Everyone will agree that nothing screams ‘SPONTANEOUS’ like being an ESL teacher abroad. If you’re considering becoming an English teacher in Thailand you’re probably wondering what your average day will look like. Will it be spontaneous and full of adventure or will you be stuck in an office all day? Let me explain by taking you through an average day in the life of Teacher Jay.
The drive to school is always a blast. My boyfriend and I have an awesome little scooter that gets us where we need to go. We start our morning with fresh air, the heat of the sun on our skin and we are ready to tackle the day.
We clock in at exactly 8:30 AM every morning. School doesn’t start until 9:00 AM but we love being early. This gives us time to make a cup of coffee, greet our teachers and have some relaxing time before we start
our day.
I start off in a class called Nursery Three. 15 of the cutest, happiest children I have ever had the pleasure of singing ‘The Wheels On The Bus’ for. The age range of this class is from 2 years old up to 3 years old. Once my voice is hoarse and tired, it’s normally time to switch. Next up, at about 10:00 AM, I have my favourites – Kindergarten 3. This special group of six year olds are super intelligent and surprise me daily with their knowledge and insight. I love giving them challenging worksheets to help them achieve new goals and teaching them new vocabulary each day. I love seeing the new language integrate into their speech as the week goes on.
Lunch at 12:00, followed by a break, where the children usually nap and get well rested for the afternoon session.
Teacher Jay gets back at 2:00 PM when it is story time – a personal favorite for my students. I find it very important for the children to hear the language. I have found that this assists in pronunciation as well as listening skills. After seeing both my groups again it is 4:00 PM and time to head home but not before each and every student (and I mean, each and every single one), gives you a big hug goodbye. Not a bad way to spend your day if you ask me.
