Job Discussion Forums

[JRJohn]

I am about to finish a teaching contract in China. I have applied for a number of jobs, largely in China. I also applied to ATIJESS, in Bangkok because it seemed like a good school with a good salary by Thai standards. But what is it actually like to work there, if you are from the West? Before I saw their ad, I booked a return flight to China, because I planned to go home, and have a new job in China. I was concerned because ATIJESS wanted me to do 3 days of orientation and then hang around for a month before teaching.
But I applied to ATIJESS because I felt Bangkok was great fun and the people there were friendlier than where I am now.
But I worried that as with other touristy destinations, the schools there would just want to USE me and treat me like dirt. Would I just be a rich tourist to them? Honest and fair answers only PLEASE.

[tttompatz]

It is not a school. It is a language academy and they make their money selling TEFL certifications and then farming people out or just grinding them in their own academy (30 classes per week, no benefits).

If you want to work in a school (you know, regular teacher, 8-4:30, 22 classes per week, prep, exams, regular school activities to participate in (sports day, etc)) then apply to work in a school instead of a language mill.

BKK may have tourist spots but touristy is not a word I would use to describe it.

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Government schools-
http://teflplus.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/thai_class.jpg

There are thousands of primary and secondary schools throughout Thailand, from small schools in rural villages to schools with more than 2,000 students in larger towns. These are the first place to start looking for work as they all employ foreigners to teach English. Pay is adequate, and terms and conditions are usually good.

Private schools-

Larger towns have private primary and secondary schools, many of which offer English programs. Pay is higher than in state schools, but days are longer and contact hours greater.

Language schools-

There are language schools in all the larger towns. Some concentrate on the student market, teaching English to schoolchildren. Others teach business English and offer on-site corporate training. Pay is usually by the hour and no holiday pay is accrued. This means if you are not working, you are not earning.

International schools-

There are several international schools in Thailand. These are extremely difficult schools for new TEFL graduates to get work in. Pay is much higher, but the required qualifications (education or specialized degrees and home country certification as a teacher) mean that most people won�t make the grade.

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