My teaching experience in Thailand.

[vanessawilson]

I have been blogging about my teaching experience in Thailand. I hope it will be useful for people to find info about visas, insurance, the culture and teaching itself! Let me know what I can add more of!

http://nessinthailand.wordpress.com/

Thanks!

[schondie]

Nice blog

I just read your "Life in a Thai school" part and it's spot on.

The vast majority of students have a total lack of respect for a foreign teacher. I thought I have had some bad experiences but some Chinese teachers friends have had it far worse.

I think it's this blind nationalism that has been instilled from birth - Thailand is the pinnacle of everything that other countries can only dream of, the centre of the world and doesn't really need English as everything will be OK.

[Loaded]

Nice blog

I just read your "Life in a Thai school" part and it's spot on.

The vast majority of students have a total lack of respect for a foreign teacher. I thought I have had some bad experiences but some Chinese teachers friends have had it far worse.

I think it's this blind nationalism that has been instilled from birth - Thailand is the pinnacle of everything that other countries can only dream of, the centre of the world and doesn't really need English as everything will be OK.

I find that students stop respecting the teacher when it's clear the teacher doesn't know what he/she is doing. They haven't planned a logically progressive lesson, they grade their language far too high and they have no classroom management skills. They are also unaware of many of the most basic cultural considerations of working with Thais.

Quite a few foreign teachers step off the plane and straight into a Thai classroom without any effective training. These are the ones who tend to blame the students for their own shortcomings imo.

It was the same when I was at school, untrained and unprepared teachers were ripped apart.

[kirstymelb101]

Great blog !

[thequietman]

Nice blog

I just read your "Life in a Thai school" part and it's spot on.

The vast majority of students have a total lack of respect for a foreign teacher. I thought I have had some bad experiences but some Chinese teachers friends have had it far worse.

I think it's this blind nationalism that has been instilled from birth - Thailand is the pinnacle of everything that other countries can only dream of, the centre of the world and doesn't really need English as everything will be OK.

I find that students stop respecting the teacher when it's clear the teacher doesn't know what he/she is doing. They haven't planned a logically progressive lesson, they grade their language far too high and they have no classroom management skills. They are also unaware of many of the most basic cultural considerations of working with Thais.

Quite a few foreign teachers step off the plane and straight into a Thai classroom without any effective training. These are the ones who tend to blame the students for their own shortcomings imo.

It was the same when I was at school, untrained and unprepared teachers were ripped apart.

While I feel this is a very valid point, consideration has to be given for those of us who try and try and still get knocked back. I, like many others, came out of the starter gate like a man on a mission. Constantly trying to come up with fresh new ideas to keep the students interested whilst learning. I was very keen and eager at the start of my teaching career and now it is just aneffort to get to the end of the day.

The constant lack of any organisation within the school structure, no proper curriculum and the constant requests from co-teachers and director alike, to just make the students laugh has finally beaten me.

A job I used to love has been turned into something I don't really want to do anymore.

Its the mid-term soon. Maybe the break will do me good and i will get a new lease of life and get back into "teaching" again in a country and a system that quite frankly just doesn't give a shit.

[Loaded]

Nice blog

I just read your "Life in a Thai school" part and it's spot on.

The vast majority of students have a total lack of respect for a foreign teacher. I thought I have had some bad experiences but some Chinese teachers friends have had it far worse.

I think it's this blind nationalism that has been instilled from birth - Thailand is the pinnacle of everything that other countries can only dream of, the centre of the world and doesn't really need English as everything will be OK.

I find that students stop respecting the teacher when it's clear the teacher doesn't know what he/she is doing. They haven't planned a logically progressive lesson, they grade their language far too high and they have no classroom management skills. They are also unaware of many of the most basic cultural considerations of working with Thais.

Quite a few foreign teachers step off the plane and straight into a Thai classroom without any effective training. These are the ones who tend to blame the students for their own shortcomings imo.

It was the same when I was at school, untrained and unprepared teachers were ripped apart.

While I feel this is a very valid point, consideration has to be given for those of us who try and try and still get knocked back. I, like many others, came out of the starter gate like a man on a mission. Constantly trying to come up with fresh new ideas to keep the students interested whilst learning. I was very keen and eager at the start of my teaching career and now it is just aneffort to get to the end of the day.

The constant lack of any organisation within the school structure, no proper curriculum and the constant requests from co-teachers and director alike, to just make the students laugh has finally beaten me.

A job I used to love has been turned into something I don't really want to do anymore.

Its the mid-term soon. Maybe the break will do me good and i will get a new lease of life and get back into "teaching" again in a country and a system that quite frankly just doesn't give a shit.

I am not criticizing your integrity and intent to teach; however, "came out of the starter gate like a man on a mission" indicates that perhaps you came to make changes. The Thai system is frustrating to many foreign teachers. I agree there's little organization and planning. However, this is the way they do things.

Buddhists are taught to live in the moment and not to focus as much as us on the past or the future. These are not 'real'; they can't be touched. This has led to a culture that 'plans' and 'organizes' spontaneously. Then, add to this the hierarchical structure of this society where everyone is either junior or senior to someone else. Nobody is equal. In general, Thais wait for the big boss to tell them what to do and they follow obediently without complaint. Thais understand, as they grow up, this way of doing things. They are not aware of other ways unless they lived or studied abroad for considerable amounts of time. Foreign teachers go crazy if they try to change the system. From my experience, I suggest find ways to work with, and not against, the system if you want to feel that you are being successful in Thailand.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Loaded

[tingtong]

Isnt working with a non-working system effectively prostituting yourself for a salaried job here vs. trying to teach some way that might be more successful than (the ovbiously non-working, see kids English knowledge) existing one in place?

Isnt a foregin teacher hired in the first place to break the existing not so successful teaching system and teach the unconventional/non-thai but foreign way in aim for a better success learning the English language?

If yes, then not being a man on mission might be the sabotage against the kids, not the being a complaint thai teacher looking like a foreigner.

ps: not a teacher, a concerned dad only; who wants his kid to learn English in the school, and not just pass the grade with the buffalos who doesnt care, since the teacher doesnt care.

[Loaded]

Isnt working with a non-working system effectively prostituting yourself for a salaried job here vs. trying to teach some way that might be more successful than (the ovbiously non-working, see kids English knowledge) existing one in place?

Isnt a foregin teacher hired in the first place to break the existing not so successful teaching system and teach the unconventional/non-thai but foreign way in aim for a better success learning the English language?

If yes, then not being a man on mission might be the sabotage against the kids, not the being a complaint thai teacher looking like a foreigner.

ps: not a teacher, a concerned dad only; who wants his kid to learn English in the school, and not just pass the grade with the buffalos who doesnt care, since the teacher doesnt care.

You've made a false assumption that the foreign teacher doesn't care if he or she tries to adapt to the Thai system. I would say not trying to adapt is typical of many angry and frustrated foreigners, dads included, I meet in Thailand.

Calling people 'buffalos' when you can't even spell the word is a little ironic methinks.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Loaded

[tingtong]

lol, arent you taking everything too personal a bit?

as for spelling, maybe my teachers were a little too adaptive too?

or maybe i could show you as many "teachers" even in Thailand who cant even spell as good as i can?

not to mention "natives".

while my spelling isnt perfect, the points i raised somewhat are, i think.

i promise to improve on the spelling though, even though it isnt a first language. i am sure you can do lot better in a second language than i do, after all, you are a teacher, with superior intelect, to pick on spelling, rather than understand the post's meanings.

things are not one way or another, may your experience differs and give <deleted> to other teachers being enthusiastic to do something different, or feel that thai students arent care much, they might be as well right in their feelings, and some might share that too.

if you can write your opinion, so, can i

and again, if the spelling that catches you the most, then i feel sorry for you!

[puchooay]

Nice blog

I just read your "Life in a Thai school" part and it's spot on.

The vast majority of students have a total lack of respect for a foreign teacher. I thought I have had some bad experiences but some Chinese teachers friends have had it far worse.

I think it's this blind nationalism that has been instilled from birth - Thailand is the pinnacle of everything that other countries can only dream of, the centre of the world and doesn't really need English as everything will be OK.

I have to agree with parts of this. Although I don't think it is necessarily the foreign teachers that are being ignored but the learning of the foreign language in question as a whole.

Examples:

My daughter is in Grade 6. The final tests in Grade five at her school for English resulted in an average percentage of 48%. (My daughter go 97%)

The top high school in the province, a school ranked in the top 50 of Thailand, recently showed and O and A net English average of 37%.

Thailand recently slipped to 10th out of 10 for English proficiency in ASEAN.

A recent English proficiency test across Asia showed Thailand ranked as 51st from 52.

In all of the above examples what have the powers that be, whether it be local or national, done about it?

NOTHING.

[Scott]

Discussion of grammar and spelling is off-topic and considered to be poor netiquette unless that is specifically what the poster is asking about.

Please stay on the topic.

Thanks.

[vanessawilson]

Yes, everyone stay on topic. While I understand that people can have their own opinions, I was only looking for a little advice on what I can add to my blog, I want to make it as helpful and interesting as I can .

[tingtong]

More classroom stories?

More of your own feelings and opinions?

More photos of the kids, the school, the school life?

i would love any or all of those...

[nelsonwilliam]

you must include your working experience of various jobs or or your experiences it will help you in getting good job and getting good salary and off-course u must add the place in which you are currently working u are doing a good job and i hope you get success

[rct99q]

Hi Vanessa,

Just read a bit of your blog then realized you are one of the UK students on a two month holiday here in Thailand. Sorry to say because it is, I am sure, a neato experience. But I find it a little funny how you are providing valuable "teaching" advice from your whole two months worth of teaching.

If you wanted to add a heading how about the massive corruption that happens at the school you were at. Perhaps send the Director an email asking him/her for a break down on the allocation of government funds, student fees and "donations" from the parents. I would be interested in his/her reply.

As well I am sure the tears from your fellow teachers were real as once you go and the "eyes" of the British Council are off it will be back to reality for them. And if you need to ask then you just don't get it.

But I hope you had a nice holiday.

[Scott]

Some people actually work at a school to teach the students. Others work at a school so that they can criticize all things Thai.

Please stay on topic.

[rct99q]

Not sure if the above comment was made in reference to mine. But I live, work and am raising a family here in Thailand and I love this country. I, LEGALLY, work here as among other things a teacher.

The OP asked how to possibly make her blog look and sound better or to add items to it. She has seen but a sliver of what goes on here and wanted to try and expose her to some of the hidden things that happen here. It is all great to swoop in here for 6 or 8 weeks get a great photo-op with the cute little brown kids and tell mom what a great job you are doing teaching the children English.

As we have seen in the news this week the Thai education system is in need of repair. A whirl wind tour of 8 weeks accomplishes nothing really. Kids get to meet a Farang....great. We are talking about the needs of the next two generations of children. The Education Minister stated he spent 16 years learning English and very rarely ever used it during that time!!

Some of us have chosen to dedicate our time and skills to help (from within and with the current system) the next generation of Thai students read, write, speak and understand English.

My apologies to the OP if my first reply sounded rude but your providing 'advice" on a subject that some people have spent 30 years working on making better sounded a bit .......off.

Good luck to you in the future.