Thread: The 2.5 Year Hurdle

i'll have a bay'kon cheeeeese bugga !

Trying to get a taxi driver to go to Central department store used to be fun

^
Yes I used to work in the one in bangna.
Managed to master centaaan in the end.

Originally Posted by mrsquirrel

I need to get out for a bit. I missed my holiday this march cause of studying and I am getting close to breaking point.

Yeah...I finished one job 28 February and started the next 1 March...with just 4 days off in April to return to Australia for a step-son's wedding, at the same time starting a GradDipEd.

Previous years had 6 weeks paid leave and 4 weeks "sign in at 8-00 am then do what you want" in March/April/May.

So problem solved...no holidays, move to BKK, not enjoying new job, studying again... Shit! I came here to enjoy a relaxed lifestyle!

No wonder the bastards are annoying me!

I'm not just a cantankerous ol' prick!

Now...to work on getting through it...

Originally Posted by Torbek

I'm just a cantankerous ol' prick!

ummm yes!

Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

Originally Posted by Torbek

I'm just a cantankerous ol' prick!

ummm yes!

Careful, you!

Only a very limited number of people know the truth about that photo...and I'm one!

So...a little respect for elders, please...

ooooooh - you dont know nothing!

u dont scare me! elders ? - ur an ancient decripit old man living in a wheel chair and oxygen mask with 3 18 year old bar girls wheeling u around to look after you!

Originally Posted by Torbek

starting a GradDipEd.

The Australian version of the PGCE? But the PGCE in tandem with QTS is impossible to do in Thailand...

^^ lucky bastard. What's he got to compalin about

Willy, there is a man in that photo who bears a striking resemblance to your av.

Torbek,
you have made mention of the fact that you are not currently enjoyig your new job in this thread.
Why not?
If I recall you spent sometime finding a new one and appeared glad to be leaving a high school environment to go work at a uni.
What went wrong?

Originally Posted by Smeg

Originally Posted by Torbek

starting a GradDipEd.

The Australian version of the PGCE? But the PGCE in tandem with QTS is impossible to do in Thailand...

GradDipEd includes me having to two month-long stints at schools (including approved schools in Thailand) but otherwise is all distance education. It qualifies me as a teacher in Australia. The exact status varies from state to state, but you are nevertheless a registered teacher. In your first three to five years, there are some other hoops you have to jump through, but I'm not going back there to that.

Thinking about doing a couple of years in the UK when I'm done. I think I may have to start as an NQT in UK, though. But easy enough for Aussie teachers to get jobs there.

Originally Posted by Torbek

Only a very limited number of people know the truth about that photo...and I'm one!

Me too. But, you are a cantankerous old prick as KW says.

^I think you can teach in the UK with a Grad dip ed.

My daughter did for two years, straight out of uni

Originally Posted by Lily

Willy, there is a man in that photo who bears a striking resemblance to your av.

really ?

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by Torbek

Only a very limited number of people know the truth about that photo...and I'm one!

Me too. But, you are a cantankerous old prick as KW says.

you dont know crap!

its abt cricket NOT rugger!

Originally Posted by Torbek

Thinking about doing a couple of years in the UK when I'm done. I think I may have to start as an NQT in UK, though. But easy enough for Aussie teachers to get jobs there.

Teaching there is tiring but rewarding (not financially), and its possible to build relationships and have in-class fun with native speaking kids in ways that are impossible here.

Can I ask as to your subject specialisation? Various subjects are classed as secondary shortage subjects in the UK, with an abundance of jobs.

Day off today Smeg? Torbek, look at shortage subjects like D-Tech, Modern Foreign Languages etc, you also get a nice golden handshake of around 4000Uk when you start your career or maybe after your induction year.

Originally Posted by Troubled

If I recall you spent sometime finding a new one and appeared glad to be leaving a high school environment to go work at a uni. What went wrong?

Yes...landed supposedly a good job. Almost double the money and lecturing in accounting and other management subjects instead of English. Here's the short list...

1) Intially told I would have 4 weeks holiday but, on my first day, discover I receive 10 days "business leave" only.
2) Having just spent the summer helping the English teachers deliver remedial classes (Uni starts in earnest next week), I now know they speak sod-all English and I just can't envisage how I am going to teach my subjects and expect any level of comprehension.
3) Any classes missed due to public holidays must be made up for no extra pay.
4) The management sack foreign teachers seemingly on whim, with 12 from the English department sacked in the last year, so while I do not work with them directly, the atmoshpere is terrible.
5) RIGID adherence to a 9-00 to 5-00 sign in and out.
6) Discovery that despite being told about the range of conditions enjoyed by "the existing farang management instructors" during interview process, I am in the fact the only one...no other one has lasted more than 2 months of term time.
7) Any attempts to discuss concerns are met with tirades or comments that farangs are already paid too much and must work harder.
8) Despite being an international programme, all lecturers beside the English teachers and myself are Thai and, according to the students, deliver significant amounts in Thai...meaning Thai students see drawing me as a lecturer as a negative.
9) Bizarre management practices such as insisting I continued to deliver "summer activities" classes in drama to 2 students and debating to 1 student..."As long as one students wants to complete the activities, we let them!" Every tried a one-person debating class?
10) I have seen my boss (who stressed I report to him alone) once since the first week of March and with lectures starting next week, I have no idea of timetables, class sizes, or even had 100% confirmation of what I am teaching.

A lot of this seems fairly minor, I know...

But I expected a lot more from one of the top Unis in Thailand. I haven't personally expierenced anything too nasty yet...other than the leave and making up public holiday classes...but I am not confident that will continue once semester starts.

It is only 15 hours maximum teaching, but if you add all the hours I am away from home, including travel, it is 20 more hours per week and 6 weeks less holidays per year than my previous job. My pay increase is largely eaten by higher rent and higher cost of living.

I'll stick it out for a little while to see how things go once semester starts, but with my past job still open and them asking me to return, I am beginning to wonder...

Originally Posted by Lily

^I think you can teach in the UK with a Grad dip ed.

My daughter did for two years, straight out of uni

you can - the GradDp is the full thing - its bascially 1 or 2 years on top of a bachelor degree and qualifies you as a teacher in Aus. and therefore more or less the rest of the world I would think...

**correct me if i'm wrong ye olde cantankerous one**

Originally Posted by Torbek

I'll stick it out for a little while to see how things go once semester starts, but with my past job still open and them asking me to return, I am beginning to wonder...

Why wait ? You were happier in your last job and it's still open.

Originally Posted by Torbek

Originally Posted by Troubled

If I recall you spent sometime finding a new one and appeared glad to be leaving a high school environment to go work at a uni. What went wrong?

Yes...landed supposedly a good job. Almost double the money and lecturing in accounting and other management subjects instead of English. Here's the short list...

1) Intially told I would have 4 weeks holiday but, on my first day, discover I receive 10 days "business leave" only.
2) Having just spent the summer helping the English teachers deliver remedial classes (Uni starts in earnest next week), I now know they speak sod-all English and I just can't envisage how I am going to teach my subjects and expect any level of comprehension.
3) Any classes missed due to public holidays must be made up for no extra pay.
4) The management sack foreign teachers seemingly on whim, with 12 from the English department sacked in the last year, so while I do not work with them directly, the atmoshpere is terrible.
5) RIGID adherence to a 9-00 to 5-00 sign in and out.
6) Discovery that despite being told about the range of conditions enjoyed by "the existing farang management instructors" during interview process, I am in the fact the only one...no other one has lasted more than 2 months of term time.
7) Any attempts to discuss concerns are met with tirades or comments that farangs are already paid too much and must work harder.
8) Despite being an international programme, all lecturers beside the English teachers and myself are Thai and, according to the students, deliver significant amounts in Thai...meaning Thai students see drawing me as a lecturer as a negative.
9) Bizarre management practices such as insisting I continued to deliver "summer activities" classes in drama to 2 students and debating to 1 student..."As long as one students wants to complete the activities, we let them!" Every tried a one-person debating class?
10) I have seen my boss (who stressed I report to him alone) once since the first week of March and with lectures starting next week, I have no idea of timetables, class sizes, or even had 100% confirmation of what I am teaching.

A lot of this seems fairly minor, I know...

But I expected a lot more from one of the top Unis in Thailand. I haven't personally expierenced anything too nasty yet...other than the leave and making up public holiday classes...but I am not confident that will continue once semester starts.

It is only 15 hours maximum teaching, but if you add all the hours I am away from home, including travel, it is 20 more hours per week and 6 weeks less holidays per year than my previous job. My pay increase is largely eaten by higher rent and higher cost of living.

I'll stick it out for a little while to see how things go once semester starts, but with my past job still open and them asking me to return, I am beginning to wonder...

You should send this to the TEFL schools and ask them whether they'd like to include it in their "why you should come to teach in paradise" webpage

Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

you can - the GradDp is the full thing - its bascially 1 or 2 years on top of a bachelor degree and qualifies you as a teacher in Aus. and therefore more or less the rest of the world I would think...

Yes you can, plenty of Aussies and Kiwi's teaching in UK secondary schools - you have to a fully qualified teacher in your home country.
Smeg, are you sure you have got a PGCE?

100 not out