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.
Raising a family in Thailand // Documenting Issan food, culture, music, and people
At this point, how does teaching in Thailand compare with work in Japan?
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 times
Differences:
– 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
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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.
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.
Never seen them here, maybe they melt.
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!