A Global Perspective on Teaching English: by teacher Violeta

I came to Thailand from Spain. I grew up in a small city in the centre of Spain. Since I was a child I wanted to be a teacher because I loved studying, going to school and I had the chance to have some amazing teachers that inspired me.

While I was at university studying a degree to be an English Teacher in Spanish schools, I found out my passion for the English language and started travelling thanks to several scholarships that I obtained from the Spanish government.

I started travelling only during the summers to improve my English skills and got the amazing opportunity to travel to England, Canada and the US and live with different families for a month or two at a time as well as got to know people from around the world.

After I finished my first degree, I kept on my studies and went on to complete another degree to be an educational counsellor. Unfortunately, Spain was not a good place to work because of the economic crisis and after a few short-term jobs, I decided to move to England.

I started off by doing some volunteering artwork which was a really amazing experience. However, after a while, the teacher within me started to rebel and I decided to move on to teaching again.

I worked with a charity that had opened a new school. I worked as a volunteer teaching assistant at the beginning and then I took on the kindergarten teacher role. I worked for that school as a volunteer for three years and this really taught me how deeply I can bring benefit to kids as well as benefit myself from teaching. I learnt that as teachers we have the opportunity to take part in the development of children not only by teaching the academic curriculum but also providing the kids with some tools that will be very helpful for the rest of their lives in many different aspects.

Unfortunately, after almost four years of full volunteering, I ran out of resources and needed to find a paid job so I decided to leave England and try in a different part of the world.

I stayed with my family for a few months trying to figure out what to do and where to go and somehow I found out about Thailand which was a complete stranger to me at that time.

Within one month I decided to leave Spain again and came to Phuket to complete a TEFL course so that I could have more opportunities to work as a teacher around the world.

That first month in Thailand was great, I was amazed by the way of life and how people take life in a more relaxed way. So, I decided to look for a job in Thailand. I went to the east coast of Thailand and worked as an English teacher for a private school for a few months. It was a good experience that allowed me to get to know the thai system and I also met many amazing teachers.

However, I realised that I was missing being able to help children in a deeper and more meaningful way than just teaching English and therefore started to look for other types of job.

I had read things about PHBTU while I was doing my TEFL course and right away I was drawn by the foundation and its purpose so as soon as I discovered that they were looking for teachers I saw the great opportunity to be able to take part in this inspiring project. With help from my sponsor, MontAzure, I was able to join the team and start teaching soon after.

When I arrived again in Phuket I was so excited to start working and meet the children at both schools where I work. It was a challenging start as it always is in a new job but the children quickly got my heart and working with the team of amazing teachers and volunteers gave me more reasons to love it. The students always seem so happy to see me even if I am not one of their teachers and they learn very quickly.

Working with unprivileged children has brought me a new perspective on life that makes me keep striving to improve my skills as a teacher as well as a person trying to be the best I can be.

My goal for this year is to enjoy every day and take the most of this great opportunity.

I would like to thank the foundation for giving me this amazing opportunity as well as to all the sponsors and in particular, I would like to express my gratitude to MontAzure for sponsoring the English Programme for Anuban 1, 2 and 3 at Anuban Kamala School.

“No I don’t teach, I work in the Office” – by Erin Grout

My mother was skeptical when I said I was leaving for Thailand in a month to work as a full-time volunteer for an NGO for half a year. She was reassured when she saw that the organization had a website, was on Google maps, replied to my emails, and generally seemed legitimate. Still, I had student loans and the more responsible choice at the time seemed to be staying in the US, getting a paid job, and maybe taking a holiday to Thailand someday. But I decided it was the opportunity I was looking for and, bank-account-be-damned, I was off.

Luckily, it turned out moving to Phuket and volunteering for Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation (PHBGTU) was a great decision. Volunteering for the Foundation doesn’t just mean making coffee (although we do enjoy our morning cup of Joe); I became the primary marketing and communication fellow or the “Marketing Department”. This role meant liaising with media sponsors, updating our social media, creating our quarterly newsletter, marketing and helping to plan our major fundraising events, and more! In short it was amazing career experience, working with great people, on a beautiful tropical island! #Winning.

Even the fact that I happened to arrive on the island during an El Nino year –which meant the rainiest high-season most people seemed to be able to remember – hasn’t put a damper on my time as a full-time volunteer. One of the best parts of the job is helping out at Coconut Club, the after-school programme for residential students at Kamala school. For an hour each day we play games or create arts and crafts with students who live full time at the school because they are orphans or their parents are unable to take care of them. Spending time with the children we work to benefit through quality English language programmes is the best reminder that a day full of monotonous emailing was worth the effort. 

Fortunately, working in the office was usually very dynamic and meant taking responsibility for a variety of projects. I stayed with the Foundation for 9 months and was able to take part in all three of our major fundraising events over the course of the year: A Night at the Opera; Black Tie, Muay Thai; and Pop Up 3. While I was primarily working on marketing our small team shared responsibility for tasks and everyone was involved in our fundraising events. Even our seven-member teaching team would help out before and on event day.

 While a salary is a nice perk of any job, I am incredibly happy that I chose to be a full-time volunteer for PHBGTU. I was lucky enough to move to Phuket and meet fun people, take part in great festivals, eat delicious food, and travel around Thailand a bit! Plus, while my time with the Foundation is wrapping up, I am hoping to stay on in Phuket and I am therefore seeking new work opportunities. In the meantime, I will definitely stay informed on all the happenings at Phuket Has Been Good To Us and take part whenever I can!

Reaching out to the Present Generation

“I don’t want to become a teacher.” I can still remember my snobby face while that statement bumps the lobes in my head. It was 10 years ago though. A lot has changed since then. Going back, it's my definite answer to the No. 1 question I was frequently asked before entering college life. 

I want a change that’s why. I’ve been spending all my years in school and I won’t give teaching a go as a profession either. That was my thought back then. I’ve chosen to take up a Nursing course instead.

Ironically, if words can be eaten, I ate it all up. It is because I am now a teacher and I love being called one. A living proof that the only thing that’s constant in this world is change. A turning point that leads to an exhilarating road trip! Let me grab the steering wheel for you. Don’t forget to buckle up! Bumpy road ahead.

Teaching brought me to different heights in my life. It’s definitely where I find my purpose. It was a great opportunity to impart what I’ve learned not just as an educator but as a person living and facing the realities of this world. My love for education brought me to Thailand, “The Land of Smiles”.

  

   

I’ve been teaching here for more than two years now. I can still remember my first day of teaching, I felt an ambivalence with that circumstance I am about to face. The norms and culture somehow match the place where I grew up. It’s not too hard to adjust except in learning their language. To mention, it’s the outset of a life living far from home. Sleepless nights, feeling homesick and living alone. Yet, the motivation that I’m doing it not just for myself but for the ones I loved gave me the courage to get back on the track.

I’ve taught secondary students in a province in South Thailand, then I’ve had a summer job as an assistant teacher in Chonburi, searching brought me to a Kindergarten teaching position in Rayong province and I’m now here in Phuket as an ESL teacher for students who have had a special place in my heart.

Working at Phuket Has Been Good To Us (PHBGTU) Foundation taught me more about selflessness. It’s going beyond the goal of sharing knowledge and pursuing the illumination of academics in light of the subjects we’re teaching our students. It’s deeper and that’s what I love the most in teaching here. I’ve learned not just to be a teacher, but to be a sister or sometimes a mother to the students who long for this kind of care and love. I’m amazed of how most of our students undauntedly face living in the school and not being with their family most of the time. At a very young age, they’ve known how to live independently and have surpassed circumstances that were not meant yet for them to experience. They’re like seedlings growing in a plot full of thorns and rocks. I admire them and will be forever grateful for having the opportunity to teach and care for them.

      

Time will come that this experience will just be a fragment of a memory. Yet, it’s something worth remembering. PHBGTU is a remarkable organisation which helps young individuals to realize their dreams. Working here is like being with your family. It feels like you’re home. I would want to grab this opportunity to encourage people to reach out to the lives of the youth today. It’s not too late to share, care and love them. It is because at the end of the day, as an educator, what matters most is not the number of rewards you get but the lives you’ve helped nourished to grow. It’s transformation indeed!

      

Now, let’s all move on to our next destination. Ready? Buckle up! Enjoy the ride!