TEFL Int'l EXPOSED!!! wk 4 by itsmedave

[itsmedave]

Here we are...finally at the end of this long journey through training hell and into the great wide open. Thanks to all who've been so supportive throughout this month of reports, and good luck to any and all who take the leap themselves. I look forward to seeing you in person someday. Until then, I present week four in Ban Phe.

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Actually, I first want to go through the weekend. Many people seem curious about the job situation in Bangkok (as was I) and this was the weekend I would find out about it firsthand.

I took the air con bus Friday night, arriving at Ekamai station around 8:30. A quick pit stop at my hotel, the Business Inn on Soi 11, and by 9 I was sipping a beer with the Stickman at Woodstock and planning strategy.

My first stop Saturday morning was at 10 am at AUA Thonburi, a place highly recommended by Dave Hopkins for both its curriculum and for it's administrator, Suman. Even Stickman praised it as being a good place to start out, although the location and pay are definite drawbacks.

I took the skytrain to Surasek, then a cab the rest of the way. Took about an hour and over 100 baht all together to get there, but once I arrived Suman couldn't have been any nicer. More than interviewing me, he basically was trying to sell the school to me, offering me a job on the spot (which would start the following Monday) and giving me his cell # to give him an answer in the next couple of days. Impressed, but still concerned about the location, I headed up to Siam Square to make the rounds of the schools there.

Siam Suare boasts several language schools, from the huge and imposing ECC to many little hole-in-the-wall places. I first went to ECC, but their long application (which includes a 2 page grammar test) made me re-think this option. I left with the application and later showed it to the Bruce and Dave at TEFL, who both shook their heads in disgust at it. (it seems the test, which was unnecessary to begin with, was also inaccurate in its questions)

I strolled into several of the smaller schools along the square where the result was always the same. Behind a large desk would be 3 to four Thai workers, none of whom spoke much English. I would saunter up with my shiny new briefcase, and inquire if they needed any English teachers. "Okay, you start Saturday, 400 baht one hour" Keep in mind that they knew nothing about me, and I knew less about them at this point. I took a few cards, without having any intention of using them. One interesting place was called AIMS, located in a large building on the corner across from the mall on the fourth floor. I spoke with head recruiter, who got excited at the mention of my theatre experience on my resume and talked about creating a broadcasting class for me to teach. This was something to think about, but it was all very vague as to what may happen and the school itself didn't look like it had seen any students for some time. Still, it's something I may look into further. The administrator has since e-mailed me several times, trying to get me to teach a TESOL class for up and coming teachers.

There are many, many more schools along the skytrain route, which Dave Hopkins had mapped out for us. This I managed to leave back at Ban Phe, so the rest of the day was spent bumming around the Emporium with an old girlfriend, watching a fashion show where even the Thai people were complaining the people were too thin.

Back at Ban Phe on Monday, I had some decisions to make, and I had to make them fast. The AUA course would being in one weeks time, and Suman needed an answer that day. He said that if I chose not to use them he might have to cancel the course, since his only other option was a sketchy guy from Burma who refused to give him his last name. Another friend, Loo Doot, had a possible opening at his job for corporate work, but I was unable to get through to the supervisor on Monday, plus I was worried about creating my own course right off the bat. So I mulled over the plusses and minuses of AUA Thonburi.

Pluses: A great administrator, who looked out for his people and who would even spend a day showing the area to a new person to help in finding a place to live; a good curriculum, using the Interchange books; good hours from 5 - 9pm Mon - Fri, allowing me to either sleep in/stay out as long as I wanted or accept other work during the day (you are not required to be at the school when not teaching; a work permit and health insurance; a month's bonus pay at the end of one year. One week off every seven weeks (also a minus due to loss of pay); and cheap housing.

The minuses: Location, Location, Location. This far away, it would I would be limited to getting back to the areas of Bangkok I enjoyed to at most once a week, and it would mean I could never get to the Woodstock meetings on Fridays due to me working til nine, therefore cutting me off from many of the people I knew in town; A one year committment that AUA wanted; the pay, which at 250 bht an hour Mon - Fri is very low, and forced Saturday work from 8 - 3, meaning a six day week and over 100 contact hours a month for around 32,000 baht a month (not counting the lost wages for the interim weeks) (Saturday pay is 500 bht per hour); and few opps for one-on-ones, since my regualr working hours are when most would want to do the private sessions.

Those at my school thoght I should definitely take the job, my friends in Bangkok said not to, that there were too many jobs available with better pay in better locations. Although I'm sure they're correct, the pluses at AUA more than outweigh the negatives, and, after, 3 months of bumming around, I was looking for some stability. So, after speaking with Suman about losing the one year committment, I accepted the job.

This made the last week of classes somewhat anti-climactic, as I already had what I'd come to the course to get. Of course, standing in front of a class of Thai students doesn't allow for you to just float through...nor would I want to because they were so much fun to teach. (apart from one older group who spent their time tapping the floor rather than listening) Still, the sessions went really well, and my lessons were always marked as "very good to excellant" by the TEFL instuctors who monitered my classes.

None of the other students had jobs yet, and most weren't really even looking. A few were going back to the States, some wanted to travel around Cambodia first, and others were just playing it by ear.

The days went by quickly. I began adapting lessons from an Interchange book to teach my Thai students to help me get ready for my real job Many of my classmates wound up doing what we'd been warned about, that is, deciding they liked the school too much to leave. At last count, five of them would be staying on to help with the English Camps who were coming in. I, on the other hand, would be leaving first thing Saturday morning so I could pick up my books and sit in on a class before teaching on Monday.

An "end-of-the-course" barbeque on Thursday night (free, including a TEFL T-shirt, which Bruce joked was the REAL reason we'd come) was followed by the traditional students beach party blowout Friday night, full of drunken debauchery, some meaningful conversation, and, according to one of my classmates, suspicions of some homo-erotic activity. And it was something like saying goodbye to a little family. We had lived and worked together for a whole month, sharing in the successes and failure's.

We recieved our certificates Friday afternoon. Everybody, as usual, passed. There is only a pass/fail option, which they claim is to keep students from competing with one another. This may be true, but I would have preferred to get an actual grade, as I believe I was better than average, and would like to have that documented on my resume. Also, having that as a goal to strive for might have motivated me to try even harder, since it was soon obvious that you didn't exactly have to be teacher of the year to pass the course.

Still, it was a good place to learn. They are very supportive and are expanding rapidly, building a good reputation that can only help me as I list them as a reference. As with AUA, I believe the positive's far outweigh the negatives, and I am glad I chose to go there. Also, they are a good bunch of people.

Postscript:

Arriving at AUA Saturday afternoon, Suman had a teacher who wanted to show me her apartment complex as either a short-time, or possibly permanent solution to my housing needs. When I made it known that a separate phone line, allowing me personal computer use, was essential, he frowned, then pulled out a brochure for a condo nearby.

The owner of the condo's wanted AUA teachers to live there, but thus far, he'd not taken a look at it. I, along with two other teachers, went to take a gander. Turned out that it was the only stop I would need to make. 67 sq meters, clean, with a separate bedroom, and an additional small room in the middle (which I have no idea what to do with), it is walking distance to the school, furnished, with it's own phone line, and no surcharge for phone or electricity. Cost $6000 bht. I signed the contract within an hour, and, after a trip to Makro for bedding and a tv, I moved in that night.

I teach level 1 and level 6 at AUA Thonburi. First day went great, although, at dinner after classes had finished, several teachers attempted to "take the piss out of me" with increasingly wilder stories about the goings on. A good group, it seems.

Thus began my life as a Bangkok resident.

David Amitin - Teacher

(Phil, feel free to post the entire report on Ajarn anytime you wish...feel free to do whatever editing seems best)

Still, looking for feedback. Ask your questions, I will answer. And see ya all around!

[awayguy]

I think you made the right choice Dave.

I worked at AUA (Rajadamri) for 3 years and loved it. Sure the pay is not great, but the hours are good, the teaching never stressful(!), and the company excellent. Last night I found a large box full of old photos from those days - me looking years younger, pounds lighter and with all kinds of beautiful women around me!

Your apartment sounds brilliant value (so location is now a positive?) and being somewhat removed from the bar areas will encourage you to explorethe myriad nightlife opportunities which Thonburi must offer.

Two tips:

1) learn Thai next (reading and writing asap)

2) don't marry the first student who smiles at you - thousands more will!

[Guest]

Thanks Dave,

That report was the one I'd been waiting for, it's given me confidence in making the very daunting move to Thailand. TEFLIntl seems a sound choice indeed.

It didn't sound that difficult to find work either, but from your experience are vacancies at the more reputable schools such as AUA harder to come by? I don't want to have to take some sweatshop job for lack of alternatives.

Things seem to be working out pretty well for you so far. Good luck in your new career and if we ever meet at Woodstock I certainly owe you a drink!

[Guest]

Dave,

Thanks for the reports, they were informative and somewhat inspiring to those of us not yet brave enough to make the big move. Good luck, it sounds like you are off to a great start.

I'm in Thailand for three weeks in October and hope to use some of that time to lay some groundwork to my own eventual move.

[Guest]

Dave, thanks for all your reports.

i may have missed this from earlier, but what was your previous experience/job/qualifications ?

Were you teaching before ? Uni graduate ?

Or whatever ?

[BorntoRun]

Dave,

Thanks for providing the vicarious participation. I enjoyed reading all your posts and plan to take the course next April. I'll be in BKK in September, maybe I'll see you at Woodstock.

[luckyfarang]

Dave-

Did I get that right? 6000B per month for the condo including utilities?? I think that I would spend around that much just to run the AC around the clock.

[Guest]

Teacher Dave

Congratulations!

Good Luck!

and

Welcome!

 

As one of the other posters said, you have a great deal on your apartment and there is no need at all to feel isolated from the sanuk, living on Thonburi side. There's plenty of Sanuk to be had there - see my reply to Mykal's thread about Angels, Suzy Pub etc in the nightlife folder.

If you ever need a 'partner in crime' to help you find those places, give me a shout. I haven't lived that side of town for a couple of years now and I miss some of my old haunts.

 

Arai wa

[Guest]

Dave,

Congratulations, I now am counting the days to the 15th October when I start my TESOL course.

Your reports made my mind up for me and probably a few others as well.

Good luck and hope to meet up with you sometime.

Kevan

[Guest]

Dave,

Shuman is actually one of my best pals.

We worked together for a couple of years and phone eachother at least once a week. He's one of the best!!!