Hello friends!
Welcome to my first serie post about living in Thailand. In these series I'll tell you my stories and show what my daily life looks like in this beautiful country.
Teaching in Thailand
Overcoming fear
One of my biggest fears was speaking in front of a group. It didn't even matter how big the group was. Just the fact that I could only hear my own voice and see all the eyes looking at me, made me instantly go into a flight response.
Despite this, I stepped on my motorbike and went to many different schools in the neighbourhood to search for a job as an English teacher. I didn't even have a degree nor was I a native speaker in the English language, which made me even more nervous, as I had read online this is both required.
Funny enough, the teachers interviewing me were more interested in my abilities to entertain the children, like singing, dancing and playing an instrument. I was really surprised by this, as I was expecting many more questions about my educational background. I showed them how I would perform the song 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' and before I was done, I got the job. I have to say, it was the most funny but bizarre interview I have ever done!
I had to teach the very same day and oh boy was I scared. I was so nervous I had to cry. I couldn't run away this time and had to overcome this fear that annoyed me so much for many years.
When it was time to teach, I wiped away my tears, restrained my negative thoughts and emotions and walked to the school. I brought my paper with songs and games with me into the classroom and there they were, all the curious little eyes looking straight at me. As I started to introduce myself to them, I noticed they didn't understand a thing of what I was saying and were almost as nervous as I was.
Finally I began to understand why the Thai teachers wanted me to sing, dance and play music, having fun is just the most important! I layed down my paper, started to sing and do a silly dance with it. The children started to join me and danced like crazy(Thai children are amazing dancers). I loved to see how much they enjoyed it and received many hugs afterwards.
Learning the Thai way
I am a teacher for almost a year now. Being a teacher made me learn a lot about the school system and how it contributes to the Thai culture. The children get to learn so much more than I have learned in school when I was younger. They learn how to cook, to clean, to dance, to sing and to make music.
They learn about the beautiful and difficult things in life, how to be a good person and to respect one another through stories, speeches and the teachings of their religion Buddhism. On top of that, most of the school activities are outside of the classroom with enough space to be energetic and develop themselves, as a child should.
Meet the kids
As you can see they love to pose for the camera, especially the girls.
Silly faces and peace signs are just unavoidable
Some of my students are a bit crazy!
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They love to play games like hide and seek,
Memory
and flashcard races
I feel so lucky to be a part of this. Teaching has helped me so much with my personal growth and gave me the opportunity to see this amazing side of Thailand. The children are so much fun and show their gratefulness to me every single day!
Thank you so much for reading!
I appreciate an upvote if you liked this post and a follow if you want to see more :-)
Nice Story! did you follow the Telf Course? and how did you manage the visa? and is it okay to life from moneywise? I have so many questions thinking about teaching myself as well.
looking forward to more posts.
goodluck
Yes, I did follow the TEFL course, It's quite an easy course and doesn't take so long. I did it online on eslinsider.com. Because I do not have a degree, I stay on a tourist visa and go back to Amsterdam when the embassy refuses my next visa extension. If you do have a degree(doesn't matter in what subject) you can easily get a working visa, if your English is good enough. Please ask as many questions as you want! I would definitely recommend teaching abroad to anybody :-)
Thanks for the quick response, will look into it. Already know Joho in Amsterdam offers a good Tefl course. one thing i do know and that is that i will leave the job i am in soon. just need to travel again. Maybe back to the Cruiseships i worked on
will keep an eye out for your posts
No problem! Good luck and if you happen to become a teacher somewhere in the world, let me know :-)
hahah when i looked at your profile i saw you were Dutch, I live in Amsterdam now after 4 years of travelling
you dotn miss much here, its raining again!
That's funny! Are you dutch? Unfortunately, I will go back to Amsterdam in a few days, but it's okay since the raining season is coming anyway and sometimes I miss the cold haha
I am indeed dutch, safe flight and enjoy our city! will follow your adventures in Thailand.
Dankjewel, lief! :)
Hee Merel,
Nice post! Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Wish school in The Netherlands was that entertaining and diverse ( in subjects).
I have been a teacher at the Hogeschool Rotterdam for 3 years (2013-16) and I totally understand what you mean (especially before your first class/ session) about nerves and all. Being a teacher, it feels as if everyone is watching you.
Teaching abroad, on a different continent, sounds pretty amazing. I have never been outside of Europe. .. I read you're going back to Amsterdam, is that a temporary thing or weren't you planning to stay in Thailand much longer?
Groetjes!
Vincent
Hey Vincent! I'm happy to hear you like my post. Are you interested in teaching abroad yourself?
Yes, I will go back to Amsterdam for a temporary stay, to see my family and to renew my visa. I see Thailand as the country I actually live in because that is where I have my house, work and friends.
Thank you for commenting, it's always nice to meet another Dutchie on Steemit :-)
No, I'm not necessarily interested in teaching abroad. I did a little teaching via Workaway on El Hierro (Canary Islands) last year, but teaching big groups/ a class is not really my thing. I prefer one on one contact or very small groups.
I checked out your profile and discovered that you're actually living in Thailand. Interesting to hear that it feels more like 'home' than Nederland. Eerlijk gezegd voel ik me ook niet specifiek thuis in Nederland. Zelf voel ik me heel fijn in bijvoorbeeld Spanje en Portugal maar dat zou ook zomaar voor een heel ander land kunnen gelden. I guess there's only one way to find out ;)
Yes, nice to meet you too :)
Ah so you already taught abroad, nice! I understand your preference for teaching individuals. It's easier to keep focus and see the student making progress.
I feel more at home there mostly because of how people interact with eachother. I quess it just fits my personality better. I had never planned to actually live there, it kind of just happened. Sometimes people travel and never leave the place. So you're right, there is indeed only one way to find out :-)
The only teaching I did was helping some teenagers with their homework, haha! Not that impressive. But... it was the start of my stay on El Hierro and made me find another place to stay. It was totally worth it!
I even started a big movie project there which, unfortunately, has just been cancelled (after 9 months). It was the best decision though.
Yeah, in teaching it's all about focus and progress/ the process and for me also about energy/ effectiveness. It's very hard to reach them all and help everyone out.
I understand your reasons for feeling better in a different place. Although I think people can probably feel the same in many different places. Anyhow, if it feels good, definitely follow through on it! ;)