#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Teaching In Thailand >  >  How many lessons a week to you teach?

## Mandaloopy

For me it is 30-31, this all depends on if a Mongolian teacher needs to borrow my remedial class to catch up. I do a couple of hours work on admin stuff a night at the moment as we have some sort of accreditation looming and play to sort out.
In comparison to Thailand, it's quite a bit, I only had 16 contact hours but did have all the homeroom stuff to do.
21 in Myanmar, but very cruisy and easy stuff.

So, the reason for the thread is that I have been told this is a lot of hours. I'm not sure it really is, I still have enough free time to rest and enjoy myself.

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## Dillinger

> How many lessons a week to you teach?


God help those kids :Smile:

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## Maanaam

My wife has 24 classroom hours per week which is a lot when you consider time spent on lesson plans etc, then tsting and grading.
I won't tell my hours for fear of triggering someone  :Wink:

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## happynz

Uni teach here -- twenty contact hours a week with various administration nonsense thrown in.

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## Mandaloopy

What an embarrassing typo lol
To add to the mix there is the small matter of a Christmas Show for kindy, actually easy and no real extra effort save for caroling practice. Then there is the " ABC Play", it is a tradition in Mongolia that the kids put a big show on at the end of first grade to celebrate that they can read and write in Mongolian. Being an international school, we have to do an English version and do it early to show we are better than state schools. Now that requires quite a bit of extra time devoted to it as it is taken very very seriously- at the expense of actual lessons, naturally!

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## Dillinger

> my wife has 24 classroom hours per week which is


are





> uni teach here -- twenty contact hours


university teacher, contract

 :Smile:

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## qwerty

Only 13 hours per week, but as a department head I also have at least 3 meetings per week ( :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  ) and spend a fair amount of time teaching new teachers how to write exams & lesson plans, how to manage the kids (keep your hands to yourself... you are not their friend... the classroom is not a democracy - it is a dictatorship and you must be the dictator, etc.) and so forth.

I teach Science and have established an uneasy truce with the two Creationists at my school - they don't mention their beliefs in the classroom and I don't criticize their medieval fallacies in public.

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## Dillinger

Missed my vacation in life, I reckon.

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## 39TG

> God help those kids


Is he a good teacher?  I think he'd be a bit old fashioned for contemporary education systems.

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## Dillinger

> Is he a good teacher?


He seems to care and is a lot more professional than the teflers I've met in bars in  Bangkok :Smile:

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## aging one

> university teacher, contract


contact.. :Smile:

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## hick

Signing a new contract (old Saudi stomping grounds) in January for Feb./Mar. start.

They're trying to get me back for test-quiz design/multimedia presentations & curriculum enhancement, so I'll sign for:

All visa/residency expenditures reimbursed.
1 Round trip Flight/yr.
6,000 usd/mo.
3- 3.5 mos paid vaca/yr.
Full health insurance.
No more than 10 contact hours a week.


Gone are the chances (at this locale) for:

Compound digs
Free wheels/gas
Fica

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## Dragonfly94

I downt teech anyfing, but my Mrs do teeech aboot 8 hours a wek

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## Switch

> I downt teech anyfing, but my Mrs do teeech aboot 8 hours a wek


Please let her know that you are failing her humanities class.

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## Maanaam

> are


No, "is". Is 24 classroom hours a lot? Yes it is.



> contract


No, "contact". The time he is in direct contact with students.

Jeez, Dill, if you aspire to be Cyrille, you'd better up your game. Mind you, the silly duffer redded me this morning also with an incorrect "correction", so maybe you're on track  :Smile:

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## Maanaam

> All visa/residency expenditures reimbursed.
> 1 Round trip Flight/yr.
> 6,000 usd/mo.
> 3- 3.5 mos paid vaca/yr.
> Full health insurance.
> No more than 10 contact hours a week.


OK.




> Gone are the chances (at this locale) for:
> 
> Compound digs
> Free wheels/gas
> Fica


Oh, you poor thing. How could you accept all the rest?  :Smile: 
Sounds pretty good for only 10 contact hours p/w

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## Maanaam

> I downt teech anyfing, but my Mrs do teeech aboot 8 hours a wek


I didn't know you were a scouser.

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## hick

> OK.
> 
> Oh, you poor thing. How could you accept all the rest? 
> Sounds pretty good for only 10 contact hours p/w


well, I was at 8.5 w/ compound + car before the (overall) contract changed hands...

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## marcusb

12 hours a week, but just switched from teaching Uni to teaching P1-6.  The kids exhaust me! It is a nice change of pace though, beautiful country school with small classes and only 250 students in total.

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## Mandaloopy

Starting to look like my timetable is a shade excessive. I have to admit, my teaching in Myanmar was of a higher quality on account of better-behaved students and not being burnt out

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## NamPikToot

> Missed my vacation in life, I reckon.


Vocation  :Smile:

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## beerlaodrinker

> Missed my vacation in life, I reckon.


Aw. Dont be to hard on yerself dill.

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## Bettyboo

> Vocation





> Aw. Dont be to hard on yerself dill.


I suspect that Dilly knew the word he was trying to say - satire is his thing.

That 6k in Saudi isn't a job I'd take (got offered similar 6 months ago on a BAE/Saudi Airforce job, but fuked if I wanna go to Saudi for under $8k per month, which is very hard to get there nowadays, and even then I don't wanna be in the Middle East, especially not Saudi).

I'm currently teaching 9 hours a week at a uni, but I have some admin stuff to be getting on with aswellas some research. Hope to be moving from Korea (5 years is enough) to a similar job in Japan this March - just in time for the rugby world cup... 

 :bananaman:

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## happynz

> ... to a similar job in Japan this March - just in time for the rugby world cup...


That'd be sweet!

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## Bettyboo

> That'd be sweet!


We're in agreement there...

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## tomcat

...30 contact hours is far too many at the primary level...in fact, anything more than 21 hours (or so) in the harness is approaching outrageous abuse of staff...

...one thing about the wonderful perks and tax-free salary in Saudi: when you wake up every morning, you're still in Saudi...sturdy mental discipline may be required to overcome that sad fact...

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## hick

> That 6k in Saudi isn't a job I'd take (got offered similar 6 months ago on a BAE/Saudi Airforce job, but fuked if I wanna go to Saudi for under $8k per month, which is very hard to get there nowadays, and even then I don't wanna be in the Middle East, especially not Saudi).


It's not ideal, tho I do like Saudi and will finally be able to pull off an Empty Quarter trek that's been postponed twice.

If Iraq (8.5k) or Afghan (11.6k) materialize (highly coveted), I'll probably switch gears.

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## Bettyboo

> It's not ideal, tho I do like Saudi and will finally be able to pull off an Empty Quarter trek that's been postponed twice.
> 
> If Iraq (8.5k) or Afghan (11.6k) materialize (highly coveted), I'll probably switch gears.


Those kinda salaries, tax free, clear double - treble what I clear, so if you can get through it for a couple of years (some folks do 5 or 10...) then you can certainly have lots of $$$ in the bank. My two years in Oman paid for my Thai palace (ok, a shitty little Nakhon Nowhere house), but were quite enjoyable. Life in Korea is nice. $400 a month goes into a pension fund which I get back when I leave; a months salary bonus at the end of each year; free accom (nice apartment) - 24 hour bars and clubs, quite pricey to live, but a nice life... Your jobs certainly are worth doing a few years and putting $100k plus in the bank. My 5 years could put half that in the bank, but I live well. Students are respectful, learn well and there's a lot of satisfaction in the job from seeing students develop. Saudi, i-Raq and Afghanistan would not be for me, but good luck to you if you go that route - I'd really want $8,000 clear per month, free accom of good quality, 4 months holiday and a months annual bonus to do any of those jobs; could be had 5-10 years ago, not sure there's many out there in that space nowadays though.

If I could do 5 years in Japan now, and save $50,000+ in the bank while having a really nice time and good quality of life then I'd be pretty happy. Five years in Saudi would put $100-150k in the bank, much much more, but 5 years there...  :Sad:

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## hick

Saudi is what you make it, ime.

Yep, I lived and taught in S. Korea for 5 years.  Daejon, Daegu and more recently Bundang.

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## fredwiggy

Vocation    :Smile:

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## hick

> quite pricey to live, but a nice life..


I still visit Korea frequently.  
I find that if you read (speak reasonably) Hangul and have a few key K-friends, you find ways to cut costs and even approach the 90s level of expenditures.
But,...I don't drink (or whore) anymore.

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## Maanaam

> Vocation


Erm, that was a deliberate mistake for comedic emphasis.

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## docmartin

Taught 14 classes in November (they run for 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 4 days). 
Invoiced 196 hours plus 12 in the plane for about 25 AUD

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## OhOh

> so I'll sign for:
> 
> All visa/residency expenditures reimbursed.
> 1 Round trip Flight/yr.
> 6,000 usd/mo.
> 3- 3.5 mos paid vaca/yr.
> Full health insurance.
> No more than 10 contact hours a week.


Have they replied to your demands yet?

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## Mandaloopy

Talked to some friends at other schools and they work similar hours and say much the same- getting teachers to come to Mongolia is a challenge, even when the package is decent.

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## tomcat

> even when the package is decent


...if the package realistically compensated for the hardships and the workload (as you have described them), there would be no problem recruiting staff...

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## hick

> Have they replied to your demands yet?


Yeah, the offer is there.  I'm not in a rush.

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## OhOh

> Yeah, the offer is there. I'm not in a rush.


Looks like a decent gig. Good luck.

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## hick

Thank you Ohoh.  That's very nice of you to say  :Smile: 

As I and others (incl BB) have indicated: the "golden days" are pretty much over.

Too many (qualified) teachers willing to work in the region for peanuts.

Ahh well.  Ya do what ya gotta do.   :Wink:

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## happynz

> As I and others (incl BB) have indicated: the "golden days" are pretty much over.
> 
> Too many (qualified) teachers willing to work in the region for peanuts.
> 
> Ahh well.  Ya do what ya gotta do.


Never knew the salad days, but yeah, still gotta earn a crust. (Food metaphors FTW)

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## hick

> with a max of 2 learning hours of 2 per week.


Better get that in writing trollbait.

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## cyrille

It's Pattaya Plies.

 :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Dillinger

This is what a school staffroom must be like then, without the coffee breath.

Trying to work out which one in here would be the equivalent of my old P.E teacher  Mr Griffiths, who would stand in the doorway so you  had to brush past his groin.

Was gonna say Can 123 until I saw Mr. 
 Boo mention the Rugby :Smile:

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## tomcat

> This is what a school staffroom must be like then,


...although the salaries and bennies mentioned are not those of the standard Thai tefler...a huge difference that few non-instructors here seem to be aware of...

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## hick

You've convinced me  - perhaps unknowingly 

6k?  Fuck that    :Smile:

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## tomcat

> 6k?


...plus: better carpet selection in Afghanistan...

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## hick

Hmmmmm

major downer point on that one

cannot leave the base   :Sad:   Probably have to bunk with a jarhead.

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## tomcat

^...not to worry: pre-selected sellers are allowed to set up near areas behind blast berms...I'm told...




> Probably have to bunk with a jarhead


...count your blessings...

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## hick

....before I lay me down to sleep...a bottle of lube at my feet...

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## tomcat

...just hope he notices you...

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## hick

> This is what a school staffroom must be like then, without the coffee breath.


My last staffroom had some moments....diverse group.  One quiet guy compiled a lot of quotes and tweeted them.  Here's a taste:



"I know this doesn't sound nice but can I add your face to my list of punchable faces for 2017?"
Sure, no problem.
"Thanks."

"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
That's my class!

"This coffee is like the tears of abused children."

"What's his name, this blues player?"
Robert Cray.
"That doesn't sound bluesy!"
Well, maybe I should say Watermelon Jones or something...

"Sorry, I haven't followed the last five minutes of what you were saying."
Why didn't you stop me?
"I was hoping it would get better.

"Nothin' says America like lighting your cigarette with your Jack Daniel's Zippo lighter sipping Bud sitting on your Harley."

"Withdraw my application!?  I'm applying for a credit card not citizenship in Monaco!!"

"There's this thing called the internet, and on this thing they have other things called sites where you can search for things called jobs...You should try that."

"I went to a casino in Singapore.  I didn't like it.  There wasn't any video poker, just these silly Chinese games."

"We don't have students on Christmas day.  Wonder what they're doing that day?"
Who gives a shit!?

"So how did this gravitate back to you again?"
Apparently I have an attractive personality.

"There was a time in my teens when I'd get Ted Turner and Donald Trump mixed up.  That doesn't happen anymore."

"Yes?  How may I hinder you?"

"If I thought I was nobody before, I'm really nobody now."

"Oh, I thought you were here just to avoid something."

"A very wise man once told me there's more to life than money."
Who was that?
"It was you!"
I must've been drunk that day.

"Your presence in this office is palpable but unpalatable."

"There have been a lot of big words thrown around in here today.....persnickety."
Yeah!  And some of them I can't even spell.

"I don't give a shit about my tone of voice!!  Do you want a lollipop too!?"

"I don't like anything that shows me as an old person."
You mean, like a mirror?

"Your eternal optimism is noted but misplaced."

"I try not to make fun of the less fortunate but in your case I'll make an exception."

"Glad to see someone's working harder than I am...and for less money."

"My student was in military lock up for two days."
And??
"I asked him what it was like and he said he loved it.  He didn't want to come back to class but they made him."
One of my students was out of class for two weeks and when I asked him why he said he was busy.

"To be fair, a menstruating bear is an awful thing to see."

"I'm tired of seeing so many Americans at hotels."
Well, why don't you stay at the hotels I stay at?
"I'm not that desperate."

"Why did you go and tip those people!?  Now I've gotta' tip them too!"

"One of my students doesn't like you."
Only one!?

"I have kind of a reverse bucket list--weird things I've done that you'd never expect."
Like what?
"Well, I once stayed in a Mexican love hotel with a homeless guy and a dog."

"You're trying to think of something insulting to say to me.  I can tell."

<colleague laughing hysterically>  "I've heard that sound before.  It was a labrador passing a kidney stone."

"Talking with you is like talking to both of my grandmothers at the same time."

"I added my own bacon to this sandwich."
Aren't you Muslim?
"It's beef bacon."

"Want some gum?"
No thanks, I'm trying to save my prostate.

"What is this film -- for children?"
No, it's for Americans.

"It's a MAC."
Oh, well in that case, fuck you.

"When I say I'm going to do something, I do it!"
Really?
"Well, sometimes."

"Ya'll are sweet.  But oh my God do you need help."

"Whenever I'm confused about what's the right vs improper course of action, I always ask myself what you would do....And then I always get in trouble."

"What are you going to keep in that nice cigar box?"
Prophylactics, probably.
"So you'll never use it in other words."

"I didn't sleep at all after that shisha...plus I knew I had to drive you into work."

"I had to pay a fee to enter Argentina."
Why?  Because you're black?

"Do you eat spinach?"
I actually do but not so often.
"Great, because they say it prevents dementia."

"I wonder if I can get a free upgrade."
It used to be that if you were nice, polite, well-dressed and good-looking you could get a free upgrade at the airport terminal...
...Of course, that'd never work for you.

"What I have a taste for now is that dark, brown...."
Don't let that sentence hang for too long.

"That'd be a great t-shirt: 'I like my lesbians butchy.'"

"I tell my students I'm dark because I drank chocolate milk as a child."

"I don't like to talk to other men's wives.....anymore."

"I don't think I could be helpful at all."
Well, you could come to help lower everyone's morale.

"Anyone seen Mike?"
Yes.  He was here 2 minutes ago and you were talking to him.

"When a black dude goes to prison he comes out like Malcolm X.  When a white dude comes out, he's like Richard Simmons."

"What's that thing that Cyrus Miley does?  Torking?"

"One thing you'll never see me eating is a banana.  I'm not touching that."
<pause>
I'm waiting for a safer joke.




#overheardatwork

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## Mandaloopy

A colleague on why his lesson observation was rated "Unsatisfactory":  " The problem is they eat too much rice!"  Of course, it couldn't possibly be the fact your lesson for pre-kindy was just a PowerPoint presentation.

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## Simon43

Since resigning from my cushy teaching job in Burma, I can basically choose my own teaching hours now - I teach online.  I still teach my previous students in Burma, but now via the internet.  I also teach some kids in Thailand, in China and do teacher-training for local teachers in both Burma and China.

I'm teaching for about 5 different online companies now, plus local in-town volunteer teaching.

If all my lessons get booked, then I'll be earning more than I could get in Saudi, but with less sand...

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## Simon43

> so you keep fucking saying


LoL, just to prove that teachers aren't all low-paid TEFLers  :Smile:

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