I have to say that it's been fun with many surprises. I've always wanted to be a teacher since sometime in college, but the money factor (or lack thereof) was always the main problem.

As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, I set up my businesses to basically run on their own, or so I thought, and got a part-time teaching job at a bi-lingual school near my house. It was really an awesome experience. I taught English and started a small music program with violins, guitars and cellos.

In this school there is a Thai program and an English program. In the Thai program, the teachers and students are nice enough, but there is just too little control over the kids, which makes a lot of it feel like babysitting. I was teaching M3, which is the equivalent of 9th grade in the USA. You just kind of learn to go with the flow, and it really helped that I can speak Thai.

In the English program, however, the students were well-behaved, and classes were "normal." I really loved this part of the program, and will miss the kids. My 8th grade class has 17 students, all of which are awesome.

Unfortunately, the school isn't offering part-time contracts at the same salary level that I was receiving before. The money is already low, and I don't know how the teachers are able to live off of it. When they said that the salary for part-time was going to drop to somewhere around 35k a month (housing allowance *included* in that), I almost felt betrayed as I put a lot of heart into my work. They offered a full-time contract, which they already knew I wouldn't be able to do. It was actually painful, but I had to tell them that this was the end of my teaching career for the time being. I don't know if it's pride, but doing the same job for a lower salary is worse than walking around with poo smeared on your upper lip.

Anyway, it was a great experience overall, so I'm not going to the let the ending of it get me down. You kind of forget how it was to be those ages, and it was a good refresher course for Jasmine's future. Oh, and people always talk smack about teachers, but I'd say a good 20-30% of the teachers at this school are great people. 50% I can deal with, and the rest are your stereotypical douchebags. I think those numbers go with many offices in any profession.

My last day will be at the end of summer session in April, and my year teaching was awesome. These next two months are filled with exams, sports week, summer break, and than a relaxed summer course for a couple weeks...It will be easy work-wise, but I honestly am sad to leave the kids. However, my businesses really do need my attention as things have fallen off significantly since I took a more distant approach to management (makes me feel like I'm important).

If anyone has questions about teaching in Thailand, feel free to ask me here or via PM while it's all still fresh in my mind. Overall, it was a really positive experience, and I'm sad to leave it behind.

I also struggle in a cold swedish with a teaching profession. I think I understand you completely.

Why don't you teach music private? Some kids might want to continue learning those instrument with you.

I hav a Question...!!! u leave school. That sad na

duanja...the kids I teach already have private instructors (who in my opinion have it all wrong...the kids can't even read sheet music). To try and get them all together for chamber music would be a logistics nightmare for a number of reasons. If a student lives close to me and wants to study, I'm all for it.

Melon...It's sad, but who knows what the future holds?

Can you teach my niece and nephew? i pay with Fuji.

You've uncovered my weakness, but are we talkin maki roll or sushi deluxe here?

duanja...the kids I teach already have private instructors (who in my opinion have it all wrong...the kids can't even read sheet music). To try and get them all together for chamber music would be a logistics nightmare for a number of reasons. If a student lives close to me and wants to study' date=' I'm all for it.

Melon...It's sad, but who knows what the future holds?[/quote']

You are an ambitious teacher. Neither can I read sheet music.

Folk music has neither sheet music, just play by ears.

But I can't even play by ear yet so I write down positions of fingers instead.

UPDATE:

They made some contract changes, which I'm happy with. Looks like I'm back in the school for at least 6 more months!