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I recently marked the end of the academic year at our secondary school in central Thailand. As eighth period came to a close and my 45 matthayom 2/5 students rose in unison to say their last “Thank you, Teeecher,” I was surprised to feel a knot forming in my chest. Had my week ended with one of the more difficult classes, the feeling would have been elation to have completed the term. But this group of 13- and 14-year olds always helped me end the week on a high note, and did not ever disappoint, even after taking a final.
Some of Eric Vukicevich’s students in Thailand. Photo by Eric Vukicevich
What was setting in then was the fact that, in spite of all the challenges — the language barrier living here, the heat, the rampant cheating in school, the large class sizes, the seemingly random and endless class cancellations without informing me — I had learned far more by teaching abroad in Thailand than I had expected.
The decision to come to Thailand was an easy one for me to make about a year before. I had a great job working for a dynamic agricultural management company, but I was getting burned out at age 25 and needed to try something completely different. I really enjoyed training new employees, speaking in both English and Spanish, and realized what I was doing was … teaching. Growing up with both parents as educators, I tended to think I would never be a teacher. I had nothing against the profession; it just seemed like I was learning all this stuff to prepare me to do something else.
When my girlfriend graduated from college two years after me, we decided this would be a great opportunity to see the world together and to find out what it would be like to be a teacher. I speak pretty good Spanish … so we decided to teach abroad in Thailand. Huh?
We researched how to get a job teaching English in Thailand, and it turned out to be easier than expected. There are a host of organizations that are able to find a school in need of teachers, arrange for a work visa, etc. We chose one recommended by a friend of a friend. Arriving in Bangkok was a shock, to say the least. The reality of the endeavor never really sunk in with me, though I’d been telling friends and family about it for months.
Bangkok, or Krung Thep — the “City of Angels” — shares an air quality issue with another City of Angels — Los Angeles — and I couldn’t help but guffaw out the bus window at the vastness of the yellow, hazy buildings scattered all around. We had little idea of the town in which we were going to work, as there wasn’t much information on it online. But we did get to choose “urban” or “rural,” and we checked the latter box without hesitation. I was hoping for a quiet, primitive little village where we would get to know everybody, play soccer, eat mangos, and get all the kids debating philosophy by the end of the term.
It turned out our rural setting was a provincial capital of about 80,000 residents. We worked at one of four huge secondary schools; there was a lot of traffic, and it was very modern (as is most of Thailand). There were more than a dozen 7-11s, a Robinson’s, and a Tesco Lotus, two big nationwide department stores. On our first day of school, we realized that the teaching would be a little different than expected: my work load was 17 classes of 45-50 students, each class meeting once a week. We also had expected the studdents and teachers to be much more proficient in English — after all, our conversion class had an English curriculum, and an everyday English class with a local teacher. Surprise! We were about to climb a very steep learning curve.
The first few weeks I spent designing and redesigning lessons to make them simpler; slowing down my speaking pace and simplifying my speech; and trying different techniques to maintain control and keep a tolerable noise level in the classroom. I soon realized all the handouts and lesson plan ideas I’d gotten during my ESL teacher training — and even most of the games that were supposed to be good for beginning English learners — would be totally useless here. So I began to make my own.
At first I was way too ambitious with my “California pair work handout,” where one student had to describe to the other where each city was, using geography words like mountain, valley, coast, and river. The activity digressed when, even after repetition and active learning, they were still struggling with north, south, east, and west. I got better and better at making lessons and designing games and activities to get them speaking and learning words that I thought could be of practical use to them.
Little by little I started to learn their names, but with 750 students, it was a daunting task. The students whose names I learned right away were either those who spoke up often, or those who were troublesome. I found that getting to know them made a huge difference in my ability to teach them. In that simple student-teacher bond that develops with the recognition of real learning, and ideas sparking in the student’s mind, that unmistakable “light bulb” switching on in their eyes — there is powerful encouragement.
I will mostly recall two boys who always sat next to each other, in or near the back of the classroom, wearing matching yellow watches. They were called Mai and Big (Thais usually go by their nicknames). For the first half of the semester, they did not want to give me the time of day, and their only efforts were in distracting other students. But, as my teaching style began to improve, so did their attention spans. I was amazed.
With each class, I would keep an eye on them; I figured if I was getting through to Mai and Big, I was getting through to everyone. They became my barometer and my most improved students. Each time I would see them nod in understanding of a new word or struggle to construct a good sentence, then succeed, it encouraged me to become a better teacher, too. By the end of the term, they were sitting in the middle of the class, participating in all the activities, laughing at my slapstick humor, and coming to my office to make up assignments from earlier.
Here comes the curve ball (this is Thailand, after all). I was thinking that maybe I could be a teacher, though I knew logically that teaching abroad in Thailand would be quite different from teaching back in the U.S. As I was researching environmental issues for a lesson with my advanced class one day, I came across an article on integrated land management. It reminded me of a long and intense (if slightly inebriated) discussion about agriculture I had with an older local man one night while traveling in Peru. Ever since then, I’d been thinking about how to make a positive difference in our food system. It occurred to me that although teaching in Thailand was an extremely valuable experience for both personal and professional reasons, teaching English really isn’t my calling. But what I can do is teach the subjects that genuinely interest and motivate me.
Now, I am planning to pursue a master’s degree and do research aimed at improving the sustainability of our food sources on a holistic level. Then, maybe I can pass on what I’ve learned in a classroom somewhere, because what I’m sure of is the importance of quality education. So thanks to taking a chance, and getting out to see the real world, and doing my best to engage with it — I now am energized and excited about what I can do with my life.
I’m not sure if I would have arrived at this decision without that hot and sticky Thai classroom, without the disorganization, or without Mai and Big and all the other kids who motivated me and drove me crazy. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
Eric Vukicevich
Author - Eric Vukicevich was born and raised in Kenwood, California, in one of the world’s great wine countries, Sonoma County. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo studying viticulture and enology. Since then he has worked in Spain, traveled around central Europe, Peru, and Southeast Asia, and recently completed a teaching stint in Thailand. Prior to his Thai adventure, Eric was working full time in viticulture on the central coast of California. He plans to pursue an advanced degree in Agroecology or a similar subject. When he’s not traveling the world, Eric can be found surfing, mountain biking, hiking, and playing music.
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Earn your International TEFL Certification in Phuket (Thailand) to teach English as a second language abroad, and receive a guaranteed ESL teaching position with a 1000 USD per month salary + accommodation in a variety of destinations all over Thailand....
Learn MoreITTI has 26 programs in 24 different locations. Programs are offered in China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, India, Spain, Italy, France, Vietnam, New Zealand, England, Argentina, Philippines, Australia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Gabon, Laos, Pakistan, Tahiti, United States, Thailand, Egypt, Greece, and Nepal.
Experience life in Thailand as a TEFL certified English teacher! TEFL Institute's onsite courses in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand are internationally accredited, intensive 6-week programs, encompassing 130 hours of classroom instruction, as well as 20 hours of student teaching. TEFL Institute Bangkok The school in Bangkok is located about halfway between Don Muang Airport and the cen...
Teach in Thailand! Teach Away is accepting applications for English teaching positions at a leading private language school with several campuses in Bangkok. Each location is in a beautiful and desirable area of the city with direct access to the Skytrain system and major amenities. Thailand is a popular destination for ESL teachers who are interested in gaining a valuable cultural experienc...
Cultural Embrace by API's teach in Thailand program will allow you to explore one of the world's friendliest and most accommodating countries. It is easy to understand why Thailand has been named the Land of Smiles since there are so many things to grin about in this beautiful country. It is home to some of the best islands, beaches, natural wonders, architecture, monuments, and relics. Addit...
Go beyond the beaten path and experience Thailand the way no tourist ever could. GeoVisions' Teach in Thailand program allows you to live and work in one of the world’s favorite holiday destinations while helping to improve the English skills of local children and experiencing and engaging in an important cultural exchange.
We provide the highest quality, accredited in class and professional level Online TEFL / TESOL courses. Our TEFL class graduates receive lifetime job guidance assistance to teach English around the world upon graduation. No previous experience or qualifications required.
Your role as a Teach in Thailand participant will be to act as lead teacher for the classroom assigned to you. You will plan and lead activities designed to develop your eager students' conversation abilities in English. A one-week orientation in Bangkok upon arrival will prepare you for the challenges of running a classroom, with TEFL workshops, teaching tips and cross-cultural training. A sta...
LanguageCorps' programs provide the perfect introduction to Thailand. Participants are regularly placed in paid teaching jobs in, and demand for English teachers remains consistently strong. Teach in Thailand with LanguageCorps and experience the adventure of a life time!
Quality, marketability and dynamism should be the hallmark features of any TESOL, TEFL and TESL course. The course offered in Thailand should veer the students to a lucrative career based on sound knowledge, pronounced concepts and productive skills.
The TEFL Jobs Placement Service is completely free. If you take one of our TEFL courses (or if you already have 120 hours of TEFL certification), we’ll introduce you to one of our TEFL contacts overseas and help you apply for the job.
SEEs accredited TEFL Certification in Chiang Mai, Thailand enables its graduates to successfully step in to a classroom and teach English. Participants experience 6 x 1-hour teaching practices with real students in real schools. The schools include a nursing college, a kindergarten, a primary school and a government university. SEEs teaching inputs combined with the teaching practices give pa...
AYC is working around 200 native English speakers in 70 schools all over Thailand and is the biggest teacher placement organization in the country.
Lend your skills to those in need in communities throughout Thailand! Educate locals in their English language skills, and improve your life at the same time. The CIEE Teach in Thailand program places individuals just like you in paid semester or year positions teaching English at primary or secondary schools in urban, town or rural locations. Anywhere you teach in Thailand, you will have the o...
Teach Abroad Thailand
Teach English Abroad In Thailand is an accredited TEFL course, job placements, airport pick-up, 24/7 support, visa, beach hut accommodation, Thai cooking course, Thai language lessons, Scuba Dive, Full Moon party, an instant crowd to hang-out with, it's all included in your 'Teach Abroad Thailand' package.....all you need to do is pack your bag and book your flight!
WorldTeach
The mission of WorldTeach is to give individuals the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to international education in developing nations. Summer teaching opportunities, long-term and semester-long opportunities are available. Summer positions are available in Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Namibia, Poland and South Africa teaching English, studying the language and engaging i...
World TEFL Association
Get TEFL Certified in just 1 week! Our combined online, weekend and Cambridge ESOL (TKT) certificate courses give you two internationally recognized TEFL certificates, which will increase your employment prospects. Download our free report and step-by-step guide to teaching English abroad and discover why everyone makes the same mistakes when applying for teaching jobs overseas... and why...
BridgeTEFL is the largest provider of TEFL courses in the United States. We offer a wide variety of TEFL programs and each year we prepare hundreds of students to teach English overseas.
MediaKids Academy
Teach English, Maths, Science, Computers or primary school level SHORT TERM or LONG TERM with MediaKids Academy. We offer 4 month PAID teaching placements all over Thailand, a range of programs, from cities to small towns, central Thailand to the Northern most province, 4 year olds to 18 year olds - whatever you are looking for in Thailand we have a placement to suit you! Our placements include...
Entrust TEFL
Entrust TEFL is a premier full service Teacher Training company that provides a total solution for the applicant all in one package. Entrust TEFL has three training locations to obtain qualified teacher training and placement through our various programs to suit your needs. Our training locations are designed to be fun and immerse you in Thai culture, which include resort accommodation, ...
Edcomasia
We are already getting things moving and will have a number of positions in Nursery, K1-3, and primary level with some well-established bilingual schools . What's offered: * 1 year contract with the possibility of renewal. * Approx. 20 teaching hours per week. * Accommodation assistance * Visa & work permit. * Airport pick up. * Paid vacation * Health insurance If interest...
Teach Anywhere
Primary Key Stage 1 and 2 teachers are required for the premier bilingual school in tropical Thailand. This is your opportunity to live in one of the most fascinating, colourful areas of the world and to work at a school with a proven excellence for results and commitment to their students. These roles are for an April 2012 start and face-to-face-interviews will be held in the U.K. in mid Dece...
Cultural Canvas Thailand
Thai Freedom House is a community learning center focused on teaching Thai and English languages and the arts to Burmese refugees, who fled Burma to escape severe human rights violations. They are currently based in a small, wooden house in the center of Chiang Mai, Thailand and have been in operation since 2006. Basic education is unavailable to most ordinary Burmese citizens, which makes our ...
Global Nomadic Ltd
Thailand has long been a favourite destination for TEFL teachers for its combination of gorgeous beaches and islands, excellent cuisine, affordable cost of living and the friendliness of the Thai people. This unique programme allows you to join in on the action with paid work as an English teacher. And with many schools and language centres throughout Thailand to choose from you can be assured ...
TEFL International TEFL Education
Earn your certificate to become a professional TESOL teacher, and bring education to corners of Thailand where it is needed. TESOL Course Content includes: I. Foreign Language Experience. The trainee will complete a daily learning journal during the foreign language experience, culminating in a 500-word conclusion. The focus is upon critical reflection on the learning experience, and use...
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