Job Description

A TESOL trained native English teacher enrolled for the Explore Thailand Project should look forward to a maximum of 24 classes per week involving 20-22 hours of teaching; not repeating a single class twice in a week. The duration of a class is usually 50-60 minutes, depending on the school.

A teaching-week stretches from Monday till Friday, usually from 8:00 in the morning till 4:30 in the evening (timings vary with schools), scheduling and submitting lessons plans on a monthly basis. Thai schools don’t operate on Thai National holidays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Attending the morning assembly at 8:00 am and preparing separate lesson plans for each level and grade of students on a weekly basis is the duty of the ESL teacher.

Professional conduct that represents a positive picture of ATI, the teacher himself/herself and his/her homeland are expected out of the TESOL certified individual. It is mandatory for an ATI-placed ESL teacher to respect all rules and regulations of the school unless otherwise notified by us.

Teachers are to follow proper dress codes

• In schools, males are expected to wear formal pants (no jeans or cargo pants) and a button-up/collared long or short sleeve formal shirt (no golf shirts). Ties are required on Mondays and all special occasions/days/festivities (e.g. Teacher Appreciation Day). Ties may be required by some schools on a daily basis. Brown or black formal shoes are accepted (no running shoes or sandals). Males are expected to be clean shaven. Facial hair is allowed only if it is properly trimmed and is presentable on a daily basis. Earrings or visible facial rings (eyebrow, lip, nose, chin, etc) are not accepted. Visible tattoos are not accepted. Generally hair should be short and presentable. Males with long hair may be expected to wear it pulled back.

• Outside schools, males are free to wear what they please, with a reminder that no matter how hot it is, it is not acceptable (in Thai society) to not wear a shirt in public (unless at a beach, etc).

• In schools, females are expected to wear knee length or longer skirts with a presentable blouse (no low cut or revealing shirts). Shoes should be dress shoes – open toe and high heel shoes are acceptable (no sandals or running shoes). Visible facial rings (eyebrow, lip, nose, chin, etc.) are not accepted. Earrings are accepted providing that they are not worn in excessive numbers (E.g. 4 earrings in each ear). Hair should be presentable. Visible tattoos are not accepted.

• Outside schools, females are free to wear what they please, with a reminder that revealing clothes are not considered acceptable for female teachers at any time (in Thai society).

• Dress codes in Thai government schools may seem strict at first, but appearances and first impressions are extremely important in Thailand. If you are a teacher, you will be expected to dress accordingly especially in a school *

The ESL teachers will participate in an English club for students once per week. This is scheduled during school hours at the same time as various other clubs available to students. This can usually be done as a group with any other foreign teachers at the school.

The teacher is responsible to monitor individual students, the growth graph of their language skill, maintain a record of student’s weekly attendance and grades and also keep a note of special observations if any.

The TESOL trained teachers will have to perform the “greeting activity” once per week. This consists of simply greeting students and parents at the school front gates from roughly 7:30am-8:00am. All Thai teachers rotate this responsibility as well.

Teachers will perform the English 1 minute activity once per week. This consists of planning a short (2-3 minutes) speech/message to present during the morning assembly in English. Topics may include ideas such as public service announcements, riddles, tongue twisters, idioms, nursery rhymes, etc. This can be done as a group with any other foreign teachers at the school.

Teachers will perform the “Star Talk activity” for 5 minutes before starting each class. This consists of teaching the students a short introduction and then having them introduce themselves to the class using the format the teacher has provided.

ESL Teachers will attend 1 English Camp for their school per semester. The dates will be arranged by the school. There is little to no preparation required, just attendance and participation. English Camps are generally held on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

TESOL trained teachers are supposed to give after-schools English tuitions to a group of Thai colleagues, once per week, individually or in group with other foreign teachers split with other foreign teachers. This is exclusive of the limit of 24 classes per week.

Teachers will be at school for all Non-Thai national holidays. This includes Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Easter, Valentines Day, etc. Most schools have special celebrations on these days and you will be asked to help organize them as you will be the resident expert on Western holidays.