A Day in My Life as an ESL Teacher in a Public School in Thailand  

One of the many benefits of teaching ESL is the opportunity to work as a teacher in different countries. Thailand has become a popular destination for many ESL teachers because of its low cost of living and high demand for English teachers. When combined with a friendly, easy-going culture, modern cities, and gorgeous beaches, it’s easy to see why so many choose to teach English here. So, if you’re thinking about taking on a teaching role in the Land of Smiles, here’s a brief walk-through of a typical day in my life as an ESL teacher in one of Thailand’s public schools.  

A Brief Overview

I work full-time in the English Program at a primary government school in the heart of Bangkok. While most classes at the school are taught in Thai, almost all subjects that are part of the EP program are, as you’d expect, taught in English. As a homeroom teacher, I stay in one classroom for the majority of the day and currently teach 23 students in my class, all of whom are Thai students with varying levels of English proficiency.  

Morning Routine

As the school requires me to be in my classroom at least 30 minutes before the first class begins, I’m always there before any of my students arrive. During this time, I’m setting up equipment or materials that I’ll be using during the day, so they’re on-hand and ready to be used or handed out. Once 15 minutes are remaining until class starts, I begin a morning warm-up known as “morning time” with any students who have already arrived.  

This involves playing a video that my school’s administrators have provided, which is based on a different topic each month, such as animal habitats, our school’s history, or how people travel and communicate. Students are expected to learn the key vocabulary words covered in these videos, and they are tested on these through a one-on-one interview with a school administrator at the end of each month. As all students are expected to arrive at least 10 minutes before morning time, all have an opportunity to participate in the morning time lesson. 

Core Classes

After morning time concludes, the school day officially begins. I normally teach three to four core classes that are 40 minutes long, interspersed throughout the day, and with the daily schedule varying on different days. These classes are based on the subjects of Phonics, Fundamental English, Science, and Math. I also share the classroom with a Thai co-teacher who teaches the subjects of History, Physical Education, and both Thai Speaking and Writing in the students’ native Thai language.

Materials Used

During my lessons, I will normally use either the blackboard or my laptop connected to an overhead TV screen to demonstrate concepts to my students. If I think that the students will grasp and understand a new topic quickly, I’ll almost always opt for the laptop because I can prepare my demonstrations in a PowerPoint presentation beforehand.  

This allows me to seamlessly move from one slide to the next while explaining, which makes for great use of class time, as it’s quicker than having to write and illustrate concepts on the blackboard. Plus, it’s more engaging for the students as it’s a more interesting medium for them, which commands their attention better.  

The students have student books and workbooks provided by the school for each subject that I teach. The student books are for reading, while the workbooks are for writing. I will occasionally make worksheets for my students to complete when I feel that the content in the workbook may not give them enough opportunities to practice what they’ve learned.  

Typical Class Routine

It’s always a good idea to give students a routine so that they feel comfortable and recognize when it’s time to discuss certain activities and time to focus on their work. So, after taking attendance, I teach each subject using the following structure or pattern:   

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

During the first segment of the class, I normally ease the students into the lesson by covering something that they’re already familiar with. If today’s topic is about animal habitats and we learned about different types of animals during the previous day, I’ll use animal types as a warm-up topic. This typically involves conducting a Q&A session with the students about that topic, while also interspersing a few questions about how animals might live in different environments. 

2. Introduction (15 minutes)

After the warm-up, comes the introduction of the daily topic. It’s here that I’ll teach students about a new topic and I’ll use a variety of different materials to do so. I normally start the introduction phase by conducting a blackboard demonstration or by narrating a slideshow of images that I’ve prepared for display on the TV.  

I’ll often follow this up with a short five-minute video based on the topic, followed by another Q&A session to ensure that students understand what was just covered. I will then have the students read a few pages from their class book aloud as a group while I walk the room to ensure that they’re not only reading aloud but following along with their index fingers on each word.  

3. Production/Activity (20 minutes)

Once a topic has been discussed in-depth and explained to the students, I’ll then have the students show me what they’ve learned. This is known as the production phase, and on a typical day, I will ask the students to complete between two to three pages in their workbook.  

For some topics, I’ll introduce an activity or game either instead of or in addition to a writing task, which students can do alone or in pairs. While this is taking place, I’m actively observing and checking the students’ work to ensure that they both understand the topic and are effectively completing their tasks.  

4. Review (5 minutes)

After students have completed the main activity for a lesson, I always ensure that we do a quick review of the topic. For this phase, I’ll normally hold an open discussion, which allows students to answer questions at will while also providing an opportunity for me to ensure that everybody is listening and engaged in the discussion.   

Additional Responsibilities

In addition to teaching, there are other activities I may perform on any given day, with some being more common than others. These activities include the following:  

Lesson Planning – Creating lessons and documenting how well previous lessons went. My school administrators have provided me with a form for this, which I submit at the end of each week.  

Co-Teaching – Once a day my students are taught either music, drama, or computer skills by another teacher in a different classroom. Because I’m a homeroom teacher, it’s my responsibility to escort the students to this classroom and then to assist the other teacher if she needs any assistance with classroom management while teaching.

Lunch Duty – One teacher must remain with students at all times. Every other day, I stay with the students while they eat their lunches, while my Thai co-teacher takes her lunch elsewhere. I then take my lunch after this while she goes with the students to the recess area. We rotate these roles every other day.  

Student Interviews – Every few months there may be a new student enrolling in our English program. To ensure that the student is placed at the right level and is appropriate for the program, all English-speaking teachers take turns interviewing these new students by conducting a one-on-one needs assessment survey. This is a Q&A session in English and whichever teacher is available at the time to do this when asked is the one to do it.

Parting Advice

As you can see, working as an ESL teacher in Thailand can keep you busy with many different activities throughout the day. While my daily routine encompasses many common duties and responsibilities that other ESL teachers in Thailand encounter, these can vary slightly from school to school.  

It’s important to keep an open mind when it comes to teaching at public schools in Thailand. Some schools may expect their ESL teachers to perform additional duties or to take on other roles. Working with Thai staff as a foreigner means understanding the local culture and the differences between Thai culture and your own in how things are done or communicated.