Thread: Teaching English is dull...

...as dishwater. For me anyway. I put my notice in a couple of days ago so I'll be an ex-English teacher officially on Jan 1.

I've taught for 6 months and never in that time did I get a handle on why I wasn't enjoying it. At first i thought it was too many hours so I requested a transfer to a high school where I'd make the same money but less days/hours and only prepping 2 lessons a week. It went well for awhile but I still felt this niggling bit of dissatisfaction in the pit of my stomach. On the weekends I dreaded creating the lessons and during the week I dreaded going to the classes. I've come to realize that it is the subject itself that makes me want to weep tears of boredom.

So, by process of elimination, I'm going to determine once and for all if it is actually teaching that I hate or teaching English that I hate. I'm now looking to teach other subjects. My uni degree is Social Studies related and I've always held an interest in history, politics, culture, economics and so forth so that's what I'll be looking for.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has felt this way about teaching English and if changing subjects made a difference.

^Yep, I very rarely teach English, but I enjoy it even more rarely. I normally teach science and enjoy it as long as the class is well behaved and attentive.

It can be one of the best subjects to teach, an absolute joy, but not much in Thailand, sadly.

Frustrating more than boring imo.

Even ex-uni peeps are 'as thick as two short planks'........

And the pay is peanuts. If I never do it again, it will be too bluddy soon!

Originally Posted by Luckydog

Even ex-uni peeps are 'as thick as two short planks'........

whereas your whores in your bar are as bright as...

sometimes you're a right plonker LD...

Those that cant do,teach,and those that can't teach.....teach gym.

Originally Posted by Roc

Those that cant do,teach,and those that can't teach.....teach gym.

Thank you Jack Black. BTW, one of the funniest films of the century School of Rock.

did it for about 5 years
couldn't go back to it if my life depended on it

I have also read people saying that they enjoy teaching, and find it rewarding.
Maybe it just varies with the individual then?
I suspect I wouldn't be cut out for teaching- too impatient.

It was always my back-up plan to teach English if everything went pear-shaped.
Luckily for me, an oil boom came along, so, it won't ever happen. Don't think I would enjoy it either, for the same reason as sabang.

^3/4 hour working days are a bit of a plus though

I'm doing a bit at the mo, can be great fun. As with most things in life it's your attitude that decides how it goes. Go in, have fun, get them active. There's heaps of activities they love doing coz their just used sitting bored in a Thai classroom being dictated too. The best lessons are the ones where you don't even have to talk - you explain the activity and that's it - ready, set, GO! and they're running about the place screaming the Language you're using in the activity at each other while having the time of their lives, you just stand back and watch.

Cut up a convo and stick it around the room. Put them into pairs. One has to go read it, then dictate it to the other who writes it down. When finished they have to sort it into the correct order. The first team to read the correct convo to you wins.

Make everything a competition - they love it.

Divide them into 4 groups. - Man utd, liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. Each team has a 4 letter word on the board. They have to make a new word by changing one letter. One team member writes the new words as the rest of the team screams them at them. First to make 10 new, correct words wins the FA cup.

Make it fun mate and you'll enjoy it a a bit more. Hope that helps with your last 3 weeks of it.

^^^I don't do it coz I find it all that rewarding, but I like seeing people (kids) have fun, especially somewhere like school where they usually have to sit still and daydream of having fun. So guess that's why I do it.

... and it is fun, for me too.

Originally Posted by Agent_Smith

...as dishwater. For me anyway. I put my notice in a couple of days ago so I'll be an ex-English teacher officially on Jan 1.

I've taught for 6 months and never in that time did I get a handle on why I wasn't enjoying it. At first i thought it was too many hours so I requested a transfer to a high school where I'd make the same money but less days/hours and only prepping 2 lessons a week. It went well for awhile but I still felt this niggling bit of dissatisfaction in the pit of my stomach. On the weekends I dreaded creating the lessons and during the week I dreaded going to the classes. I've come to realize that it is the subject itself that makes me want to weep tears of boredom.

So, by process of elimination, I'm going to determine once and for all if it is actually teaching that I hate or teaching English that I hate. I'm now looking to teach other subjects. My uni degree is Social Studies related and I've always held an interest in history, politics, culture, economics and so forth so that's what I'll be looking for.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has felt this way about teaching English and if changing subjects made a difference.

Used to teach english back in 2005, but saw the light a long time ago, glad to see I'm not the only one
Too many guys out in Thailand kid themselves into teaching english and end up leading a bitter scowling existence.

^I've done that rather nicely without teaching anybody anything.

'cept that shitball motocy driver the other day who learnt it's bad form to cut off a farang in a truck.

Originally Posted by Roc

Those that cant do,teach,and those that can't teach.....teach gym.

and those that can do neither borrow money from mummy and open a bar.

Originally Posted by obsidian

Originally Posted by Roc

Those that cant do,teach,and those that can't teach.....teach gym.

and those that can do neither borrow money from mummy and open a bar.

quite, and call it friendly then spam a local thai based forum....

Originally Posted by klongmaster

whores in your bar are as bright as

You don't measure someone's intelligence by their education.

Some as those bargirls are as sharp as knives.

Originally Posted by Silent Orchestra

Originally Posted by klongmaster

whores in your bar are as bright as

You don't measure someone's intelligence by their education.

Some as those bargirls are as sharp as knives.

I'm not questioning the intelligence of bar girls SO: just taking exception to the thought that uni students are thick as two planks...

Most of them are but

Glad to know that I'm not alone.

So, there's only 6 weeks left in the term and I've convinced myself to stick out until then instead of quitting midway. I really don't want to start a new job a couple of months before I go home for a visit anyway. I've taught English for 6 months I think I can handle it for a few more weeks. It makes financial sense, too. I just know that when I come back I'll be doing something else for sure.

I agree about the post concerning attitude. Fact is it's difficult to become passionate about something that's as boring as Birmingham (nice French idiom I picked up today).

teaching adults is generally more interesting than kids - at least you can sometimes have a 2 way conversation.

but overall it is relatively dull - same as most jobs though but at least it pays well here (compared to what a local gets anyway)

Life is too short to teach English to Johnny Foreigner.

The problem is their inability to communicate intelligently.

Furthermore, the process is so inane.
eg
"This is a cow, what is it?"
"This is cow"

I taught at an all girls catholic high school in Nagasaki my first year in Japan. That paid my penance for several lifetimes, I reckon. I threw away the syllabus and played games like Boticelli or drew maps and pictures and tried to make them think in English. Helped two seniors get into top unis. Kind of a power trip walking into a classroom, the class leader screams kiritsu (stand!), rei (bow!) and then they all say good morning/aft before most put heads on desks to sleep. Then the principal (good mother nun that she was) berated me most Monday morning for being spotted by some parent in the drinking district on Saturday night. Never again.