teatree]

Most English teachers out here probably have fallen into the job, but couldn't you say that about people in the West in general? How many people get to do their dream job? Not many of us get to play for Man U or write a bestselling novel - we work to make a living not for fun. Teaching is the only option for most wanting to work here, whether they have professional qualifications back home or not and so many get jobs doing it.

If it was a choice between a typical English teacher in Thailand and a typical corporate shill 'ex-pat' , I know who I would respect more.

[dave111223]

their bad reputation is caused somewhat by them being cheap. for instance, when i was a thailand novice i remember traveling through Thailand and having those experiences where i find out a guy has been sitting at a bus station waiting for 5 hours so he can save 99 baht on a cheaper ticket, or the time my girl friend and i shared a taxi and he insisted the bill be split 3 ways and not half - i just paid the entire 60 baht and he had this look of great appreciation on his face like he won the lottery.

many of them have a very weird aura and the Thai people are very paranoid of them.

Wouldn't it make more sense to split in 3 ways if there are 3 people in the taxi (plus then it's easy with 1 20baht bill each)? Obviously it's only 60 baht in this case... but what if you go out to an expensive restaurant with your g/f and 1 friend? You'd expect the friend to pay half the bill??

[Ijustwannateach]

Moved to Teacher's Subforum.

[Ijustwannateach]

Oh, dear. I'm afraid that in this subforum we have a local guideline that states no general negative comments about teachers are permitted... I'll have to look over this thread again now.

[TEFLMike]

There are two reasons that they are looked down on in my opinion.

Number one is that hardly anybody teaching here is actually qualified for the job, including people with "degrees" in all kinds of subjects that have nothing to do with teaching English. Even with a good TEFL certificate it takes a few years to get good at teaching what you have learned, but few teachers take a decent course and even fewer last that long.

Number two is because a good number of child molesters have been caught teaching in Thailand.

Your reasons are false. Out of the foreign teachers in my school I am the least qualified, and I have a PGCE which is the legal requirement for countries like the UK, all the rest of the Western teachers have at least a masters. I had many interviews in the early part of the year and I saw the same thing elsewhere. My degree is in Nursing Studies, but as I teach health studies it is very appropriate.

There are teachers with less qualifications, but they remain in teaching because their schools believe that they are great at their job. Their lack of paper is made up for by their practical ability.

As for your comment about child molesters. Weren't you recently bleating about how its occurrence was exaggerated? Funny how you are prepared to jump on the bandwagon when it is against teachers though.

Down Fido!

This is a great example of how people totally misunderstand someone else's post on the internet and fly into a rage.

I was a teacher, so I have a pretty idea of typical teacher's qualifications in Chiang Mai, if not in Bangkok and I would say that, in general, you are wrong. However, I have nothing against teachers anyway as I know how difficult it is and that the pay is usually terrible. I am talking about what the general public thinks.

I am not "against" teachers, and I think that – at most - a handful are child molesters. We are talking about what society thinks.

Who is flying into a rage and why do you have a pretty idea?????

I have just finished teaching for a two hour session in a Language Centre. for about , well lads, you have an idea. Still attempting to get back into a school after 1 year's full time in a respected Girl's school... need I go on? With all respects Sir, (OP) he has not got a clue what it is like teaching in Thailand. This is the first time that I have referred to anyone, in any Thaivisa Forum. since I Joined . Alas, it has to be said, that I believe that the OP is a 'Troll'.

Edited June 12, 2008 by TEFLMike

[PeaceBlondie]

My, I go off for a nice evening in town and return to find two of my favorite posters joking about giving enemas and cleaning bookshelves.

[DP25]

There are two reasons that they are looked down on in my opinion.

Number one is that hardly anybody teaching here is actually qualified for the job, including people with "degrees" in all kinds of subjects that have nothing to do with teaching English. Even with a good TEFL certificate it takes a few years to get good at teaching what you have learned, but few teachers take a decent course and even fewer last that long.

Number two is because a good number of child molesters have been caught teaching in Thailand.

Yeah, that's all true, but that's the case everywhere in the world, not just Thailand. There isn't a single country in Asia where you need anything more than a college degree to teach English. There are probably a hundred thousand people in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand etc that are teaching English that have not done a formal teaching course at a university. For most it's just a job that allows them to travel and live abroad. As for the molesters, they've been caught teaching in Korea, China, etc as well as a thousands back in America.

[Neeranam]

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

There are many English teachers who work to get drunk and laid. There are many that are hard-working and respectable. There are many with a false sense of "doing good" and the "Thais respect ajarn" etc.

Generally, the Thais totally disrespect the farang teachers and use them to make money themselves. Do people here know how much the govt. schools get from the govt. for each farang teacher? They are a joke to most Thai teachers. You should have heard some of the conversations I've overheard - even university lecturers talking about their farang colleagues. If you can't speak Thai, you wouldn't understand.

This is my experience in working in all kids of institutions all over the country - from anubaan to university to the corporate sector.

I was one that taught just to stay here and get wasted every night for a few years until I got sober.

I've worked with lots of weirdos. Let's be honest, teaching in Thailand does attract weird people. Thailand in general attracts strange people.

In my experience it's the well qualified ones that were the real weirdos. I worked with Steven Prowler amongst others. I worked with a young guy who got arrested for murder in his first month. It would take a book to relate all my experiences with weirdos in Thailand. However, I've met some of the best people ever in some places I worked.

Also it's the ones without formal training that seem to be the best teachers, but that's another topic.

The low salaries and the lifestyle that goes with that is a main reason for teachers getting ridiculed.

There is also a big difference in the teachers working for International schools and the Siam Computer/ECC/BCC/Text and Talk type teachers.

It's just unfortunate for all the dedicated teachers out there. Learn to ignore the remarks.

[TEFLMike]

Excuse me? Who said '... a Third World Country'? The OP? Yes , Moi believes it was

Edited June 12, 2008 by TEFLMike

[distortedlink]

No one ever discredits English language teachers in Thailand, providing they are genuinely qualified for the job, have been properly vetted with references, have no criminal records, working legally on a non ( immigrant visa with work permits and paying taxes on their earnings.

There are those, the deadbeat Farangs that arrive in Thailand, who decide that the grass is greener over here but do not have the finances or means to qualify for long term residence under the imposed laws of the Immigration department.

In desperation to be able to exist here, they seek any kind of work to do in between their visa runs, especially that of teaching English language which is perhaps one of the most common jobs in Thailand for a Farang to obtain.

Suddenly, Del the plumber, Bob the builder and Freddie the plasterer become teachers. They think that being a native English speaker automatically qualifies them to teach English language. These are the main discreditors of teaching personnel in Thailand.

I definitely would not want someone with limited teaching experience, has no idea of the curriculums required, who has not submitted references, not working legally and of dubious background, teaching my children or any of my adult Thai friends.

Edited June 12, 2008 by distortedlink

[unhappyfarang]

TEFLMiKe - It's the original poster here. I genuinely didn't mean to cause anybody to get upset. As I said in my original topic, my belief, my sincere belief, is that any genuine person who takes it upon themselves (and has the courage to), leave their homecountry and use their skills to improve the education of Thai kids in Thailand is worthy of respect.

Prehaps I shouldn't have used the term "Third World", although not a nice term, apparantly, by definition, Thailand is a Third World Country - Economy, infastructure, corruption at every level etc - Or developing may be a better description.

I am reasonably new to this forum and when I started looking at posts and replies I was suprised that, whenever I came across a " I want to live in Thailand, what job could I get", type post, their seemed to be replies saying " Whatever you do, don't get a teaching job", by some, usually in a sarcastic fashion.

I don't have any negative views whatsoever about English Teachers. As I said, I am respecting of somebody who is helping kids speak English. My original post seems to have brought about a conflict, even slight hostility between posters, this wasn't my intention.

I'm not an expat. I live in the UK, although I have been to Thailand several times - I am married to a Thai. I have never mixed with expats in Thailand so I have never, at first hand, heard any negative comments about English Teachers in Thailand. I don't follow Thailands events/press here in the UK so any incidents (As some posters have refered to in this thread) about wrong - doings by English Teachers in Thailand is something I also wasn't aware of.

[garro]

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

There are many English teachers who work to get drunk and laid. There are many that are hard-working and respectable. There are many with a false sense of "doing good" and the "Thais respect ajarn" etc.

Generally, the Thais totally disrespect the farang teachers and use them to make money themselves. Do people here know how much the govt. schools get from the govt. for each farang teacher? They are a joke to most Thai teachers. You should have heard some of the conversations I've overheard - even university lecturers talking about their farang colleagues. If you can't speak Thai, you wouldn't understand.

This is my experience in working in all kids of institutions all over the country - from anubaan to university to the corporate sector.

I was one that taught just to stay here and get wasted every night for a few years until I got sober.

I've worked with lots of weirdos. Let's be honest, teaching in Thailand does attract weird people. Thailand in general attracts strange people.

In my experience it's the well qualified ones that were the real weirdos. I worked with Steven Prowler amongst others. I worked with a young guy who got arrested for murder in his first month. It would take a book to relate all my experiences with weirdos in Thailand. However, I've met some of the best people ever in some places I worked.

Also it's the ones without formal training that seem to be the best teachers, but that's another topic.

The low salaries and the lifestyle that goes with that is a main reason for teachers getting ridiculed.

There is also a big difference in the teachers working for International schools and the Siam Computer/ECC/BCC/Text and Talk type teachers.

It's just unfortunate for all the dedicated teachers out there. Learn to ignore the remarks.

Sorry there Neeranam, you may have been 'a joke' to the Thai teachers, but that has not been my experience. I don't know you, but I do hope that after 12 years they respect you a bit more than this.

[howmuch]

Lets also not forget, that there are a lot of "Walter Mitti" type Characters who pretend to be financially solvent expats.

Love nothing better to knock what they failed at.

Just one more thing, the sicko's who prey on kids, which sadly all teacher are now tarred with, you don't think there're smart and cunning enough to get education degree's and visa's or not to be prosecuted with back home.

There're probably here, in those prestigious international schools.

Edited June 13, 2008 by howmuch

[jasreeve17]

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

There are many English teachers who work to get drunk and laid. There are many that are hard-working and respectable. There are many with a false sense of "doing good" and the "Thais respect ajarn" etc.

Generally, the Thais totally disrespect the farang teachers and use them to make money themselves. Do people here know how much the govt. schools get from the govt. for each farang teacher? They are a joke to most Thai teachers. You should have heard some of the conversations I've overheard - even university lecturers talking about their farang colleagues. If you can't speak Thai, you wouldn't understand.

This is my experience in working in all kids of institutions all over the country - from anubaan to university to the corporate sector.

I was one that taught just to stay here and get wasted every night for a few years until I got sober.

I've worked with lots of weirdos. Let's be honest, teaching in Thailand does attract weird people. Thailand in general attracts strange people.

In my experience it's the well qualified ones that were the real weirdos. I worked with Steven Prowler amongst others. I worked with a young guy who got arrested for murder in his first month. It would take a book to relate all my experiences with weirdos in Thailand. However, I've met some of the best people ever in some places I worked.

Also it's the ones without formal training that seem to be the best teachers, but that's another topic.

The low salaries and the lifestyle that goes with that is a main reason for teachers getting ridiculed.

There is also a big difference in the teachers working for International schools and the Siam Computer/ECC/BCC/Text and Talk type teachers.

It's just unfortunate for all the dedicated teachers out there. Learn to ignore the remarks.

A very good post by somebody that has a good grasp on the realities here.

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

Garro: I certainly believe your comments regarding your employment abode, but I don't know where you work - you must be the most highly qualified set of teachers in SE Asia, and totally unrepresentative of the norm.

Unhappyfarang: Your question is a good one and teachers do get harsh treatment on this forum, which is undeserved in my opinion. Teaching is a noble profession. I've noticed that many teachers are overtly aggressive and defensive (an example would be the attack on UG's reasonable comments) which also goes a long way towards driving 'slagging matches' with the general morons of the forum (who are numerous). Others give insightful, interesting and well balanced posts. These folk gain respect from most board members over time, regardless of their profession...

Another issue is that, to many, it would seem strange to move to a 'third world' country and work for a very low salary. For me, if folk do so and are happy - good luck to them.

Edited June 13, 2008 by jasreeve17

[Starrysky]

There are two reasons that they are looked down on in my opinion.

Number one is that hardly anybody teaching here is actually qualified for the job, including people with "degrees" in all kinds of subjects that have nothing to do with teaching English. Even with a good TEFL certificate it takes a few years to get good at teaching what you have learned, but few teachers take a decent course and even fewer last that long.

Number two is because a good number of child molesters have been caught teaching in Thailand.

By the way, I was a teacher (with an RSA/Cambridge Certificate for Teaching English) for a long time, so I am not bashing teachers. I am just explaining why I think they have this reputation.

I couldn't agree more with this opinion. I'm also a CELTA/CELTYL teacher with years of experience prior to coming to Thailand - including teaching/oral examining for Cambridge proficiency exams (hardly any Thai Ss ever reach this level, of course). I've worked with 'TEFL teachers' in Thailand and been shocked by the incompetence and, all too often, their attitude towards working - eg inappropriate flirting with Ss. Other problems are the resentment of Thai teachers of foreign teachers' salaries, the typical Thai attitude that they know everything best and a generally big cultural difference. I personally don't see the situation ever changing and am very happy that I don't need to teach anymore. I can see that a spot of voluntary teaching would be the only way to do it, as at least you could work more on your own terms.

[DP25]

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

Uhh...what exactly do you think the qualifications necessary to teach in Korea/Japan/Taiwan are? The only qualification needed to teach anywhere in Asia is a college degree, in any subject you choose. Japan even runs a program to recruit recent college graduates from the US to go work in schools there. A degree in any subject will do, and no training is needed. I'd love to know how Thailand can possibly attract 'qualified' teachers, when Japan is unable to even though they pay 5 times as much money. They pay a lot of money and they still rely on 20 something college grads with no training and middle aged Otaku.

Edited June 13, 2008 by DP25

[jasreeve17]

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

Uhh...what exactly do you think the qualifications necessary to teach in Korea/Japan/Taiwan are? The only qualification needed to teach anywhere in Asia is a college degree, in any subject you choose. Japan even runs a program to recruit recent college graduates from the US to go work in schools there. A degree in any subject will do, and no training is needed. I'd love to know how Thailand can possibly attract 'qualified' teachers, when Japan is unable to even though they pay 5 times as much money. They pay a lot of money and they still rely on 20 something college grads with no training and middle aged Otaku.

A university degree for a native speaker is a very good level for teaching conversational English. What do you want for conversational English? At uni's in Korea and Japan you need a masters degree in a relevant field. Language schools in Japan require a celta.

The cost of living in Japan is so high that it negates the higher salary. Korea is a far better place to earn / save money if you can put up with the place. My guestimate is that Korea is 40,000 baht a month better than Thailand once you've equated in the cost of living.

The reality is that Thailand cannot attract teachers that satisfy their requirements. You are right in so much as; few native English speakers with degrees want to earn a very small wage in Thailand. Some do, but nowhere near the national requirement. But, we're moving into another conversation...

[DP25]

A university degree for a native speaker is a very good level for teaching conversational English. What do you want for conversational English? At uni's in Korea and Japan you need a masters degree in a relevant field. Language schools in Japan require a celta.

I think a university degree is probably fine. Thailand also requires that for a work permit. There are people with fake degrees of course, but I know of people in Korea and Taiwan with degrees they bought off the internet as well.

Am not sure what language schools in Japan require, but everyone I know who has gone there to teach in government schools has done so through the JET program, and not a single one of them had any sort of teaching qualification. They were all just recent uni graduates. Requirements are here.

http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/aspiring/eligibility.html

[mbkudu]

There are two reasons that they are looked down on in my opinion.

Number one is that hardly anybody teaching here is actually qualified for the job, including people with "degrees" in all kinds of subjects that have nothing to do with teaching English. Even with a good TEFL certificate it takes a few years to get good at teaching what you have learned, but few teachers take a decent course and even fewer last that long.

Number two is because a good number of child molesters have been caught teaching in Thailand.

By the way, I was a teacher (with an RSA/Cambridge Certificate for Teaching English) for a long time, so I am not bashing teachers. I am just explaining why I think they have this reputation.

These are accurate perceptions that many people have. They may or may not be true; they are just perceptions after all.

Real estate agents and time share people are much further down the scum scale.

[garro]

Well three pages now and not much mention about what the students may think. To be honest, when all is said and done, I couldn't give a fiddler's fluck what a few ex-pats or disgruntled teachers say as long as the students seem to be benefiting.

It is more than students just been taught a foreign language. They can gain skills and ways of dealing with information that will see them through for the rest of their life. The subject is just the wrapping paper. I can still remember all my teachers twenty years later, both the good and the bad, and I probably learned a lot from both.

Edited June 13, 2008 by garro

[onnut]

^^And number 3, the repetitious public bashing of them on internet forums by trolls with no lives...

this unhappyfarang is a right tosser, you should see the last topic he posted.

[mjochim]

I'm in Week 6 of Term 1 of my second full year teaching at a large bilingual school in Phuket. A large part of why I returned, despite problems within school administration, happened to be because of comments made by parents and others in our community not to mention the children themselves. In fact, soon after I started working over a year ago I had already been invited to a student's birthday party and at the end of my first term teaching I received many gifts from parents. This, of course, is not why I teach but it certainly opened my eyes to how highly regarded teachers can be in this society.

I am very careful as to how I conduct myself when not in school, however, so that may make a difference. Many of the local shopkeepers, cart vendors, and restaurant staff know that I am a teacher so I am careful not to cause myself embarrassment when in public. Even those adults who don't have children attending my school give me respect. It really is difficult to explain but it certainly makes me feel good. You definitely don't receive this sort of attention in the States!

Although am strict on classroom discipline and try very hard to be seen as a teacher rather than a friend, so many of my students come up to me during schooldays (and weekends as well) and express their appreciation. Last year, I taught Reading to four different P3 classes (twice a week) as well as ESL for P4. This year, I have the same P3 Reading schedule but also teach Reading to the three P4 classes as well (one day per week). Except for two or three new students, I taught all of these P4 kids last year. Even on the days that I don't teach them, they will come up to me in the hallways and tell me how much they look forward to my class -- even with the added workload (P4 Reading is more of a Literature Analysis class than Phonics/Reading Skills as they had in P3). Their parents call me at home to tell me how much they appreciate my teaching. I've also received some private contract work from some of those parents, not to mention additional invitations to birthday parties, etc. In fact, I tend to hang out with the parents more than my co-teachers (and my wife is occasionally called upon for baby-sitting).

This is my experience as a farang teacher on an island filled with farangs. I don't know if it's the same for other teachers (a few have told me that, yes, they are having the same experiences) but it feels more like what the sole farang teacher in, say, Isaan might experience rather than in the heart of Phuket...

[garro]

I'm in Week 6 of Term 1 of my second full year teaching at a large bilingual school in Phuket. A large part of why I returned, despite problems within school administration, happened to be because of comments made by parents and others in our community not to mention the children themselves. In fact, soon after I started working over a year ago I had already been invited to a student's birthday party and at the end of my first term teaching I received many gifts from parents. This, of course, is not why I teach but it certainly opened my eyes to how highly regarded teachers can be in this society.

I am very careful as to how I conduct myself when not in school, however, so that may make a difference. Many of the local shopkeepers, cart vendors, and restaurant staff know that I am a teacher so I am careful not to cause myself embarrassment when in public. Even those adults who don't have children attending my school give me respect. It really is difficult to explain but it certainly makes me feel good. You definitely don't receive this sort of attention in the States!

Although am strict on classroom discipline and try very hard to be seen as a teacher rather than a friend, so many of my students come up to me during schooldays (and weekends as well) and express their appreciation. Last year, I taught Reading to four different P3 classes (twice a week) as well as ESL for P4. This year, I have the same P3 Reading schedule but also teach Reading to the three P4 classes as well (one day per week). Except for two or three new students, I taught all of these P4 kids last year. Even on the days that I don't teach them, they will come up to me in the hallways and tell me how much they look forward to my class -- even with the added workload (P4 Reading is more of a Literature Analysis class than Phonics/Reading Skills as they had in P3). Their parents call me at home to tell me how much they appreciate my teaching. I've also received some private contract work from some of those parents, not to mention additional invitations to birthday parties, etc. In fact, I tend to hang out with the parents more than my co-teachers (and my wife is occasionally called upon for baby-sitting).

This is my experience as a farang teacher on an island filled with farangs. I don't know if it's the same for other teachers (a few have told me that, yes, they are having the same experiences) but it feels more like what the sole farang teacher in, say, Isaan might experience rather than in the heart of Phuket...

Good post

[BugJackBaron]

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

<snip>

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

As someone who just finished 11 years of teaching in Korea, this gave me a laugh.

Sure to get legal work you need a degree. But English is like a religion there and the demand

is so great. There were a lot of illegal teachers in 97 and I bet there still are - working part time

and giving private lessons.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Prior to becoming an English teacher in Thailand, I was a lawyer in America. I couldn't possibly be viewed in a more negative way because of my occupation, as I was viewed in America.

[garro]

Here's my 2 baht's worth - I taught full-time in Thailand for more than 12 years and still do some private work.

<snip>

DP25: Try working in Korea / Japan / Taiwan without qualifications... not easy unless you are willing to break visa regulations, and I suspect that very few teachers do so.

As someone who just finished 11 years of teaching in Korea, this gave me a laugh.

Sure to get legal work you need a degree. But English is like a religion there and the demand

is so great. There were a lot of illegal teachers in 97 and I bet there still are - working part time

and giving private lessons.

I heard that it was very difficult for someone over 30 years old to find legal work in Korea.

Is that true?

[frodo]

Good questions and concerns from the OP. I too have often wondered why people on forums tend to look down on foreign teachers and use certain stereotypes in discussing teachers. I have to agree that media has played a role in casting this negative light, and if you’ve followed this forum long enough, you’ll see there are many people who love jumping on bandwagons and the moment an “isolated” incident occurs, they don’t respond, but react, hence with extreme negativity against everyone.

But the “real world” is different. As folks like Garro have already pointed out, the majority of teachers here will take those extra steps to ensure a quality education to their students. As in any occupation, anywhere in the world, there will always be the miscreants and troublemakers. Doctors, politicians, businessmen, lawyers, retail clerks, etc have never been exempt, and we do hear of isolated cases, but we don’t tend to generalize all people in an occupation as being this way.

People write about seeing or talking with teachers at a pub or strip-bar. Big deal! A handful of teachers, out of how many, use their personal time to do what they wish. For some very strange reason when a small group of teachers go out on a Friday night, have a few drinks, all teachers are then branded as alcoholics, deviants, or even worse. As long as the night-life doesn’t spill over into the classroom, then there really isn’t a problem at all. I will admit, I have seen over the course of six years, four instances where “teachers” have come into work drunk, hung-over, or incapable of performing their duties. They don’t last long, and are replaced either by the school or company where they are employed. These types are the exceptions, not the rule. Overall, I have seen nothing but professionalism. To be fair, I’ve also observed expat non-teachers drunk and acting asinine while in public. Naturally the media doesn’t care much about that.

I’ve been with the same school for 5-years and have never had a problem, not a single problem. Parents, students, and Thai staff go out of their way to make sure I am “well kept.” The kids do learn as evidenced by their scores on the Thai National Exams. They have continually scored significantly higher than their counterparts and other schools as a whole. With that, parents and school personal/administration are extremely happy. Like another poster here, parents do call me at home to say “hello”, remember my birthday with gifts, and invitations to dinner either to their home or a restaurant are normal. On the rare occasion that I’ve been ill, parents, students, and Thai staff do call or drop in to make sure I am well or in need of anything. Moreover, even the neighbors are not strangers. They do bring small gifts when they return home after travel (that is reciprocated as well), will bring a dish or two of food time to time (again reciprocated when I bake cookies, cake, lasagna, etc), and are genuinely happy to speak with me.

As mjochim wrote in another post, taking care of who you are in public is of upmost importance as well. I don’t drink alcohol, so no worry there. I will dress in shorts on days off (to the dismay of others on this forum...they even have a thread on that subject), but they are always clean and presentable. To be honest, I have never seen a drunk or inebriated “teacher” in my neck of the woods, and it seems they also know very well about perception.

There are some nay-sayers on this forum and their reality is much more different than the majority. Hang out in sleeze places, and you’ll have sleeze from all walks of life, not just a handful of “teachers.” Teaching is an admirable profession, and yes, most of the Thai’s do respect you, providing you respect yourself first. Better yet, most of the world will respect you if you do the same.