Thread: Why Do Farang English Teachers in Thailand Accept Low Salaries?

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Western teachers need to unionise. Currently we are divided and conquered. We are like immigrant fruit-pickers in New Zealand, accepting whatever conditions and pay.

Definitely your best post... hit the lulu on the head...

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Originally Posted by Maanaam

^ You have no idea what I have or don't have (except that I don't have a degree in education).

80% of my students would run rings around you with mental arithmetic, and even calculus in their heads. Not putting you down, but praising them.
Just today I put up a problem that involved...let me just show it to you:

If 2x + y = 10, find the minimum value of x^2 + y^2.



I don't know how your maths is, but this problem is a bit tricky when differentiating x with respect to y because an extra step of substitution has to occur to do dy/dx and find the minimum. Obviously the 2nd differential is easy, but the first required a bit of extra thinking.
About 10 of the class of 40 did it mentally, some of those ten I noticed jotted a note or two but basically worked it out in their heads. 20 kids worked it out on paper, and ten were never with the class and doing homework from other subjects.
They (30)all got it right.
No kudos to me, they are just bright kids.

As for negotiating my contract...I do have power. Kids of this calibre need a good teacher. Who else gets what I get, money-wise and hours-wise?

But you do bring up a good point that I have talked about before: Western teachers need to unionise. Currently we are divided and conquered. We are like immigrant fruit-pickers in New Zealand, accepting whatever conditions and pay.

Thanks for the red Lulu. Don't know why it deserved one, especially since you haven't the intellect to comment openly in disagreement.

You keep on mentioning that I must be "infuriated"...I think you're projecting, with your self-proclaimed aspirations of being "2nd best poster". It's only you who is infuriated (as I've told you before....do pay attention) and who keeps this childish redding up.

I've already got the last word, I'm so far ahead of you. You'll never catch up....but I'm happy to keep ahead.

When you childishly call me "retard" or "moron", it's clearly desperation and only a fool would disagree that those names are inaccurate. I don't throw names at you, but could, with accuracy.

And some of those names have nothing to do with your childish brain or narcissistic personality, but more to do with your proclivities.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Western teachers need to unionise. Currently we are divided and conquered. We are like immigrant fruit-pickers in New Zealand, accepting whatever conditions and pay.

Nice idea in theory, but in practice any ringleaders are going to get more attention than they want... It's a nod and wink game... you suck it up to subsidise your perpetual holiday, and the authorities turn a blind eye.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

I've already got the last word, I'm so far ahead of you. You'll never catch up....but I'm happy to keep ahead.

When you childishly call me "retard" or "moron", it's clearly desperation and only a fool would disagree that those names are inaccurate. I don't throw names at you, but could, with accuracy.

And some of those names have nothing to do with your childish brain or narcissistic personality, but more to do with your proclivities

Oh dear.

Originally Posted by CaptainNemo

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Western teachers need to unionise. Currently we are divided and conquered. We are like immigrant fruit-pickers in New Zealand, accepting whatever conditions and pay.

Nice idea in theory, but in practice any ringleaders are going to get more attention than they want... It's a nod and wink game... you suck it up to subsidise your perpetual holiday, and the authorities turn a blind eye.

You're right, of course, but it could also work in the education system's favour; An organised mandatory union-type organisation could ensure that teachers are suitable for the job. The union could do the policing for the Thai authorities with respect to background checks, qualification authenticity etc.

Pipe dream: The Farang Teachers Union works and inspires Thai teachers to unionise, which in turn inspires other workers....

Having Thai teachers unionised would be a first tiny step in improving the education system. Properly paid teachers who don't have to waste hours per week sucking up to employers can spend more time teaching.

Pipe dream: The Farang Teachers Union works and inspires Thai teachers to unionise, which in turn inspires other workers....

Nice to see that that toss about the white man's burden isn't quite dead yet, but in fact lives on zombie-like in a high school maths classroom in Shitsticksnowhere.

Originally Posted by Passing Through

Pipe dream: The Farang Teachers Union works and inspires Thai teachers to unionise, which in turn inspires other workers....

Nice to see that that toss about the white man's burden isn't quite dead yet, but in fact lives on zombie-like in a high school maths classroom in Shitsticksnowhere.

Nothing to do with white man's burden, mate.
Nothing to do with race at all, except in so far as the FACT that Thai education could do with the teachers unionising, but Thai culture makes it hard to do, and yet a bit of inspiration from outside might tip the scales.
I don't care if it was the Khon Dam Nigerian Teachers Union doing the inspiring.

And you're quite wrong about zombies and Shitsticksnowhere.

^ How long have you been in LOS, Maanaam?

I only ask because most of my teacher friends (except for the old hands) were oblivious to the systemic corruption and megalomaniac profiteering - deeply rooted in the Thai schools.

Everything is about appearance over substance... from the school grounds, buildings, structures, right down to the comments we are limited to write in student books, to the speeches we must rote-teach - infuse sounds to memory (with limited comprehension)..

Off on a tangent, if I may guys... sorry.

I taught a few kids with learning difficulties - I really loved those kids.
A few problem kids, very disruptive behavior problems in class.

I took them outside individually and spoke to them in Thai. I told them straight-up, I'm here to do the best job I can to educate you.

I can't do that without your help. Your parents paid good money for you to learn, you are dishonoring them by your behavior - must I talk to them?
If you can strike a chord, bring them to tears, I swear on my unborn child, they changed.

Became the nicest kids in my class. Would help me keep discipline, carry my bags, flash cards, laptop, etc... We are much older and wiser than them, if we use Psychology or better still, Thai Psychology to our advantage, we have unlimited power to change minds and hearts, too.

Originally Posted by NZdick1983

if we use Psychology or better still, Thai Psychology to our advantage, we have unlimited power to change minds and hearts, too.

That's probably the best advice I've seen in an educational thread in years..

Couple that with giving praise when deserved as loud as the when they're having to be disciplined and much like any child, praise beats the stick any day of the week.

Originally Posted by OhOh

How are you at millimetre to inch conversion.

That's pretty much stuck in my head as I was at primary school when Australia converted to metric.

Because Thailand is a rather nice place and all to live; it's easy to ignore the salaries when you consider the climate, pace of life, food, social life and all that. I never had an issue with the school I worked for either,although I have read about nightmares at other schools. It's also quite easy to become institutionalized IMO. However, I'm glad I got out off teaching in Thailand and moved onto greener pastures.

Originally Posted by Pregomeister

I'm glad I got out off teaching in Thailand.

Yes, doubtless better for all concerned.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Yes, doubtless better for all concerned.

Why?

Cyrille is a little cry baby for Ajarn. A grumpy TEFL lifer stuck in the desert with only his right hand and a bottle of moonshine for company. He takes his bitterness out on other posters. A sad wretch of a man. He calls himself the 'Great Dane' when threatened. Laughable

Originally Posted by Pregomeister

I got out off teaching in Thailand and moved onto greener pastures.

Have you become a farmer?

Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Originally Posted by cyrille

Yes, doubtless better for all concerned.

Why?

Oh dear.

Originally Posted by Pregomeister

I'm glad I got out off teaching in Thailand

Originally Posted by cyrille

Yes, doubtless better for all concerned.

Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Why?

I'm glad I got out off teaching in Thailand

That's why.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Have you become a farmer?

How can a foreigner become a farmer if he cannot own land. Or do you mean he is paying for his wife's family to "farm"?

One can allways squat. Lots of that in the region.

What the hell is maths? Is it like sciences? I could never be an English teacher as it is too confusing. Damn, and I had a dream.

I thought about it and it's the smart people's arithmetic. Go figure. No wonder I'm happy just being the.....well.......fish.

Could be worse. I once met an endoplasmic reticulum. He was mindless.

Why be supercritical when the wind makes the world go around.Don't it?
Barometric pressure is pressing down on me.
Under pressure,a fishes life.