I’m administering the first of four speaking tests this week, starting from the lowest performers in class first. I’m way behind schedule and have only finished seven out of forty-three… This is a special kind of hell.
finaaaaaaaals.
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5 responses to “finaaaaaaaals.”
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At this point, how does teaching in Thailand compare with work in Japan?
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I’ve been thinking about this question since I saw it yesterday, and it’s still difficult to answer. I’ve come up with a list of similarities and differences in my head. One thing that must be noted is that I teach at a government university staffed by contract teachers like me and permanent teachers who are quite often civil servants.
Similarities between being a government university teacher in Thailand and a salaryman in Japan:
– Both are work, and to an extent, work is work
– Neither are easy to be good at
– Depending on the employer, both are easy to be mediocre at
– Both jobs are at the mercy of huge, inefficient entities trying their hardest to survive from quarter to quarter, but that still seem to bleed money at each turn
– Both can be challenging and fulfilling at timesDifferences:
– Teaching is more fulfilling in a “chicken soup for the soul” kind of way (although I’ve never read the book, just seen it on bookstore display tables)
– Teaching is a lot less stressful. The longest I ever worked straight in Japan was 58 hours. That was of course back to back with other zombified stretches, but that one was the longest. I got paid quintuple time and paid for a vacation to France and Thailand with that. Now I get a lot of time to play with my babies, and that’s worth more than money.
– The same is not true for everybody, but being a salaryman was a lot better paying
– My net salary in Thailand is approximately 1/11 of what it was in Japan
– Living expenses are approximately 1/3 what they were in Japan, but have been affected (increased) by having a house, two cars, two kids, a sickly striped fish with a disappearing twin, and a freshwater crab—
As I was was writing this, work called up asking where the hell I am, so maybe it’s not as laid back as I like to think… Gotta go.
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Do you ever grade papers with those cool red wax pencils, that you peel to sharpen? I think that would be gratifying, using a red wax pencil in the margins of papers. But maybe not. Cool writing utensils are fun, though.
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Never seen them here, maybe they melt.
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Dude, can you remember all the teachers you tortured?
I’m happy that you’re enjoying the teaching aspect of your job and I know your favorite teachers from past schools would be proud for your “passing it onto” your kids at the university….and to Maxie and Mina-chan!
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