Today was my first day in the classroom teaching. I imagined this day ever since I signed up for this course. I used to break into a sweat just thinking about having a students staring at me while I teach them. The course has gone very smoothly up till this point and I’ve come a… Continue reading
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TEFL Certification Day 10 & 11: Learning About Being a Teacher
I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to try the teaching thing out. I spent the better part of a decade strapped to a headset and stuck in a cubicle so it was about time I freed myself from those confines and got involved in a job that a bit more rewarding. The… Continue reading
TEFL Certification Day 8 & 9 : Grammar Sucks!
Monday and Tuesday were spent in the classroom studying grammar. There is absolutely nothing fun to write about it. It is a necessary evil. Grammar isn’t extremely important in teaching English to foreign learners because their native teachers usually take care of that and I’ll be there for more speech and writing reinforcement. But, as… Continue reading
TEFL Certification Day 6 & 7: Student Monks
It’s now Monday and the first week of the course is completed. So far things are going far better than I expected. My confidence is through the roof and I have the itch to start teaching already. I enjoy standing up in front of my peers practicing and can’t wait to get more practice when… Continue reading
TEFL Certification Day 4 & 5: Going through the motions
Disclaimer: I want to warn readers that these posts are usually written after a long 8 hour day in the classroom after already completing my written assignments after class. Please do not expect perfect grammar as I’m not going to do any editing and will only be free writing as quickly as possible. I am… Continue reading
TEFL Certification Day 3: Back to School
Today was the first full day of the course. I just did a ton of hand writing so figure me for being a little short here. We started out with a class introduction and then went right into teaching methods. We are starting off this week by becoming students before we become teachers. The trainer… Continue reading
TEFL Certification Day 2: Orientation
After taking one last Sunday afternoon to sleep in, a few of us headed off in search of a place to purchase some work clothes. I’ve been backpacking since January so I didn’t bring along professional clothes for the classroom. There is no place to purchase anything in Ban Phe but I was assured from… Continue reading
TEFL Certification Course Day 1: Arrival to Ban Phe
Ban Phe pronounced: Ban Pay, small fishing village on the Gulf coast of Thailand in the Rayong province. After nearly 2 weeks enjoying myself in Pattaya it was time to say goodbye. I had a great time there and became a regular at one of the bars. The weather was bad during the entire stay… Continue reading
Here Come the Job Offers!
Well, if it’s one thing I’ve learned through travel is that plans don’t often stick. One minute I’m looking to teach in Hong Kong and the next minute I’m focused on Indonesia. I’ve had a good time here in Thailand but I’m about ready to leave. I was checking with schools in many of the… Continue reading
A Week of Bad Weather
When I arrived in Pattaya nearly 2 weeks ago my plan was to spend a few days and then move on to one of the islands to relax. Unfortunately, the weather has not been agreeable. Much of southern Thailand is under about 3 feet of water, especially some of the major island tourist destinations. Fortunately,… Continue reading