If You Want To Be Respected As A Professional Then You Should Act Professionally.

[garro]

I often hear the comment on this forum (and other forums) that westerners should not really be considered proper teachers because of their motivations for joining the profession. Another favorite complaint is that the Thais do not respect the western teachers and this is why we don't need to act like professionals. Let's look at both these points.

The idea that your motivation for joining a profession should determine your ability to become a member is a joke. Have these people ever met any professionals? The idea that people in the West join professions out of a pure noble-calling is the stuff of fairy stories. I was in a profession before arriving in Thailand and I met many people from other professions and the usual reason for joining was job security or trying to please their parents. I met many nurses who joined the profession in the hope of meeting a rich doctor, but this did not stop them from being professional. How is this different from somebody joining the teaching profession in Thailand because they wish to live here? I can think of far sinister motives for joining a profession.

The second argument is less idiotic but more damaging. It is my conviction that respect needs to be earned and if you want to be treated professionally then you must act like a professional. The argument that, 'if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys' just does not suffice and is ultimately self-defeating. There are constant complaints about the Thai administration and regulations but much less examination of our own standards. A professional group should try and self-regulate instead of waiting on the governments to regulate. If the problems were solved internally then there would be less need for the government to meddle. If western teachers were more professional there would be less need for the Thai government to attempt to impose professional standards.

I recently needed to attend the culture training course. I felt a bit annoyed with the TCT for this, but decided to make the most of it. The attitude of some of my fellow westerners at the course moved my anger away from the TCT and more towards our own behavior. The pure open lack of respect for Thailand was embarrasing. Teachers arriving in beach-clothes and when they weren't bithching were sleeping off hangovers or trying to flirt with the instructors as if they were hookers. This is no way to gain respect as a teacher. So I would say that the reason that Thai people do not treat us like professionals is because we don't act that way.

I believe that if we want to improve the situation we need to concentrate not only on our own behaviour but also protecting the profession as a whole. The way you protect a profession is by not encouraging bad elements into joining it. I think that it is important for us to only encourage those with suitable personal qualities and academic qualifications into the profession. Of course, ultimately it is up to school administration but we need to ensure that we are not part of the problem. Encouraging anybody and his dog into becoming a teacher in Thailand is not the way to go - in my opinion.

[aussiestyle1983]

I often hear the comment on this forum (and other forums) that westerners should not really be considered proper teachers because of their motivations for joining the profession. Another favorite complaint is that the Thais do not respect the western teachers and this is why we don't need to act like professionals. Let's look at both these points.

The idea that your motivation for joining a profession should determine your ability to become a member is a joke. Have these people ever met any professionals? The idea that people in the West join professions out of a pure noble-calling is the stuff of fairy stories. I was in a profession before arriving in Thailand and I met many people from other professions and the usual reason for joining was job security or trying to please their parents. I met many nurses who joined the profession in the hope of meeting a rich doctor, but this did not stop them from being professional. How is this different from somebody joining the teaching profession in Thailand because they wish to live here? I can think of far sinister motives for joining a profession.

The second argument is less idiotic but more damaging. It is my conviction that respect needs to be earned and if you want to be treated professionally then you must act like a professional. The argument that, 'if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys' just does not suffice and is ultimately self-defeating. There are constant complaints about the Thai administration and regulations but much less examination of our own standards. A professional group should try and self-regulate instead of waiting on the governments to regulate. If the problems were solved internally then there would be less need for the government to meddle. If western teachers were more professional there would be less need for the Thai government to attempt to impose professional standards.

I recently needed to attend the culture training course. I felt a bit annoyed with the TCT for this, but decided to make the most of it. The attitude of some of my fellow westerners at the course moved my anger away from the TCT and more towards our own behavior. The pure open lack of respect for Thailand was embarrasing. Teachers arriving in beach-clothes and when they weren't bithching were sleeping off hangovers or trying to flirt with the instructors as if they were hookers. This is no way to gain respect as a teacher. So I would say that the reason that Thai people do not treat us like professionals is because we don't act that way.

I believe that if we want to improve the situation we need to concentrate not only on our own behaviour but also protecting the profession as a whole. The way you protect a profession is by not encouraging bad elements into joining it. I think that it is important for us to only encourage those with suitable personal qualities and academic qualifications into the profession. Of course, ultimately it is up to school administration but we need to ensure that we are not part of the problem. Encouraging anybody and his dog into becoming a teacher in Thailand is not the way to go - in my opinion.

The keyword in the title of your topic is 'want'. Not everyone wants or cares to be respected as a professional in all circumstances. I'll give you an example, in Australia, whatever I do, sometimes I feel good when I get respected even though I don't really care. This is because I belong to the culture in which I live, so in a way, if I am not respected, I must be doing something wrong. In Thailand, after learning about Thai culture, I did not care about being respected and in fact, I did not want respect. If I was respected in Thailand, it meant that I was doing something right in their eyes which also meant that I was doing things differently to the way I believe they should have been done. By earning respect in Thailand, I was in a sense, forgetting about the things in my culture that I hold to be important and in a sense, disrespecting myself. One example which I loved to lose respect over was standing up for myself andf throwing the face saving device that Thai's deploy out the window. However, you also mention: 'Another favorite complaint is that the Thais do not respect the western teachers and this is why we don't need to act like professionals. ' This is rather interesting. To me, teachers in the West are far more professional than Thai teachers could ever be. To be recognised as a professional teacher in Thailand you must need to be following a lot of the dodgy practices that the Thai education practices. If being a professional teacher in Thailand means I have to pass students that fail, use 50% as the lowest grade, spend more time at the front gate and meausring the size of my check marks on graded papers to make sure that they fit between the 12mm and 15mm guidelines that the school insists on, and so many other timewasting practices, I'd have to say that I hope I wasn't a porfessional teacher in Thailand by Thai standards. Only when Western commonsense in forced on the Thai education system, which will most likely never happen, is the day I would want to be called a professional teacher by a Thai. I'd rather spend less time checking the size of my ticks on the paper and more time in the classroom, even if it means I am a stubborn farang whose does not respect the system; a system not worthy of respect.

"Encouraging anybody and his dog into becoming a teacher in Thailand is not the way to go - in my opinion." - You're right, it's not the way to go, but it's the way it's going

Edited September 30, 2008 by aussiestyle1983

[PeaceBlondie]

Good points, garro. I, too, was in a couple of professional fields (Protestant ministry, accounting) before coming here. I knew that the teaching profession had rules, and I tried to figure them out.

1. Look the part. Here, that means always be dressed well. Those ladies dressed well every day they were at school.

2. Speak well. Never lose your temper or raise your voice. Never insult a peer or a boss. No curse words.

3. Take orders smiling. You can passively-aggressively neglect to do the impossible and the farcical, but don't brag about it.

4. Play by the rules. If that means passing all students and keeping your cool in a 33 degree classroom with 48 adolescents, do it.

Be discreet when you misbehave. Wear sunglasses if you go to Nana Plaza or Babylon Sauna. If you must drink yourself silly, do so many hours before you need to put that shirt and tie on again to teach. Don't flirt on duty.

You should have realized some of this stuff when you were in junior high. We knew that our health teacher was a lush, but he kept the whiskey bottle hidden in his desk. We knew our sex ed teacher was a prude, because some of our parents were doctors and nurses. We had class before we came to class, even as children. Teachers here belong to the upper class, and if you cannot handle that, go back to whatever lower class rock from which your background raised you.

[garro]

The keyword in the title of your topic is 'want'. Not everyone wants or cares to be respected as a professional in all circumstances.

Yes, but the problem is that many want to be respected, but are not willing to do anything to earn this respect. Many of these silly people think that because they have white skin and are able to speak their native language that it somehow entitles them to respect. This view is not only arrogant but also willfully ignorant. The days of the white man coming to tame the savages are over.

You have decided that teaching and Thailand is not your cup of tea. Good for you and at least you gave it a try. If you cannot accept the way Thai people do things then it is only right that you should leave. I doubt that I would be happy in Australia if I spent my time annoyed because they did things differently than my culture.

Good points PB.

[aussiestyle1983]

Perhaps you should leave Thailand too if you cannot accept how it is? You seem to be annoyed at a type of attitude that you have no control over and that will never change; that being the attitude of others. Why don't you just bite the bullet and leave now? Rather than turning into a whinger like me

[garro]

Perhaps you should leave Thailand too if you cannot accept how it is? You seem to be annoyed at a type of attitude that you have no control over and that will never change; that being the attitude of others. Why don't you just bite the bullet and leave now? Rather than turning into a whinger like me

Aussie, I am not so much bothered with accepting all the views of my fellow westerners. I do feel though that it is important that I least make an effort to accept how things are done in Thailand.

[aussiestyle1983]

Perhaps you should leave Thailand too if you cannot accept how it is? You seem to be annoyed at a type of attitude that you have no control over and that will never change; that being the attitude of others. Why don't you just bite the bullet and leave now? Rather than turning into a whinger like me

Aussie, I am not so much bothered with accepting all the views of my fellow westerners. I do feel though that it is important that I least make an effort to accept how things are done in Thailand.

Don't you mean you make an effort to respect how things are done in Thailand? Accept means something different, and I don't acept what is done in Thailand, I do however try to respect it (don't laugh, I try to bite my tounge for as long as I can)

[garro]

Perhaps you should leave Thailand too if you cannot accept how it is? You seem to be annoyed at a type of attitude that you have no control over and that will never change; that being the attitude of others. Why don't you just bite the bullet and leave now? Rather than turning into a whinger like me

Aussie, I am not so much bothered with accepting all the views of my fellow westerners. I do feel though that it is important that I least make an effort to accept how things are done in Thailand.

Don't you mean you make an effort to respect how things are done in Thailand? Accept means something different, and I don't acept what is done in Thailand, I do however try to respect it (don't laugh, I try to bite my tounge for as long as I can)

No, I mean that I accept that this is the way things are here. If I could not accept things as they are then I would leave.

[aussiestyle1983]

Perhaps you should leave Thailand too if you cannot accept how it is? You seem to be annoyed at a type of attitude that you have no control over and that will never change; that being the attitude of others. Why don't you just bite the bullet and leave now? Rather than turning into a whinger like me

Aussie, I am not so much bothered with accepting all the views of my fellow westerners. I do feel though that it is important that I least make an effort to accept how things are done in Thailand.

Don't you mean you make an effort to respect how things are done in Thailand? Accept means something different, and I don't acept what is done in Thailand, I do however try to respect it (don't laugh, I try to bite my tounge for as long as I can)

No, I mean that I accept that this is the way things are here. If I could not accept things as they are then I would leave.

If all farang teachers had that kind of attitude and accepted the <deleted> that goes on in the Thai education system, the system would be doomed forever. Those who offer some sort of resistance keep the idea that the system could oneday change for the better alive

[garro]

Perhaps you should leave Thailand too if you cannot accept how it is? You seem to be annoyed at a type of attitude that you have no control over and that will never change; that being the attitude of others. Why don't you just bite the bullet and leave now? Rather than turning into a whinger like me

Aussie, I am not so much bothered with accepting all the views of my fellow westerners. I do feel though that it is important that I least make an effort to accept how things are done in Thailand.

Don't you mean you make an effort to respect how things are done in Thailand? Accept means something different, and I don't acept what is done in Thailand, I do however try to respect it (don't laugh, I try to bite my tounge for as long as I can)

No, I mean that I accept that this is the way things are here. If I could not accept things as they are then I would leave.

If all farang teachers had that kind of attitude and accepted the <deleted> that goes on in the Thai education system, the system would be doomed forever. Those who offer some sort of resistance keep the idea that the system could oneday change for the better alive

I did not come to Thailand to save the Thais. I deal with life on life's terms and and find that a lot can be accomplished when you work inside the system. The system will not change just because it does not suit foreign teachers. If change does occur it will be due to the Thais wanting it to change. Of course, this is not to say that we should not do the best we can for our individual students.

There are plenty of social action/political causes that I could become involved in back in my home country, but I moved half-way around the world to get away from that type of <deleted>.

[RusticCharm]

So I would say that the reason that Thai people do not treat us like professionals is because we don't act that way.

Sorry but just who is this 'we' to whom you're referring?

I really think you should lay off the grand sweeping statements until you actually know what you're talking about.

So a few teachers misbehaved on your TCT course. A male Thai lecturer demanded blow jobs for grades at a Thai uni recently but do I tar all male Thai teachers with the same brush? Okay, so some Thais do not respect foreign teachers. Do you think maybe that often this could have something to do with other than how the foreigners supposedly 'behave'.

Think about it.

Your post was just another completely one-sided 'blame the farang' type bullshit we hear from certain Thai/Asian politicians. As to accepting 'the way things are here', in my experience I think most foreign teachers here do accept that. However that doesn't mean those ways (occasionally petty, xenophobic, feudal, power-tripping) are necessarily respected.

You should realise many foreign teachers here do a hel_l of a good job despite mediocre salaries and piss-poor admin. Try aiming your criticism at those more deserving.

[PeaceBlondie]

Oh gee whiz, maybe I should retract my first post in this thread. I thought garro wanted us to give our own versions of what professional standards of conduct we think a farang teacher should uphold. Little did I realize this is already just another slagfest.

What standards do you think a farang teacher here should uphold, assuming he wishes to stay here and play the game? Do you think you can make a difference by breaking Thai professional standards? Would he be more clever and effective in the long range by gaining respect and maybe he gets asked for some minor advice? Why did that high-ranking ajarn ask me to revise her master's thesis, years after I had left her school?

[garro]

So I would say that the reason that Thai people do not treat us like professionals is because we don't act that way.

Sorry but just who is this 'we' to whom you're referring?

I really think you should lay off the grand sweeping statements until you actually know what you're talking about.

So a few teachers misbehaved on your TCT course. A male Thai lecturer demanded blow jobs for grades at a Thai uni recently but do I tar all male Thai teachers with the same brush? Okay, so some Thais do not respect foreign teachers. Do you think maybe that often this could have something to do with other than how the foreigners supposedly 'behave'.

Think about it.

Your post was just another completely one-sided 'blame the farang' type bullshit we hear from certain Thai/Asian politicians. As to accepting 'the way things are here', in my experience I think most foreign teachers here do accept that. However that doesn't mean those ways (occasionally petty, xenophobic, feudal, power-tripping) are necessarily respected.

You should realise many foreign teachers here do a hel_l of a good job despite mediocre salaries and piss-poor admin. Try aiming your criticism at those more deserving.

Unfortunately my language skills are quite limited so I need to use general statements to put a point across. These general statements have worked for me in the past, but unfortunately there is always the risk that it will be read by somebody who feels that all things written on the internet is directed specifically at them You have pointed out that it is wrong of me to include you in any group without first checking to see if you would fit the mould. Of course, you are correct. I should have really known that someone like your good-self would come along and take umbrage. Once again I apologise, I should not have just assumed that you would understand my usage of general statements.

As you have pointed out I obviously don't know what I'm talking about. It is clear however that you do feel that you do know what you are talking about and are in a position to judge the merits of my post. You see my post as merely an attack on the western teacher and of course there could be no merit in this. How dare I even suggest that there are western teachers who are anything but brilliant. I only have to glance at a couple of lines of your post to see what a great addition you are to the pool of western teachers here in the land of Thais. Keep up the good work.

[PeaceBlondie]

Some Irish writers have a great sense of irony.

[Loaded]

I work with a school that last year had farang teachers who popped out for a beer during the lunch break! Listening to them in their air-con staffroom (the Thais didn't have air-con) you could easily believe that if only they had the power they would sort out the Thai education system in 2 minutes - Face-to-face confrontation, disregard of the hierachial system that Thai society revolves around and lets throw in as well the smell of beer and cigarettes when talking to parents. These guys are wanke_rs. They don't form the majority of foreign teachers in Thailand but their arrogance, stupidity and egos fill enough space in staffrooms and Internet forums so that you could easily believe they do.

I'm with Garro on this one. Foreign teachers usually cause the negative behaviour directed towards them. It's a reaction to their, or other foreigners, behaviour. The vast majority of Thais are lovely people who if you behave appropriately within the mores of their society are a joy to be with.

Edited September 30, 2008 by Loaded

[Loaded]

Some Irish writers have a great sense of irony.

and that is why they write in English!

[britmaveric]

Most aren't proper teachers by trade, so I suspect thats probably why they don't earn the respect that might be given otherwise if this was one's profession back in the west. Rather than just a TEFler certification.

[Loaded]

Most aren't proper teachers by trade, so I suspect thats probably why they don't earn the respect that might be given otherwise if this was one's profession back in the west. Rather than just a TEFler certification.

the biggest piss artist I have ever met was one of my uni lecturers in the uk. he came to lectures drunk with beer stains down his shirt and urine stains down his trousers. he got away with it because he was 'eccentric' and this was 'higher education'. don't think he had a TEFL cert, but i could be wrong

Edited September 30, 2008 by Loaded

[PeaceBlondie]

britmaveric, I have attended, monitored, taught, or invigilated maybe five classes of TEFLers. Do you have better experience than Loaded, IJWT, myself, or our forum sponsors? Careful - your answer might earn you a formal warning.

[opebo]

Most aren't proper teachers by trade, so I suspect thats probably why they don't earn the respect that might be given otherwise if this was one's profession back in the west. Rather than just a TEFler certification.

Haha, 'proper teachers' are unlikely to be willing to work for the ridiculous pittance paid - most farangs teaching in Thailand only make 30-35,000 baht/month.

[garro]

Most aren't proper teachers by trade, so I suspect thats probably why they don't earn the respect that might be given otherwise if this was one's profession back in the west. Rather than just a TEFler certification.

Haha, 'proper teachers' are unlikely to be willing to work for the ridiculous pittance paid - most farangs teaching in Thailand only make 30-35,000 baht/month.

Teaching is not a trade but a profession and each country decides the entry requirements to enter it. If you meet these standards then you are considered part of the profession. In Thailand the TCT has now been given responsibility for deciding what these standards are and as far as I know the views of people like britmaveric and opebo are not part of this process.

The argument that you can not be a teacher if you did not train in Europe or America is just ignorant and the idea that you can't be a teacher unless you earn western wages is just dumb. I know many professionals in the west and despite my lower income I am actually better off. Most of these friends are in debt up to their eyeballs and need to take on part-time work just to stay afloat. I know teachers who need to work as part-time bar staff in the west. I worked in a different profession before coming to Thailand and despite being qualified for years was still struggling to pay off student loans. I cleared all my debt in Thailand. I am now far better off than previously.

There will always be the sniggerers and begrudgers who will look for any reason to piss on other people's occupation. The fact that there is no basis for their slurs does not seem to bother them, but luckily anyone with half a brain can see through their bullshit.

For the record, I have the exact same qualifications to teach as I would need to teach in the Ireland, UK, Australia and so on...

Edited September 30, 2008 by garro

[RusticCharm]

I only have to glance at a couple of lines of your post to see what a great addition you are to the pool of western teachers here in the land of Thais.

Gee, that's a neat trick.  You're obviously a fun guy to work with. 

Now would you like to address the points I made in my post? Or just stick to false generalisations.

[unforgiven]

I often hear the comment on this forum (and other forums) that westerners should not really be considered proper teachers because of their motivations for joining the profession. Another favorite complaint is that the Thais do not respect the western teachers and this is why we don't need to act like professionals. Let's look at both these points.

The idea that your motivation for joining a profession should determine your ability to become a member is a joke. Have these people ever met any professionals? The idea that people in the West join professions out of a pure noble-calling is the stuff of fairy stories. I was in a profession before arriving in Thailand and I met many people from other professions and the usual reason for joining was job security or trying to please their parents. I met many nurses who joined the profession in the hope of meeting a rich doctor, but this did not stop them from being professional. How is this different from somebody joining the teaching profession in Thailand because they wish to live here? I can think of far sinister motives for joining a profession.

The second argument is less idiotic but more damaging. It is my conviction that respect needs to be earned and if you want to be treated professionally then you must act like a professional. The argument that, 'if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys' just does not suffice and is ultimately self-defeating. There are constant complaints about the Thai administration and regulations but much less examination of our own standards. A professional group should try and self-regulate instead of waiting on the governments to regulate. If the problems were solved internally then there would be less need for the government to meddle. If western teachers were more professional there would be less need for the Thai government to attempt to impose professional standards.

I recently needed to attend the culture training course. I felt a bit annoyed with the TCT for this, but decided to make the most of it. The attitude of some of my fellow westerners at the course moved my anger away from the TCT and more towards our own behavior. The pure open lack of respect for Thailand was embarrasing. Teachers arriving in beach-clothes and when they weren't bithching were sleeping off hangovers or trying to flirt with the instructors as if they were hookers. This is no way to gain respect as a teacher. So I would say that the reason that Thai people do not treat us like professionals is because we don't act that way.

I believe that if we want to improve the situation we need to concentrate not only on our own behaviour but also protecting the profession as a whole. The way you protect a profession is by not encouraging bad elements into joining it. I think that it is important for us to only encourage those with suitable personal qualities and academic qualifications into the profession. Of course, ultimately it is up to school administration but we need to ensure that we are not part of the problem. Encouraging anybody and his dog into becoming a teacher in Thailand is not the way to go - in my opinion.

What your saying bye in large is correct .... but you have no real understanding of why your saying it in a THai perspective .

Edited October 1, 2008 by unforgiven

[mbkudu]

I often hear the comment on this forum (and other forums) that westerners should not really be considered proper teachers because of their motivations for joining the profession. Another favorite complaint is that the Thais do not respect the western teachers and this is why we don't need to act like professionals.......

Look at it this way. The slovenly dressed, hung over hacks make you look so much better with little effort on your part. You should be thanking them.

Edited October 1, 2008 by mbkudu

[Ijustwannateach]

^

Garro, I think you and I are on the same page. With a bit of effort foreign teachers can stand out clearly from the herd- and if they actually have some qualifications, a sense of responsibility, self-awareness, self-respect, and a work ethic, they can do quite well both socially and vocationally. I'm not sure on what basis most posters here are disagreeing with you; but most of them are not regular posters in the teachers' forum: perhaps they are not teachers and have no idea about what they are talking about.

[britmaveric]

Credentials and experience bring respect initially, but you still need to go out and proof yourself, ie work hard and do a good job. (this is true with any profession)

The bar has been set low, so I think it should be easy for the avg TEFLER to do well.

[Loaded]

Credentials and experience bring respect initially, but you still need to go out and proof yourself, ie work hard and do a good job. (this is true with any profession)

The bar has been set low, so I think it should be easy for the avg TEFLER to do well.

Quoted straight from your mate's The dirty dog book of 'facts'. I think you are enjoying the troll Britmaveric but you've got to understand that a guy who has lived in pattaya for 20 years and writes reviews of brothels on his website is probably a little bit wide of normal. Most teachers in Thailand don't belong to your club.

[PeaceBlondie]

britmaveric, I agree that in the past, the TEFL bar in Thailand was set slightly higher than a barstool. Yet as several of our responsible, hard-working, well-qualified teachers have pointed out here, the good worker stands high above those who fall off their barstools. TCT is clumsily trying to raise the bar, and the few good Thai schools (like the one where Scott has been for many years) are increasingly more selective about whom they hire and keep. Considering the obstacles for all teachers, students and administrators here, it is almost an impossible task.

Usually, the drunks do not last, unless they schmooze their way to being departmental heads.

[harrry]

1. Look the part. Here, that means always be dressed well. Those ladies dressed well every day they were at school.

2. Speak well. Never lose your temper or raise your voice. Never insult a peer or a boss. No curse words.

3. Take orders smiling. You can passively-aggressively neglect to do the impossible and the farcical, but don't brag about it.

4. Play by the rules. If that means passing all students and keeping your cool in a 33 degree classroom with 48 adolescents, do it.

Be discreet when you misbehave. Wear sunglasses if you go to Nana Plaza or Babylon Sauna. If you must drink yourself silly, do so many hours before you need to put that shirt and tie on again to teach. Don't flirt on duty.

You should have realized some of this stuff when you were in junior high. We knew that our health teacher was a lush, but he kept the whiskey bottle hidden in his desk. We knew our sex ed teacher was a prude, because some of our parents were doctors and nurses. We had class before we came to class, even as children. Teachers here belong to the upper class, and if you cannot handle that, go back to whatever lower class rock from which your background raised you.

You were an accountant in a past life, I would expect a teacher to at least comply with the equivalent of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Code.

How about comparing your code above with that below.

Members should accept the obligation to act in a way that

will serve the public interest, honor the public trust, and

demonstrate commitment to professionalism.

.01

A distinguishing mark of a profession is acceptance of its responsibility to the public. The accounting profession's public consists of clients, credit grantors, governments, employers, investors, the business and financial community, and others who rely on the objectivity and integrity of certified public accountants to maintain the orderly functioning of commerce. This reliance imposes a public interest responsibility on certified public accountants. The public interest is defined as the collective well-being of the community of people and institutions the profession serves.

.02

In discharging their professional responsibilities, members may encounter conflicting pressures from among each of those groups. In resolving those conflicts, members should act with integrity, guided by the precept that when members fulfill their responsibility to the public, clients' and employers' interests are best served.

.03

Those who rely on certified public accountants expect them to discharge their responsibilities with integrity, objectivity, due professional care, and a genuine interest in serving the public. They are expected to provide quality services, enter into fee arrangements, and offer a range of services—all in a manner that demonstrates a level of professionalism consistent with these Principles of the Code of Professional Conduct.

.04

All who accept membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants commit themselves to honor the public trust. In return for the faith that the public reposes in them, members should seek continually to demonstrate their dedication to professional excellence.

[britmaveric]

Most teachers in Thailand don't belong to your club.

What exactly is my club???