Hi all and thanks to those who replied to my previous thread. Do you think that a school would consider allowing me to help out in a school (without pay), this is because it has been a long time since I taught, and I would like to see how teaching methods and aids may have changed over the last 5 years. To be honest i think that it would benefit me greatly as it would help me prepare myself for any lesson planning I needed to do,as well as familiarising myself with any learning material being used.

Also do schools now follow a curriculum? the ones i have taught in previously did not work from books, and we teachers basically made up the lessons as we went along, and also created the testing systems.

If you approach a temple or relatively poor government school, I'm sure the school would be delighted to have you volunteer. All schools have a curriculum that matches the national curriculum for that particular year because without it they wouldn't be licensed by the MOE. However, they don't always strictly follow this curriculum.

Yes, the follow a curriculum, but if you are teaching conversation, they often allow the teachers a greater degree of latitude--or as I used to be told "You teach, you teach"! If it is a regular subject, such as social, science or math, then you usually coordinate with a Thai teacher, but this is usually in Bilingual or mini-English programs.

Best of luck.

"If you approach a temple or relatively poor government school, I'm sure the school would be delighted to have you volunteer. All schools have a curriculum that matches the national curriculum for that particular year because without it they wouldn't be licensed by the MOE. However, they don't always strictly follow this curriculum."

Normally a good suggestion for finding volunteer work. However, this OP wants to learn, or re-learn some techniques that are either new or may have been forgotten. That probably won't happen in a temple school or a poor government school.

Scott is right, there is an English curriculum, but foreigners teaching conversation usually aren't involved with it. That's what the Thai teachers are supposed to be doing. That's why they have a book and the foreign teacher doesn't.