Teachers in Thailand: So, when I last left you guys, I was singing the praises of SINE FTA. I have arrived at my school for the first weeks of school in May 2024. I’m now done navigating the initial expat immigration protocol. It’s time to actually get down to work. This will be an entry close to my heart because it involves my favorite part of teaching, the students! They are truly wonderful kids and helped me find meaning and purpose in my new career here in Thailand.
Working in Thailand has some special caveats that make it quite different from the West (I was a licensed teacher in Louisiana for three years). First of all, like it or not, fair or not, with Thai educators, first impressions mean everything! I can’t emphasize this enough. My first few weeks helped me lay a solid foundation for fostering a collaborative and rich learning environment.
Dress sharp, show extreme deference to the Thai teachers, administration and staff. Smile at the other teachers I bent over backwards to show them respect and courtesy at every turn. I did this right off the bat, and I recommend it to be done that way too. I handled myself in a professional manner and maintained an open mind. Thai schools offer quite a different take on education as a structural entity than the West. I advise you to be flexible and deferential. Plans will change two hours before the event. Then, thirty minutes before the event is set to get started, changed again.
SAY IT WITH ME: GO WITH THE FLOW! I developed a method to handle the stress. I allow myself to get frustrated (in private of course) for a solid minute or two. Then after that I let my thinking brain take over. I remind myself that it is manageable. So, after letting myself feel my emotions and then thinking things through, I can focus on my students and their needs.
My students are my kids. I don’t have any children of my own with my wife. I truly adore them. But they are kids after all. I teach Mattayon 1 (6th grade in the USA). They are still very much children. Tweens is the correct term, I believe. So, they will disappoint me. They will test my limits. They are full of hormones they can’t even begin to understand yet. So, BE PATIENT! These are my practical suggestions. Fist bump them walking out of class on their first and second class with you as their teacher. I recommend on the third meeting singing a karaoke song on the SINE jukebox as they arrive. I only give positive reinforcement. I never, ever scold a student.
My SINE coordinator helps with problematic students. I had a student who was highly disruptive. He exhibited outright defiant behavior. Then, I gave a few warnings and chances to change his behavior. When he refused to take the opportunities to improve his attitude and behavior, I then asked my SINE coordinator to come over and speak to him directly. My coordinator was then able to talk to his homeroom teacher who called his mom. He was exemplary the rest of the school year.
So, in closing I want to highlight three things:
- BEND OVER BACKWARDS! Make a positive impression with the school as a whole
- POSITIVE VIBES ONLY! Your students will reflect your energy.
- USE YOUR RESOURCES! Your coordinator only wants you to succeed.
Remember there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and you only get out what you put in!