Thread: Teaching English is dull...

I guess I didn't convince myself strongly enough

I'm not surprised you quit.

I think there is "Teaching English" and then there is "Teaching English in Thailand". They can be very different things. Generally I don't recommend teaching English in Thailand because the pay sucks - but there are a whole bunch of other reasons too:

http://www.dreamofsiam.com/articles/...achEnglish.pdf

As far as what you do next, that depends to a large extent on whether you are staying in Thailand or not. I wrote some thoughts on alternatives to teaching here:

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/learnfre...n_Thailand.pdf

It depends on your interests and skills though.

I still think my option of working in UK for spring and summer and going to Asia from Nov-Apr and running my Internet/writing biz is a pretty good solution.

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.

Wow, a whole class full of Thais interested in history & politics, that'd be a Guinness book entry I should think?

Seriously though, most of the Thais I have come across (many successful business people) couldn't even tell you when WW2 occurred - to the nearest DECADE !

Thanks for finally chiming in Milkster. Thread's been dead awhile and I'd nearly given up hope that you'd come in with your 2 satang of wisdom.

Anyway, I'll respond to your wild guesses about me .

Originally Posted by Milkman

If teaching English is dull don't do it.

-Thank you for repeating my point.

Also, you may SUCK at it, and are using your bad skills as a defense mechanism.

-Very possible, although I never did get any negative feedback from the students or my employer.

Why did you go into teaching in the first place?

--It looked like it might be fun.

Because you can't do FUCK ALL ELSE.

You're guessing, and you're wrong.


You're a fuckhead.

-Could say that it takes one to know one, but I won't.

Go back and be a taxi driver, or stock shelves at Carrefour.

-Never done either. What do you have against the working classes, anyhow?

If you had a good job, you would have never come out and "taught" without a degree in Ed., or other relevant areas.

-I had a great job in Las Vegas but got worn down by the routine. Had a bit of cash in the bank so decided to try something new. I really have no regrets but like I said before: Thank you for your kind advice.