Why I’m a British teacher and staying in Thailand

Published on 28th March, 2018 by Wendy Hartrey. Published in For Candidates / TIC News

Leah Blackman teaches in bare feet. She’s teaching at Regents School in Bangkok, Thailand and loves it that way: “Thai people leave their shoes at the door as they are dirty from being outside” she says. “This makes perfect sense and I do the same at home now too!”

Leah is a nursery teacher from Manchester, England and has taught in several international schools in Thailand for the last seven years. She applied for the teaching job in Regents School Bangkok through TIC Recruitment and received help throughout the application and interview process.

This is Leah’s first year teaching at Regents International School which is a day and boarding school for students aged from 3 to 18 which follows, in part, the National Curriculum of England including the Early Years Foundation Stage. “Between 80-90% of the students in my class are EAL learners which has forced me to learn new ways of teaching lesson objectives,” she says. As for the teachers at the school, all are expats. “They’re an extremely supportive and friendly team and we always share resources and ideas,” Leah explains.

She is really enjoying her school and the environment in Thailand. “It’s beautiful; the country and the culture,” she explains. “This country has everything: jungles, mountains, beaches, rivers, lakes and floating bungalows! I absolutely love Thai food and it’s an important part of the culture.”

Leah says she’s learnt a lot from living and teaching overseas: “Some of my friends and family say that they’re not brave enough to leave England but it’s not that difficult, if you really want to do it. I’ve made life-long friends from all over the world, and I’ve lived in another culture and seen how things work differently. I’ve learnt that England isn’t the centre of the universe!”

Leah says that if you want to teach internationally then “Go for it!” Her advice is to be open-minded. “Things will be different and strange for a while but stick with it. Go out, meet people and socialise when you can. Say ‘yes’ to invites...and bring your favourite snack from home!”

You may also be interested in these informative articles:
Join TIC’s Virtual Recruitment Fair and get applying for some great international teaching jobs now
How to prepare your CV for overseas opportunities
Life for an international teacher with a young family in China

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Wendy Hartrey