More young UK teachers set to head this way

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Big Boy
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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GLCQuantum wrote:Teaching has become a chore for me. The stupidity of many school's directors is amazing (My current director is actually ok). The hidden hatred from many of the Thai teachers has surfaced (I wouldn't be too happy either knowing that that 'farang' is in my country earning 5 times my salary for the same workload). The fact that it isn't a career has become very evident for me.
There, that shows my ignorance as a retiree :oops: . I didn't realise that foreign teachers commanded a wage so incredibly high when compared with their colleagues. It's no wonder they resent you (not saying it's your fault).

I remember talking to you years ago in P&P Bar, when you told me that you had a dead end job in the UK, parents had moved to Thailand, and that's why you had chucked it all in for life here. I was wondering why, if conditions were so bad, you didn't give the UK another try. However, if you are earning that sort of money here, you'd be very hard pressed to find something equivalent (bearing in mind cost of living, accommodation and crap weather) in the UK.
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

Post by sateeb »

When I was teaching full time in Khon Kaen a few years back at a Govt school I was on around 35k per month. One could kinda feel the latent resentment and gossip behind the smiles and camaraderie of some teachers. I did mention it to one of the Thai teachers I could completely trust and she told me not to worry about it and informed me that most of them made a lot more money than me out of their extra curricular activities, ranging from private tuition,backhanders from parents and loan sharking to students. I never let it really get to me because I knew that I was in the game short term only until my works pension kicked in.

GLC is in Catch 22 position. I think he would struggle to get a decent living wage back in the UK( not sure of his academic quals. but I seem to remember him saying he has few...might be wrong, so apologies if I am)....

He could make big money teaching in Korea, Japan or China but again I guess the selection process is a lot more stringent than here

On the rare occasion I feel benevolent to our young friend I feel sorry for him with regard to his future prospects in his later years, no works pension and certainly no State Pension as he left the UK so early in life. When I joined this Forum he was very cocksure of himself, and still is, but I get the feeling that reality is setting in as he looks towards his latter years.

On the less benevolent side one might say " You made your bed etc etc" and don't lash out at those around you and the country you chose to live in. They are not to blame for the situation he finds himself in!!!
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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Basically, if you want to stay in Thailand and teach here in the long term without having this mental anguish, which many teachers seem to be afflicted by, then you simply have to get over the idea that you can change anything in a meaningful way (especially in the education system). Accept that they don't care what you think, that you are simply there for show, suggestions from you are viewed as unhelpful and unwelcome (even if politely listened to).....in other words "Don't give too much of a shit about it all" and know the limits of what's possible and what's not from your position as being unrealistic will only be personally crushing at some point for you.

Accept that they are like how they are, it's their "gig", get over the "I'm going to make a difference to the school" sort of thinking, go with the flow of the river and view it as a means to an end. Work shit only gets to you if you let it.

You will be a lot happier if you take this stance. I work here to help my family and I stay together here where we are happier than we would be elsewhere.......I'm not here to save the Thais from their inept education system, up to them imo to save themselves and little will change as it's the crusty dinosaur brigade that is generally in charge (when you see them in their office they strike you as the type that could quite easily sentence 5000 people to 20 years slave labour without batting an eyelid about it). I just do what I have to do to see it through to the end of the month, do a good job, not attach importance to the silliness I encounter, save as many Thai students as can be saved or who want to be saved and go home for a glass of red wine and have dinner with the Mrs.

I'm way beyond trying to rationalize the ridiculousness and lies I encounter on a daily basis. Got to learn to just let go of stuff and let it just flow over you, just the way it is here folks.....otherwise you'll end up unhappy, frustrated or insane (or a combination of all three).

As a popular saying says "Free your mind and your ass will follow"......how true.

I spent the first 7 years of my time here working in the 'run-of-the-mill' places and they were sloppy, unprofessional and couldn't care less about what I (or anyone else for that matter) said. I've finally found a good place to work in and it will probably be my last teaching job here.....starting a business later will be the way forward, then teaching will become just a hobby to do part time when it is conducive to me.

However, some might say I've been here too long and am too cynical.......which I understand, but it does make me smirk when I hear that.

:cheers:
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

Post by richard »

Spitfire

Thanks for that. It more or less sums up my question about why a highly qualified teacher would want to come to Thailand in terms of job enrichment and progression in their profession. At the end of the day it seems there has to be an ulterior motive and that has been spelt out in previous posts :cheers:
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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Could almost have written that post myself, Spitfire. The first part, in particular:
Spitfire wrote:Basically, if you want to stay in Thailand and teach here in the long term without having this mental anguish, which many teachers seem to be afflicted by, then you simply have to get over the idea that you can change anything in a meaningful way (especially in the education system). Accept that they don't care what you think, that you are simply there for show, suggestions from you are viewed as unhelpful and unwelcome (even if politely listened to).....in other words "Don't give too much of a shit about it all" and know the limits of what's possible and what's not from your position as being unrealistic will only be personally crushing at some point for you.

Accept that they are like how they are, it's their "gig", get over the "I'm going to make a difference to the school" sort of thinking, go with the flow of the river and view it as a means to an end. Work shit only gets to you if you let it.
You will be a lot happier if you take this stance.
I think this is one of the reasons why many younger teachers (by which I mean under 40) don't last the distance. I'm where I am because it suits me to be there for a number of reasons.
When it comes to teaching, and teaching English in particular, you don't come to Thailand if money is your priority.
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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richard wrote:Spitfire

Thanks for that. It more or less sums up my question about why a highly qualified teacher would want to come to Thailand in terms of job enrichment and progression in their profession. At the end of the day it seems there has to be an ulterior motive and that has been spelt out in previous posts :cheers:

Most teachers (proper ones qualified subject ones) can easily save 50'000 baht per month from their salary, whilst living a very good lifestyle.
How many teachers in the UK could do that.

As for GLC, Thailands what you make of it, plenty of good opportunities out there,

he could teach at a University 25 hours a week for a good basic salary and then top it up with extra tuition.
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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Jose wrote:
Most teachers (proper ones qualified subject ones) can easily save 50'000 baht per month from their salary, whilst living a very good lifestyle.
How many teachers in the UK could do that.
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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I must admit, I'll never look at GLC's pleas of poverty in the same way again. We've got Thai teachers in the family, and if he's getting 5 times as much as them, he aint doing too badly.
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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Big Boy wrote:I must admit, I'll never look at GLC's pleas of poverty in the same way again. We've got Thai teachers in the family, and if he's getting 5 times as much as them, he aint doing too badly.
I dont think that ratio applies to English Language teachers, maybe to Expat Qualified teachers in a good school.

In a international school most teachers will on over 100'000 per month, so in these schools the 4-5 times ratio works.

I doubt for one second this applies to the crappy schools in Hua Hin.
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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What an excellent post, Spitfire. :cheers: What you've said is exactly the way Mr.VS and I feel. I think we did make some changes in the early days at a new campus (the English teachers there didn't have a clue what to do, so they welcomed our input). We're now working at a more established campus, so have less opportunity to make changes. It's up to them whether they listen or not, and I'm not going to get screwed up about it.

Don't get too excited, Richard. The figure that Jose is quoting applies to International Schools, not government schools or universities.

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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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Big Boy wrote:I'm sorry richard, but that is not the picture GLC paints.
He paints many kinds of pictures it just depends if it's day or late at night. :wink:
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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kendo wrote:
Big Boy wrote:I'm sorry richard, but that is not the picture GLC paints.
He paints many kinds of pictures it just depends if it's day or late at night. :wink:
Kendo and BB

I've met GLC during day and night. Please don't misjudge the guy based on your views of a few of his 'off the hip' posts. He's a nice guy
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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richard wrote:
kendo wrote:
Big Boy wrote:I'm sorry richard, but that is not the picture GLC paints.
He paints many kinds of pictures it just depends if it's day or late at night. :wink:
Kendo and BB

I've met GLC during day and night. Please don't misjudge the guy based on your views of a few of his 'off the hip' posts. He's a nice guy


Richard did he buy you the promised beers after telling us to "burn in hell" as a way of a sorry just wondering like. :rasta:
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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kendo wrote:
Kendo and BB

I've met GLC during day and night. Please don't misjudge the guy based on your views of a few of his 'off the hip' posts. He's a nice guy


Richard did he buy you the promised beers after telling us to "burn in hell" as a way of a sorry just wondering like. :rasta:[/quote]

No as I couldn't make it but anyway you know I don't take freebies :cheers: So now... :offtopic:
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Re: More young UK teachers set to head this way

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richard wrote:
Big Boy wrote:I'm sorry richard, but that is not the picture GLC paints.
Kendo and BB

I've met GLC during day and night. Please don't misjudge the guy based on your views of a few of his 'off the hip' posts. He's a nice guy
richard, you will see, if you read my earlier posts, that I also know GLC, although he says that he doesn't remember me. I agree, when you speak to him in the flesh he is a completely different guy. But sitting behind a keyboard does make people do some strange things.

[Edit] I don't think I was judging anybody. The guy made a strange post, and I asked why he was continuing working here. I think he answered me with a perfect reason, which is the same reason I used to go to work.
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