News Forum - How to get a teaching licence Thailand

[cowslip]

People don't seem to separate the skill of teaching from the subject they teach.

Of course a knowledge of the subject is important  but what is more important is the skill of teaching - many people on paper have the "qualifications" to teach but many simply don't have the ability.

‘Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach" - . is basically nonsense

Not sure that Shaw actually meant that as it was a character in a drama

We now better understand how  people learn and that the “can” of teaching is at least as important as subject knowledge.  Teaching is a profession and a skill in the same way as engineering, IT or whatever

 

 

[Pinetree]

On 7/28/2023 at 7:22 PM, ThaiFoodGuy said:

A friend of mine lived in Thailand for nearly 2 years doing English "coffee chats" so he could curtail any laws and visa requirements of being legally employed or working. He would simply advertise online that he would meet up for coffee or drinks and just chat with people to help with their English and they could pay him whatever they thought was fair. It's effectively tutoring.

He met quite a number of very beautiful women too, coincidentally...

Thats working and he would need a WP.  

[Pinetree]

2 hours ago, cowslip said:

Of course a knowledge of the subject is important  but what is more important is the skill of teaching

Effective, professional teachers need both.  One is no less important than the other. 

[cowslip]

5 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

Effective, professional teachers need both.  One is no less important than the other. 

THis is not so  - it's a lot more than a simple transfer of knowledge- Who taught Picasso to paint Segovia to play  - teaching shows people how to learn they can be much n=better at a topic than you and no-one can be perfect

Edited July 29, 2023 by cowslip

[cowslip]

11 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

chat with people to help with their English and they could pay him whatever they thought was fair. It's effectively tutoring.

So that is working - even if not paid but he is - that requires a visa and a work permit. He wouldn't need a teaching licence though because he's be a private language school

Edited July 29, 2023 by cowslip

[Pinetree]

40 minutes ago, cowslip said:

it's a lot more than a simple transfer of knowledge-

That's exactly what it is 

[ThaiFoodGuy]

34 minutes ago, cowslip said:

So that is working - even if not paid but he is - that requires a visa and a work permit. He wouldn't need a teaching licence though because he's be a private language school

Sure, my point is he would easily have been able to say no, we're just two people chatting, if he was asked what he's doing. Again - he pulled it off for several years.

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, ThaiFoodGuy said:

Sure, my point is he would easily have been able to say no, we're just two people chatting, if he was asked what he's doing. Again - he pulled it off for several years.

THis has nothing to do with the OP but it also is NOT an example f how to teach in Thailand - All he needs is someone to ring immigration and he's finished. He can say no all he likes if Depy labour or Immigration decide otherwise he can say "no" all he likes to no avail.

Edited July 29, 2023 by cowslip

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, Pinetree said:

That's exactly what it is 

You obviously know nothing about education.

[Marc26]

14 hours ago, Augratin said:

Somehow I was able to learn English at an early age, before I even started my schooling.  Shockingly, my mother was not a licensed teacher, but a single mom & waitress.  In other words, she was unqualified according to the TCT.  

All the kids here need is more exposure. They'd learn the basics of listening & speaking just by being around people who've been using the language it all their lives.  But the TCT would rather give a license to a 25 year-old fresh out of college, with no experience, than a 50 year-old with no degree but who has 20 years of work experience under their belt.  This is called throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Perhaps if Thailand were a premier destination for the world's top teaching talent, then the country could afford to be more picky. But the sad reality is that Thailand often must resort to scraping the bottom of the barrel in the search for degree-holders, under the mistaken notion that being a degree-holder makes a candidate qualified, and that not being a degree holder makes a candidate unqualified.

Thailand would do well to consider all candidates who can demonstrate that they are skills-qualified even if they might not possess a piece of paper stating that they attended a 4-year post-secondary beer party.  Maybe even set up a teacher training program where talented people are given the additional skills needed to become teachers.

Come on, Thailand, think outside the musty old box.

Although I agree with you I do think there has to be some standards 

As you said, maybe an equivalency test

 

They do that back in North America 

They credit you for work experience if you wanted to go for your Masters later in life 

 

 

On the degree part

Thailand has always been a bit ridiculous needing degrees for all kinds of jobs that they aren't needed

 

I can't tell you how many times we've had bad service at 4 star hotels where I know my wife could run the whole restaurant 

But they'd never hire her because she doesn't have a degree 

 

 

Although in this case, for education

People should have degrees or need to pass rigorous vetting 

[TheDirtyDurian]

7 hours ago, Pinetree said:

Thats working and he would need a WP.  

Yeah, but who cares

[TheDirtyDurian]

Generally speaking people who teach in Thailand have some kind of tie to the country, whether that's wife, family kids etc. 

There are foreign teachers working in 'real' International schools with BA Ed, PGCE, QTS etc, earning top money, easily north of 120k with full benefits. They form a very small minority and can work anywhere in the world that pays for their skills. 

The vast majority of foreign 'teachers' in Thailand are chancers who would not be able to teach in their home country because they're not qualified. Attracted to an easy life and good money 'for Thailand.' 

If Thailand wants real teachers then it needs to pay for them. Until that happens nothing will change. 

[HolyCowCm]

On 7/29/2023 at 2:20 AM, Marc26 said:

Now I am no expert in this field but I have seen if you are a qualified teacher, there are plenty of jobs out there that pay decent, vs average salaries in the country

Not really decent pay but enough one can stay here on or scrape by on. The decent jobs are international schools and university only. 

[cowslip]

12 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Although I agree with you I do think there has to be some standards 

As you said, maybe an equivalency test

They do that back in North America 

They credit you for work experience if you wanted to go for your Masters later in life 

On the degree part

Thailand has always been a bit ridiculous needing degrees for all kinds of jobs that they aren't needed

I can't tell you how many times we've had bad service at 4 star hotels where I know my wife could run the whole restaurant 

But they'd never hire her because she doesn't have a degree 

Although in this case, for education

People should have degrees or need to pass rigorous vetting 

you even need a school certificate to work at a 7/11.

Their is a culture in Thailand of believing paper (in triplicate) over the reality.

 

however if you re employing a foreigner to teach you need some evidence of an intellectual ability. Occasionally I used to come across a teacher with a fake degree or no degree and it shows - they aren't the only ones like that but most people without degrees lack the intellectual ability to work out the necessary methodologies for teaching.

[cowslip]

9 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Generally speaking people who teach in Thailand have some kind of tie to the country, whether that's wife, family kids etc. 

No, that's incorrect. Many teachers especially the younger ones are trying to get experience before setting of on a career.

Their are also a lot of single males who just want to finance staying in the country for a longer or very long time.

[cowslip]

35 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

The decent jobs are international schools and university only. 

Universities can pay abysmal salaries. International schools usually want those with teaching qualifications from their home country and they teach other subjects in English - e.g. math, Science etc...

the vast majority of ESL teachers in Thailand work at government or similar schools and start at around 30k - which has been the case for over a decade.

There are ways of improving your income but some teachers just don't see or even want the opportunities.

[Pinetree]

16 hours ago, cowslip said:

You obviously know nothing about education.

So you are saying that teaching IS NOT the transfer of knowledge?  What an interesting, and indeed deluded,  statement. 

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, cowslip said:

14 hours ago, Marc26 said:

 

you even need a school certificate to work at a 7/11.

Their

Sure about that? I knew a few who did not and were immigrants. Maybe at best a P6 education level. But technically that is some sort of education. 

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, cowslip said:

who just want to finance staying in the country for a longer or very long time.

I think, that is called a tie to the country.

Most often they need go earn money, whatever way.

And : Hey, I am a native english speaker, so how difficult can it be for me  to teach english.

Before the tsunami and the initiative of Padi after Dec. 2004, to make as many Thais to Dive Master or Instructor as possible (for free), these young foreign males (in the south of Thailand and the golf) became dive masters or diving "teachers".

Now they often get fake documents, degrees and such, and do start teaching english in the 30k salary class. Mostly no wp and no pay between terms.  Most often immigration and police has a blind eye for them, cause "Thailand need english teachers"

And people do it, because they wanna stay longer.

This way , real teacher arent making real money, too.

And leaving often

Oh, btw., free teaching, just for the own time killing and merrits, is killing the job for real teachers, who need go earn money, too

To picture that, I can give another example from the diving industrie:

Many long time holidayers even worked for free, as divemaster (before that was a "reserved for Thai job" legally), ti have a cheap(er) holiday.

Or paid with 3 -x month free divemastering their instructor couses

Which also made dive shops don't  need to pay fair salary for needed  staff

So everyone, who thinks, Thailand needs a better education system, should not contribute to the "nit so good" system, they already have.

If you pay bananas, your staff are monekys

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, HolyCowCm said:

Sure about that? I knew a few who did not and were immigrants. Maybe at best a P6 education level. But technically that is some sort of education. 

Yes, I'm sure

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, Pinetree said:

So you are saying that teaching IS NOT the transfer of knowledge?  What an interesting, and indeed deluded,  statement. 

As said you obviously know nothing about education. 

you seem to think it is learning by rote. As a teacher you should be a facilitator - you create a situation whee people learn - you don't tell them ...

Edited July 30, 2023 by cowslip

[oldschooler]

“Education” as defined in Oxford English Dictionary” a process of teaching, training and learning, especially in schools, colleges or universities, to improve knowledge and develop skills.” Not a great definition for me ….

shouldn't that read “ a formal structured process…..” ? for example. and “ to transfer & improve knowledge…”Also excludes informal / unstructured “ education” like “ school of life” ?

btw its a bloody long and hard road to become a scuba dive master …. you don’t just rock up on holiday for your certificate as implied in above post …..and that’s also off topic … topic is ESL Teaching not other jobs.

“Teaching” is defined as “in education, the concerted sharing (transfer) of knowledge and experience, which is usually organized within a discipline and, more generally, the provision of stimulus to the psychological and intellectual growth of a person by another person or process”.

outside those top uni or private school 120k baht qualified jobs, ESL is clearly the biggest joke in worldwide teaching. Universally derided as just male “ losers back home” ( US) or “ Chancers” ( UK)  creating an extended “sexpat” vacation ……witnessed this myself from talking with local female friends in Korea Japan China ASEAN, especially prevalent in these East Asia nations desperate to boost business English competence amongst their aspirational populations ……..

[HolyCowCm]

51 minutes ago, cowslip said:

Yes, I'm sure

I think they take graduation of P6. I will ask the next time in a 7-11. 

[cowslip]

26 minutes ago, oldschooler said:

“Education” as defined in Oxford English Dictionary” a process of teaching, training and learning, especially in schools, colleges or universities, to improve knowledge and develop skills.” Not a great definition for me ….

shouldn't that read “ a formal structured process…..” ? for example. and “ to transfer & improve knowledge…”Also excludes informal / unstructured “ education” like “ school of life” ?

btw its a bloody long and hard road to become a scuba dive master …. you don’t just rock up on holiday for your certificate as implied in above post …..and that’s also off topic … topic is ESL Teaching not other jobs.

“Teaching” is defined as “in education, the concerted sharing (transfer) of knowledge and experience, which is usually organized within a discipline and, more generally, the provision of stimulus to the psychological and intellectual growth of a person by another person or process”.

outside those top uni or private school 120k baht qualified jobs, ESL is clearly the biggest joke in worldwide teaching. Universally derided as just male “ losers back home” ( US) or “ Chancers” ( UK)  creating an extended “sexpat” vacation ……witnessed this myself from talking with local female friends in Korea Japan China ASEAN, especially prevalent in these East Asia nations desperate to boost business English competence amongst their aspirational populations ……..

A profoundly ill-informed answer from someone without education?

 

Typical of a diving "inds=structor" to thing that a dictionary definiton is and argument - don't even understand what a fact is.

 

THe truth is you are an INSTRUCTOR, not a teacher - instruction is not teaching instruct =tion is just telling people what knob to turn and when etc... teaching is getting people to think - something tha diving instructors are not well known for.

Edited July 30, 2023 by cowslip

[oldschooler]

Definitions are Important as they underpin Argument. I even critiqued those Definitions and added some empirical comments.

So Clearly Nothing “ ill- informed”. In fact I purposely skated around the main topic of Teacher Licensing here as I know only the basics set out by others here.

Found myself in continuing complete disagreement with your asinine ignorant statements. And you just keep digging …… saying first that teaching is not transferring knowledge then instructing is not teaching …..  and by any standards yes I’m well educated.