Job Discussion Forums

[Volodiya]

I first visited Thailand in 1998, and have been there many times, since. At the time, I was teaching a lot of hours, and with all the administrative tasks, was working about 50 hours/week.

Like lots of people, after my first visit, I began thinking about transferring my life and work to Thailand. But, one thing in the back of my mind was the fear of "going soft", getting lazy, losing my ambition, settling for the "easy life". So, I hesitated, and hesitated....

Does anybody else worry about this; or does anybody have a report they would like to give us on the effect of living in Thailand, long-term, on those qualities that help us charge off to work everyday?
__________________________

In candor, it may have happened to me, already, though I don't yet live in Thailand- can't risk it getting any worse!

[kenkannif]

I personally think people work hard in Thailand, with the heat, often traveling a fair way and the (again often) long hours.

I find my kid gets me out of bed every day (i.e. having to feed, house and clothe the little git for the next 15 or so years!).


Soft....I don't know about that.

[clock]

I know exactly what you mean

I feel exactly the same, I'm teaching here at the moment in a position with good pay and only 16 hours contact per week and no mental stimulation whatsoever. the lifestyle is great and I'm enjoying myself but I am worried it could be professional suicide, I'm getting lazier by the day.

On the other hand I figure that if I get back to reality within a window of time (I would speculate it's around 2 years) i can probably return home with no lingering professional hangover

We'll see...

[laben18]

of course , u can flip that around .

these r of course generalizations

but in a sense

people in the west work way to hard

for what

a new car , bigger house (for 2 , 3 people) , more savings

and then u die (not to be morose)

hate to publicize this too much for fear of more westerners coming

but the thais have a good thing going

family is the most important thing

then food

and then maybe work

[clock]

If you really are a teacher of English, please at least use some punctuation, and don't use silly text-message abbreviations.

[Volodiya]

Clock, I appreciate your contribution, as well as that of Laben. Keep 'em coming.

So few people post here, a lot of latitude is allowed for "style" (and spelling, too, for my sake!).

[kenkannif]

yep it's sometimes not what u say but howz you say it.

[henscombe]

I remember working hard in Thailand and being too hot and sticky. Now I'm back in England rueing my decision to return to 'this green and pleasant (sic) land". Anyone thinking about moving to Thailand should weigh up all the options AND GO. Wrong decisions (if that's what they turn out to be) can usually be put right.

[laben18]

yes

the thing is

nothing's permanent

ps : clock , u might want 2 consider switching to either decaf or prozac

(c i used punctuation ; a : )

[Volodiya]

laben18 wrote:

[JohnnyDangerously]

To grasp at this old string...

I have to ibid the words "professional suicide". While I'm entirely aware that people have very lucrative, satisfying and professional careers as English teachers in Thailand, they are the minority, and I surmise (though I really have no idea) that they had good qualifications and experience before they got here. I took my CELTA here and decided to give the place a chance (against my tutor's advice) and six months later I understand what everyone was talking about. The fervent idealist, fresh out of training with fire in his heart and determination somewhere in the abdomen, that I was six months ago no longer exists. Blame it on the school I'm at or on myself, but I've heard my school is a pretty good one for Bangkok. Most of my peers are pretty lazy, time keeping is completely disregarded by Thai and Foreign Teachers alike (which rubs off on the students) and there is no disciplinary system, AT ALL. I know this could be seen as a positive thing, deriving from the Thai cultural idea of "taking it easy", but its effects on the students' classroom demeanor are palpable.

Furthermore, students do not fail. It is actually impossible. If you give a student a failing grade, YOU have to come back to school to bring him up to snuff, so to speak, before next term. Students know they will not be held back, and teachers know they can't do anything about it. Is that my professional motivation I hear swirling down the gutter...

I love Thailand, I love Thai people and culture, but I am not a fan of the education system, and won't be sticking around much longer for it.

[Welshguy]

Must confess all the posts reasonate with me. Have some funny memories of the thai way of doing things, not doing things and maybe thinking about doing things. This is the culture that gave us mai pen rai, sabai sabai and sanuk. Personally I think they did us a service myself.
The education system does leave a great deal to be desired if you impose western standards on it (not that we from UK have that much to shout about in some respects ) and probably one answer is simply not to do that, it probably wont change the ethos and you will wear yourself out trying!!!

When I was working down south a thai colleague told me that amost teachers down there had private classes running in their houses after school and students that enrolled in them mysteriously passed exams and those who didnt erm ..didnt.

All in all though I reckon that when you get into their groove its a pretty good one or none of us would have bothered.

[Boy Wonder]

Professionally I agree with Clock.....mental stimulation whilst at the workplace is a problem.
I fight it by forcing myself to devour the UK broadsheets online and by having heated unnecessary debates with anyone naive enough to satisfy my urge for brain usage!!
Other EFL teachers where I work spend their time doing crosswords, reading books or meditate!!!!!

It has been noticeable in the past year how some people have switched off and tend to sit blank-eyed and blank-brained during staff meetings.

However time here is by no means as brain rotting as the Gulf.....where some teachers rooms/offices resembled a day care centre for amnesiacs and people suffering from senile dementia!!!!!