The Teacher-Student Relationship

[Water Buffalo]

Hello all,

I have recently been thinking about the relationship between the students and teacher.

I am a new teacher. So, i want to discuss how the relationship with the teacher affects learning.

When i first started at my school (teaching Prathom), the kids were very polite and interested, then they realized that my one month teaching certificate didn't really cover classroom management (LOL!). Of course, they took advantage of my weakness and my teaching and their learning suffered.

Then, i became tough and started shouting etc etc, but they switched off even more because they hated me.

However, Prathom students are very forgiving and it wasn't long before I was back in their good graces (however, it was neccessary for me to ease up on them and smile though their, often mean and mocking, banter...but the Thai teachers wouldn't put up with this). They like to have fun, but they turn evil at about 8 or 9 and their fun is often cruel.

I believe the language classroom should be full of communicative activities (of course)...though they often don't want to do MY activities, but instead, their own (not really English related).

Anyway, i noitice the Thai teachers have them all sitting like little angels and eating from their hands. I do know they respect Thai teachers far more than farang anyway. That, and the Thais use metal rulers for disciplining (strangely enough, it doesn't damage their relationship with the teacher and they still get along well).

Though, it would be nice if the Thai teachers would capitalize on their nice orderly classroom by actually encouraging the students to use their brains, rather than learning by rote.

I think it is important for the students to get along with the teacher, but also to respect him. I notice there is a fine line between the two and they are masters at the phsychology of this.

However, it was very respectful my Prathom 4 students to invite me to their classroom KFC and Pizza Hut party and serve me up more food than i could eat (which they paid for, may i add). And surprisingly, it was my nemeses and archenemies who were the kindest and i didn't detect a hint of motive (we will see...)

So, as it is New Year, i am wondering how i am going to proceed with the student-teacher relationahip (and classroom management) to benefit the classroom and learning.

If i am too easy on them no learning takes place and if i am too hard on them no learning takes place, but i can't figure out how to get on the middle ground.

So, after this, nodoubt tedious, account of my experience so far, any thoughts? How do you manage your classroom? Hows does your relationship with your students affect the teaching and learning?

Cheers!

Edited December 26, 2014 by Water Buffalo

[brianp0803]

I am glad you care and try to do your best.

But I agree completely with you that the TEFL courses prepare you to teach motivated adults in small groups at language schools.

Classroom management, homework, creating tests and rubric and giving grades is not covered.

This is why I am returning to school to get my education degree.

[brianp0803]

Prathom kids are very forgiving.

They know when they have done wrong and not suprised by fair punishment.

I never forget one grade 7 boy was constantly getting into trouble and kept in class late. When punished I got his sad face.

But when he would see me at lunch time or break time he would always say hi and offer me some of his dessert or offer to stand in line to get me food. In - spite of his challenging behavior I tried to help him learn.

You have discovered quickly, without classroom management very little learning occurs.

I try to be friendly, but I am not their friend. I am their teacher.

Be consistent and fair on any punishment. If there is no consequence for bad behavior the students will learn quickly.

I teach high school but probably similar ideas.

As you discovered hard to go from easy to strict. The students might try to wear you down to return to easy style. Keep firm.

The students are smart. The know if you care or its just a job.

95 % of students are very respectful.

I once had a student say: arai wa, to me when getting punished. That is disrespectful and he got the consequences.

I teach in high school msth in Bkk. Maybe different in other areas.

[jacky54]

I am a new teacher. So, i want to discuss how the relationship with the teacher affects learning.

When i first started at my school (teaching Prathom), the kids were very polite and interested, then they realized that my one month teaching certificate didn't really cover classroom management (LOL!). Of course, they took advantage of my weakness and my teaching and their learning suffered.

Can you blame them as you are not a real teacher at all from what you posted

[brianp0803]

But I commend him for realizing the TEFL course did very little for preparing him to teach in a regular school.

Many TEFL people believing they are qualified.

He seems to be concerned and is seeking advice.

Too many people teaching here that don't care if the students are learning.

Classroom observation are a good way to learn.

Find a teacher that seems to have good control and good material. After watching the teacher ask about their techniques. Most will be happy to help you learn.

I have seen teachers show a lot of movies and trivial worksheets and good classroom control but very little learning. Not good.

[Scott]

Students are children and as such they need structure. I don't think it is exactly respect that makes the difference, although it can, but it is understanding. For many of the students, the words you are using are foreign and they have a limited understanding and comprehension of the language. Try get a room full of adults to sit still while they listen to a language they don't comprehend.

The general trick is in learning to vary the lesson with different activities and break the lesson up into 5 or 10 minute segments. A song with each unit is a good idea and this can be sung several times during the class period to help students refocus. Repeating the words and sentences will also help. Words can be learned for clear pronunciation and sentences can be practiced until they sound normal.

A list of vocabulary words that they can say and spell is also helpful. Make sure there is some writing and some sentences to put in their notebook, or a workbook for them to do.

I used to have the CD player (OK, then it was a tape deck) handy and when they got restless, we would do the song again. I would have the boys stand up and say the sentences and then the girls, just because some of them need a little movement to keep them from getting bored.

Unless you do something quite terrible, it won't register on the like-dislike scale. On Tuesday they love you on Wednesday they may hate you and on Thursday your OK.

Not only are they forgiving, they also have short memories, including on how they are required to behave in class.

Best of luck.

[EmptyHead]

I am a new teacher. So, i want to discuss how the relationship with the teacher affects learning.

When i first started at my school (teaching Prathom), the kids were very polite and interested, then they realized that my one month teaching certificate didn't really cover classroom management (LOL!). Of course, they took advantage of my weakness and my teaching and their learning suffered.

Can you blame them as you are not a real teacher at all from what you posted

To be fair, he's only been teaching a month.

I guess you think it is neccessary for teachers to have a teaching degree? And that would make them REAL teachers would it? I remember my teachers in the west. You wouldn't know they had teaching degrees. "Sit down, be quiet, and open you notebooks.....that was it! Anyone off the street could do that! And then the teachers who had zero classroom management would walk out crying. What did they learn at uni?

And Thailand needs English teachers too, you know! Or do you thnk we should come here from the west with B.Eds? Thailand wants that, but they aren't willing to pay for it.

They get what they pay for, i'm afraid. If they want real teachers, they are gonna have to pay for it. Otherwise it's TEFLers....but the rest of ASEAN hasn't had a problem learning from them.

He does make a good point about the lack of respect for foreign teachers though. Uphill battle straight away.

[lostinisaan]

Hello all,

I have recently been thinking about the relationship between the students and teacher.

I am a new teacher. So, i want to discuss how the relationship with the teacher affects learning.

My five baht to your problem(s). A one month “teaching certificate” doesn't automatically make somebody to a teacher.

When i first started at my school (teaching Prathom), the kids were very polite and interested, then they realized that my one month teaching certificate didn't really cover classroom management (LOL!). Of course, they took advantage of my weakness and my teaching and their learning suffered.

Thai kids in Prathomsuksa level are always very polite in the beginning. They don’t know you and you've got no idea about them. How they think, what they know, who they are, but unfortunately most don’t even understand a word you’re saying. I don’t think that they took advantage of your “weakness.”

Then, i became tough and started shouting etc etc, but they switched off even more because they hated me.

You’re trying to be a “tough shouting teacher” in a country, where people lose face when being louder?

However, Prathom students are very forgiving and it wasn't long before I was back in their good graces (however, it was neccessary for me to ease up on them and smile though their, often mean and mocking, banter...but the Thai teachers wouldn't put up with this). They like to have fun, but they turn evil at about 8 or 9 and their fun is often cruel.

Prathom students are kids, you might have to to learn some psychological skills as well. They like you, or hate you. There’s nothing in between.

I believe the language classroom should be full of communicative activities (of course)...though they often don't want to do MY activities, but instead, their own (not really English related).

As Scott has already pointed out, you can’t just “teach” some serious English a whole hour. Break an hour into sequences, start with an ice breaker, try some songs (kids love to sing). What you just wrote in these two sentences is that you've completely lost them, for whatever reason. You as their teacher are similar to a captain on a big ship and it’s your responsibility not to hit an iceberg.

Anyway, i noitice the Thai teachers have them all sitting like little angels and eating from their hands. I do know they respect Thai teachers far more than farang anyway. That, and the Thais use metal rulers for disciplining (strangely enough, it doesn't damage their relationship with the teacher and they still get along well).

You’re pretty much wrong about that. It’s psychologically seen very easy to understand. As a matter of fact, they know if they’re getting louder, that something/somebody will hit them. A teacher in Thailand is always highly respected also by the kids’ parents and everybody knows the deal. A metal ruler does destroy the relationship with their teacher, but would they not do what the teacher wants, it would only get worse for the kids. So they bite their tongues and most don’t even tell their parents that they get hit.

Though, it would be nice if the Thai teachers would capitalize on their nice orderly classroom by actually encouraging the students to use their brains, rather than learning by rote.

Are you dreaming? Thai students from grade one up to grade 12 are not allowed to ask any questions, which seems to be one of the strangest and perverted facts at a Thai school. The Thai English teachers go through a whole English book in a school year, regardless of a lesson is understood, or not. The kids usually have to “read” all together in a group, so you don’t really hear who’s got no idea what it’s all about. Their explanations of English sentences in Thai do not work, as several researches of simultaneously translations have shown.

I think it is important for the students to get along with the teacher, but also to respect him. I notice there is a fine line between the two and they are masters at the phsychology of this.

Of course has the teacher to get along with his/her students. If not, they just don’t listen to you anymore. You can’t act like you’re one of them, or their friend and being their teacher at the same time. They’re not Masters in psychology, it’s your part as their teacher to find your own way to deal with it. There’s no “do it this way, ““do it that way” advice.

However, it was very respectful my Prathom 4 students to invite me to their classroom KFC and Pizza Hut party and serve me up more food than i could eat (which they paid for, may i add). And surprisingly, it was my nemeses and archenemies who were the kindest and i didn't detect a hint of motive (we will see...)

Prathom four kids are usually easy to handle and offering food is normal in Thai culture. It doesn’t mean a lot if they like you, or not.

So, as it is New Year, i am wondering how i am going to proceed with the student-teacher relationahip (and classroom management) to benefit the classroom and learning.

See it from both sides. The kids don’t want a boring teacher, while the teacher doesn't want bored kids. Think of ways to make your lessons more interesting, play some games, divide them into groups and give them the feeling that they can trust you. Sometimes you’ll have to act like a clown to get their attention. There’re usually the “classroom leaders”. Find out who they’re, as they’ll help you a lot to control the kids. When they tell the others to be quiet, the kids listen to them. Once you've lost the “leaders’"attention, you've lost the whole class. And you might not be able to get their attention back.

If i am too easy on them no learning takes place and if i am too hard on them no learning takes place, but i can't figure out how to get on the middle ground.

If there’d be an easy solution that would work for all foreign teachers, I’d be more than thankful. I’m afraid that it’s your own personal responsibility and decision how to deliver good lessons that the kids are happy when you walk into their classroom.

You’re the one who has to learn how to teach them and to see results at the end of the year.

So, after this, nodoubt tedious, account of my experience so far, any thoughts? How do you manage your classroom? Hows does your relationship with your students affect the teaching and learning?

Finally, there’re people with the ability to teach little Thai kids English, or any subjects and those who’ll always struggle. If you have access to a projector and a PC, or notebook, you could make learning for them a lot more interesting. Welcome to the windmill fighters!!!

Cheers!

Edited December 28, 2014 by lostinisaan

[crickets]

Teach mattayom 3 to 6 next year if u can and u dont have to deal with that shit, at least not on that scale.

[bangmai]

As far as being buddies with them....a lot could happen; mostly bad. I see people bragging about their students as FB friends.....no way. I've also seen teachers give their mobile numbers to students.....You can be friendly, but keep it businesslike. Would you call your attorney or CPA during none business hours? Not unless you were in jail. Or even your insurance agent. People have private, separate lives. Some of the teacher's, who claim to work 70 hours per week, do stuff like that. A simple "Somchai must do his homework, goodbye" will be about as effective as a two hour evening phone conversation.

[Water Buffalo]

Some great responses, especially from Brian, Scott, and Lostinisaan. Very helpful.

I will definitely try to observe some of my co-teachers who have good discipline and hopefully it involves more than metal rulers, push ups and squats. lol. (because i don't really wanna go down the physical discipline road).

So what sort of punishments do you find effective?

Yeah, already i can break my lessons up into segments with decent variety of activities and i find rearranging the classroom is sometimes effective to control them and make things interesting so they pay more attention. Even taking them out of the classroom (to sit outside) is possible at my school, but i haven't done this yet.

Also i find certain ages are easier and others are more difficult, so i think some of my difficulty is may just be them "growing up" - but i got to learn to work around that too.

Anyway, Happy New Year and thanks for all posts!

[lostinisaan]

Some great responses, especially from Brian, Scott, and Lostinisaan. Very helpful.

I will definitely try to observe some of my co-teachers who have good discipline and hopefully it involves more than metal rulers, push ups and squats. lol. (because i don't really wanna go down the physical discipline road).

So what sort of punishments do you find effective?

Yeah, already i can break my lessons up into segments with decent variety of activities and i find rearranging the classroom is sometimes effective to control them and make things interesting so they pay more attention. Even taking them out of the classroom (to sit outside) is possible at my school, but i haven't done this yet.

Also i find certain ages are easier and others are more difficult, so i think some of my difficulty is may just be them "growing up" - but i got to learn to work around that too.

Anyway, Happy New Year and thanks for all posts!

You might find out that the usual set up in a Thai classroom is that the "friends" also the "troublemakers" always sit together, causing the most problems, interruptions. They're only "strong" in their group.

Easy solution would be to separate them. Let a boy sit next to a girl and they'll be completely different. Please don't listen to Thai teachers telling you that it would be against Thai culture, which happened to me many moons ago.

Divide them into groups, it goes very fast and you change it every lesson. Let's say you divide them into three groups, just tell them their letter ( A-B-C...etc..) and make it to a sort of competition.

The winner group will for example win a self made DVD with some good cartoons on it. Then they really listen to you and they do respond to your questions, because they want to beat the other group(s).

Stop jelling at them, as you're doing exactly the opposite doing that. If they don't listen to you, stop speaking.

Those who're really annoying, just let them stand in front of the board for 15 minutes. They won't do it again.

Pretty much difficult are kids in grade six, as their body's changing and they become teenagers, which is already difficult enough to deal with.

P.S. Just found an old DVD from 2005 and posted a photo of students who're mostly at universities now. Just met one girl who's on this photo and it took me a while to figure out who she was.

" Hello teacher", with a big smile in her face.When I had her in grade six, she could speak English and answer questions pretty well. Unfortunately, did she not get the needed English education at a high school in Sisaket, using an agency.

Just another good example about "quality teachers" from agencies. I do know that there're quite a few good ones, but the majority isn't "really appropriate", to use a "smooth" word.

Treat them with respect and they'll do the same. It's complete rubbish when some people say Thai students would be dumb. They're kids who have to grow up in a weird environment.

Make them smile and keep your lessons funny. Already half way to be successful.

Wish all of you best of luck and a very Happy New Year !!!

Edited December 30, 2014 by lostinisaan

[Phatcharanan]

Scott made an interesting point regarding breaking the class time up into 5-10 minute sections and this is absolutely correct for Prathom students.

This is due in part to their 'concentration spans' at that age. (Google it). It's always a good idea to teach English and Math in the mornings (if possible) again, due to their concentration levels. If you are really interested in being the best that you can be then read up on Cognitive Learning theories by Jean Piaget and also Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning.

Classroom management covers many different areas from being firm but fair, seating arrangements, the class environment (displays etc), sanctions and rewards, being fully prepared etc.

I never used physical punishment (standing up in a corner etc) for kids. It never worked for me. I always found 10 minute (or longer) break detentions much more effective. I always supervised those detentions myself but of course it may not always be possible due to timetables.

Keeping the kids active is what is required really. When describing sentences for example then TPR is quite effective. For example, when asking students to write 'Kick the ball' then actually get them to do the actions.

Teaching punctuation is a lot of fun for kids if you use 'Kungfu punctuation' (Google again) I know Kungfu should not be one word but when posting it thinks the f word is bad and deletes it. :-)

Grouping the kids into their different ability levels (Higher, Middle or Lower ability) is more effective for teaching than having them in rows or pairs (often but not always) . However, if you do group kids like this then it is important that the work you give them is 'differentiated'. One lesson plan and single resources will not 'fit all'.

Finally, concentrate more on handing out rewards. There is always far too much talk on forums about 'what is an effective punishment?'

Certificates are good but so is a 'praise letter' from the teacher that the student takes home to parents. This could be for anything such as good behaviour, trying hard, helping others, completing homework etc.

These should be handed out sparingly, maybe just 3 or 4 a week otherwise they lose value. You can type up a short one in English and on the reverse side have it translated to Thai by someone able to assist.

Templates can be created for these to make it easier to administer but the letter should always be personalised at the top with the actual parents names.

Always, always though, be consistent on a daily basis. Set your rules and do not deviate from them.

Good luck. :-)

Edited January 3, 2015 by Phatcharanan

[Rhys]

Project based learning, small groups, one option.. your role becomes the facilitator, and your students, become responsible for their learning.. that is the hope.. thus the relationship changes..

YES, a different learning environment.

cheers

[Kf6vci]

Thanks for sharing. I would be the first to admit being challenged in a similar way, especially when there are special needs kids present.

It's very personal indeed.

Encouraging young learners to speak requires their trust and affection. ** Tell me, those Thai teachers do teach English speaking Thai, don't they?

[kian246]

The students will learn if they feel a need to know.

[Neeranam]

Teachers should never be friends with the students if they are under 18. I was shocked to find my 13 year old daughter with foreign teachers on her facebook.

Totally unprofessional and bordering on criminal.

How on earth can they be disciplined if they are friends?

[Neeranam]

When I taught Prathom, I'd tell the disrespectful, naughty students to stand outside with their arms horizontal with some books on it. If they didn't do it right the bucket that they got their milk in went on their head. Believe me they learned fast how to behave. This was a few years ago before facebook and mobile phones.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Neeranam

[EmptyHead]

When I taught Prathom, I'd tell the disrespectful, naughty students to stand outside with their arms horizontal with some books on it. If they didn't do it right the bucket that they got their milk in went on their head. Believe me they learned fast how to behave. This was a few years ago before facebook and mobile phones.

You serious? That is criminal.

I don't think teachers should be friends with their students at all (regardless of age). However, it is necessary for effective teaching (all ages) that there is some rapport between the teacher and student, and the environment must be friendly (especially for Prathom).

Edited January 25, 2015 by EmptyHead

[SheungWan]

Some teachers are just not very good at it. The unqualified ones are not even able to cover that up.... and students are quick to spot weakness.

What to do? Difficult to advise because one needs structure, feedback loop, evaluation, and flexibility. If you are not a natural then pull back and take the CELTA course. Winging it without really knowing what you are doing is not much fun and you are short changing the students as well as yourself.

Edited February 1, 2015 by SheungWan

[culicine]

I am glad you care and try to do your best.

But I agree completely with you that the TEFL courses prepare you to teach motivated adults in small groups at language schools.

Classroom management, homework, creating tests and rubric and giving grades is not covered.

This is why I am returning to school to get my education degree.

Actually Brian, when I did my course, there was not so much on classroom management. I think it was one assignment in one of my units. Half of my credits were based on methodology for teaching the content. There was also units on special needs, general teaching methods, and social aspects of schooling. This was a Grad Dip, but maybe a BEd will be different.

Also, Thai kids seem to respond differently than Western kids. Here, teachers are kind of expected to have a closer relationship with students. This is exactly the opposite of what I was taught in my course. They taught us to keep an emotional distance from students, and to make it more impersonal. I don;t really agree with that. I guess they think kids won't respect us, and treat us more as friends, if we get too close to them. I think there needs to be a balance. You need to establish who is in charge of the class, but also give students some power to direct what they are learning.

Good luck in your course, I'm sure you will find you "already know that" in some of your classes. Your teaching experience is going to help a lot in your class work and assignments. It' helped me a lot, and I got nearly full grades in all of my classes.

[kian246]

I myself speak a good number of languages. I think it is best to switch between learning methods. With translations for some time, then without. All learning strategies have advantages, but one inevitably tires of any of them.

[EmptyHead]

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Some teachers are just not very good at it. The unqualified ones are not even able to cover that up.... and students are quick to spot weakness.

What to do? Difficult to advise because one needs structure, feedback loop, evaluation, and flexibility. If you are not a natural then pull back and take the CELTA course. Winging it without really knowing what you are doing is not much fun and you are short changing the students as well as yourself.

The CELTA is truly invaluable for new teachers, but it doesn't help whatsoever with what the OP is talking about.

[Eliot Rosewater]

A couple of tips;

Be fair, firm and consistent (with regard to classroom management)

Be friendly, but don't be their (students) friend.

Has always worked for me:)

[Mencken]

Teachers should never be friends with the students if they are under 18. I was shocked to find my 13 year old daughter with foreign teachers on her facebook.

Totally unprofessional and bordering on criminal.

How on earth can they be disciplined if they are friends?

That's ridiculous. FB?!

And any moron that has any sort of untoward convo with a student must know its all available for the cops to review.

You discipline them as any other student.

TEFL instructors are not teachers and even if they were, I've seen kids with THAI teachers as friends and vice versa from some of the best schools in the country.

Want to zero in on a crappy teacher - no fb and or no fb (real) friends and relatives - like in real life lol.

What is positively creepy is teacher/s without a FB page at all. You can tell a lot from someone's FB page. If a teacher is a social media ghost, guaranteed he's a creeper. Guaranteed.

No fb, anti social loser - do not hire. Fb with only rare, lame updates says almost as much. % Posts with too much alcohol, very couch potato lazy guy..lose quickly.

No activity, maybe not afake fb page or a creeper, but a dull teacher sure.

No fb page but teacher gives out email to students...bingo. Creeper.

FB is very public and to my mind, safe as long as that teacher is safe. After teaching here awhile, I have seriousdoubts.

In short, are you hiring teachers full of life or are they social misfits, alcoholics and creepers?

Edited February 5, 2015 by Mencken

[Mencken]

This is why I am returning to school to get my education degree.

For 35k thb on ten month contract.

[Eliot Rosewater]

Teachers should never be friends with the students if they are under 18. I was shocked to find my 13 year old daughter with foreign teachers on her facebook.

Totally unprofessional and bordering on criminal.

How on earth can they be disciplined if they are friends?

That's ridiculous. FB?!

And any moron that has any sort of untoward convo with a student must know its all available for the cops to review.

You discipline them as any other student.

TEFL instructors are not teachers and even if they were, I've seen kids with THAI teachers as friends and vice versa from some of the best schools in the country.

Want to zero in on a crappy teacher - no fb and or no fb (real) friends and relatives - like in real life lol.

What is positively creepy is teacher/s without a FB page at all. You can tell a lot from someone's FB page. If a teacher is a social media ghost, guaranteed he's a creeper. Guaranteed.

No fb, anti social loser - do not hire. Fb with only rare, lame updates says almost as much. % Posts with too much alcohol, very couch potato lazy guy..lose quickly.

No activity, maybe not afake fb page or a creeper, but a dull teacher sure.

No fb page but teacher gives out email to students...bingo. Creeper.

FB is very public and to my mind, safe as long as that teacher is safe. After teaching here awhile, I have seriousdoubts.

In short, are you hiring teachers full of life or are they social misfits, alcoholics and creepers?

Someone who doesn't use Facebook is by default an "anti-social loser"???

Sounds pretty fascist to me.

Judging by your comments I can assure you that you will never be a true educator and certainly not an administrator; so what you say is no value to anyone in the teaching profession.

[jbauer]

Teachers should never be friends with the students if they are under 18. I was shocked to find my 13 year old daughter with foreign teachers on her facebook.

Totally unprofessional and bordering on criminal.

How on earth can they be disciplined if they are friends?

That's ridiculous. FB?!

And any moron that has any sort of untoward convo with a student must know its all available for the cops to review.

You discipline them as any other student.

TEFL instructors are not teachers and even if they were, I've seen kids with THAI teachers as friends and vice versa from some of the best schools in the country.

Want to zero in on a crappy teacher - no fb and or no fb (real) friends and relatives - like in real life lol.

What is positively creepy is teacher/s without a FB page at all. You can tell a lot from someone's FB page. If a teacher is a social media ghost, guaranteed he's a creeper. Guaranteed.

No fb, anti social loser - do not hire. Fb with only rare, lame updates says almost as much. % Posts with too much alcohol, very couch potato lazy guy..lose quickly.

No activity, maybe not afake fb page or a creeper, but a dull teacher sure.

No fb page but teacher gives out email to students...bingo. Creeper.

FB is very public and to my mind, safe as long as that teacher is safe. After teaching here awhile, I have seriousdoubts.

In short, are you hiring teachers full of life or are they social misfits, alcoholics and creepers?

Someone who doesn't use Facebook is by default an "anti-social loser"???

Sounds pretty fascist to me.

Judging by your comments I can assure you that you will never be a true educator and certainly not an administrator; so what you say is no value to anyone in the teaching profession.

Agreed; possibly the stupidest way to judge a teacher's value I have ever heard, apart from whether they are good-looking or not.

I might as well say that people with busy facebook pages are shallow ninnies, who somehow think that their tedious daily lives are of such vital importance to people they barely know that they must broadcast the complete details of their dull existence at every opportunity; of course, I try not to generalize.

[Mencken]

I would actually agree, a teacher that is absorbed with FB as much as say, the Thai is a concern. But its really the Linked In of Thailand.

I've never met a larger group of whiny, feelings on sleeze, puffed up pseudo-intellectuals than 30% of the teachers in Thailand. The 25-30yo are ok, but the ones with the "graduate" degrees from basically diploma mills and others that just fake it till they make it. Lol. People that have "made a life" in Thailand teaching EFL (intl schools aside). 30-40k a year faux snobs. They had absolutely nothing going for them in their lives, glom on to teaching and in a year or two, you'd think they went to Columbia Teachers College for their PHD.

No one ever came to Bangkok for the chess tournament genius.

Its a social resume. The person not need post daily or even weekly, but if you ate nit sharing your life with family, friends - whomever. You have none.

I stand by it, no Facebook page. Loveless, disengaged, Luddite. Possible social issues including big flag for a "secret life".

In a nation plagued with people drawn like a magnet for notbing other than sex (and sex with minors sadly), it is yet abother screening tool to determine what sort of person you are placing in a classroom full of kids.

Teacher or Administrator...lol, Do you have a teaching credential from home country? If yes, you are a teacher. As for Admin, watch out for head teachers and Admin. First liar never stands a chance.

Check your teachers resume fraud, there is a shiton of it. It's ez to spot. Make sure you kniw who you ate hiring, if the teacher has no history - you have a problem. There are loads of sketchy people teaching kids that have no business near them. Drunks, creepers.

PS an afterthought. Every TEFL job I have held in Thailand, I was informed they would "check my Facebook page". So, looks like you two are well behind the curve. Still, they will hire young people with drunken behavior as well as otjers with no fb page at all, so some..still lazy and turn blind eye in search of warm bodies.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Mencken

[jbauer]

I would actually agree, a teacher that is absorbed with FB as much as say, the Thai is a concern. But its really the Linked In of Thailand.

I've never met a larger group of whiny, feelings on sleeze, puffed up pseudo-intellectuals than 30% of the teachers in Thailand. The 25-30yo are ok, but the ones with the "graduate" degrees from basically diploma mills and others that just fake it till they make it. Lol. People that have "made a life" in Thailand teaching EFL (intl schools aside). 30-40k a year faux snobs. They had absolutely nothing going for them in their lives, glom on to teaching and in a year or two, you'd think they went to Columbia Teachers College for their PHD.

No one ever came to Bangkok for the chess tournament genius.

Its a social resume. The person not need post daily or even weekly, but if you ate nit sharing your life with family, friends - whomever. You have none.

I stand by it, no Facebook page. Loveless, disengaged, Luddite. Possible social issues including big flag for a "secret life".

In a nation plagued with people drawn like a magnet for notbing other than sex (and sex with minors sadly), it is yet abother screening tool to determine what sort of person you are placing in a classroom full of kids.

Teacher or Administrator...lol, Do you have a teaching credential from home country? If yes, you are a teacher. As for Admin, watch out for head teachers and Admin. First liar never stands a chance.

Check your teachers resume fraud, there is a shiton of it. It's ez to spot. Make sure you kniw who you ate hiring, if the teacher has no history - you have a problem. There are loads of sketchy people teaching kids that have no business near them. Drunks, creepers.

PS an afterthought. Every TEFL job I have held in Thailand, I was informed they would "check my Facebook page". So, looks like you two are well behind the curve. Still, they will hire young people with drunken behavior as well as otjers with no fb page at all, so some..still lazy and turn blind eye in search of warm bodies.

I do have a facebook page. i don't update it much at all; never was very interested to do so, as it seemed a trivial thing to do. I can use it well enough, so I don't think I m a luddite. I just have no interest in the sorts of things that appear to be shared via facebook, like the cliche of showing off what you happen to be eating for lunch. In older days, I would have categorized that as being akin to the dull guy who is desperate to show you his holiday snaps. Times change, I guess.

I also don't think I am loveless. I have a wife who could probably do better than me; I managed to charm her so I must have something going for me, but YMMV. It's true I am 36 this year, so maybe I am outside your age range for being "okay", and, indeed, I am not qualified to be a teacher in my own country. I am qualified to be a teacher in Thailand, though, and I didn't think it was too challenging to reach the required standard various Thai teachers I met couldn't reach it. Is that sufficient for you, or do foreigners have to be eminently more qualified than locals to meet the definition of "teachers" in your book?

Leaving aside the personal stuff...

Some people like to communicate the old fashioned way,for example, by using the power of speech. Some people are just naturally more private than others, and this doesn't really diminish their ability to do their job well, or indeed to be a friendly enough person. I, for instance, am quite quiet, but in the classroom I come alive, without trying to blow my own trumpet. Some of the best teachers I have ever met were quite insular, standoffish, or even unfriendly. They did know how to teach, though.

However, some "creepers", so I have read, can be very social types, or at least know how to pretend that way, hence the importance of teaching children that not everyone they meet online can be trusted. Given the trivial nature of facebook, and the essential meaninglessness of friending someone on it, it means that even the unsocial ones could give the impression of a varied social life, if that is the image they are trying to convey. Unless, of course, you feel a facebook acquaintance is as trustworthy and meaningful a relationship as a real-world friend, like they used to have in the old days.

I agree that Thailand has a problem of sexual exploitation of minors. Although not perfect either, I would think a criminal record check would be more prudent a method of ascertaining if an applicant might be a problem than checking if that applicant's facebook status has been changed in the last six months, or if they shared a picture of their cat.

Not to sound too dramatic, but if people really are being hired based on a check of what their facebook looks like, it seems a new witch hunt might be in the future. He's an unassuming guy who doesn't really like to impose his daily minutiae on others? No! He doesn't share enough about himself! He must be untrustworthy and probably a nonce! Don't hire him! What, he already works here? Get rid of him, now!

I'm not really having a go at you, genuinely, more about how restrictive a worldview what you write about appears to me to be. However, you do seem to be implying that, because I have reservations about social networking, I therefore have something to hide. Maybe I am way off, and you were just warning me that I might have trouble obtaining employment if I don't keep and maintain a facebook page. I would again suggest it would be relatively easy for a pedophile or other degenerate type to construct a facebook life if he so wanted to, or even not have to construct it, as apparently there are plenty of them who lead otherwise ordinary lives- they probably aren't all stereotypes. In fact, maybe your "friend" you are checking on right now is one- how would you really know?