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Published: September 22nd 2007
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The Pavement
Sidewalk along Pahonyothin Rd. A new tact was taken on Tuesday with my job search. My efforts up to that point were focused around the internet and personal contacts. Although I was having some success, I wasn't finding any English teaching job openings at schools nearby. In spite of that, I didn't believe for a second that the schools near me weren't in need of native English speaking teachers. I just needed to go about it differently. Thus, it was time to "pound the pavement".
Pounding the pavement in Thailand does offer some challenges. Saai provided some basic info in terms of school locations and structure. However, there were some other obvious problems. The first was finding the right building, or office, once I was on campus. Most of the signs are in Thai so it isn't always easy determing where to go. The second was the language barrier. Most Thais do not speak English very well, and therefore, it can be difficult to get directions or inquire about a teaching position opening. But that's all part of the adventure.
The closest schools on my list were Kasetsart University, Satit Kaset (general program and international program), and Sarawittaya. I started with Satit Kaset.
Satit Kaset
One of the entrances to Satit Kaset (K-12) within the Kasetsart University campus. There are two programs within Satit Kaset, the general program and the international program (IP). Both are K-12 grade schools within the campus of Kasetsart University. I started with the international program (IP). It's the high dollar program for rich Thai families (300, 000 baht per year - over $9,000 U.S dollars). All subjects are taught in English. I briefly asked the guard at the gate about the IP administration building. He recognized "IP" but I don't think he understood anything else I said. Regardless, I was pointed in the right direction. I got to the building and wandered around until I found a bunch of adults sitting behind desks in a room with A/C. This must be the place, right? Unfortunately, they rarely organize things in such a way where it is obvious who should be approached. Who is the receptionist? No idea. Just a bunch of people sitting behind desks. Pick one, and start talking. I picked one and inquired about a teaching position, and then got pointed to someone else sitting behind a desk. It turns out they were in need of an elementary school teacher (all subjects) and Chemistry teacher (high school). Hmmm, neither of
those were incredibly appealing. I gave the lady my resume and spoke with her briefly. She seemed to get excited about my Physics minor, but really, I haven't hardly even thought of Physics in 15 years. I don't exactly want to teach it. I can handle Math (up to Algebra; don't want Calculus...actually, don't like geometry either). I don't know what they pay their teachers, but I wasn't exactly qualified for the positions.
Then I went to the general program administration office. This was more challenging. The person in charge was apparently in a meeting all day, but they do not hire native English teachers directly anyway. They use an agency, and they didn't know which one. Ok, no luck there.
Not having much success at Satit Kaset, I walked to what I believed was the right building to apply at Kasetsart University. Unfortunately, nobody in the main office spoke English. Instead, they called someone else, and soon I was speaking on the phone with the Head of the Humanities Dept. She DID speak English. I was informed that I needed to apply at the Humanities Department Building for an English teaching position. I wasn't in that building.
Sarawittaya School
The entrance to the last school on my list for Tuesday. Ooops. Each department handles its own hiring.
Kasetsart University has a huge campus. I got a hold of a map and was directed to the Humanities Dept Building. After getting dropped off by a taxi ($1; didn't want to sweat too much by walking), I wandered around the building, and found the office on the 3rd floor (most signs are in Thai so finding anything is a challenge). However, it surprisingly wasn't long before I was speaking with the person in charge of hiring for the department. There seemed to be a general sense of chaos though. They were not yet hiring for new teachers for the next semester (beginning of November), but would be soon. The lady was very nice and spoke English well (she lived in the U.S. for approx 4 years). The pay for native English speaking teachers is generally low (19,000 baht + 8,000 baht for a housing allowance = 27,000; less than $1,000 per month) but the teaching hours are less (15 hours per week), and teachers can come & go before and after classes (not stuck on campus). They also have additional hours available for 900 baht per teaching hour. Anyway, somehow I
Saai at Starbucks
Drinking Blackberry Greentea. liked the feel of this place. The pay, however, isn't the best.
It was about 12:00 by that time, and I was thinking about lunch. I went to the Kasetsart University canteen (general university cafeteria with many independent food vendors) and stumbled upon Aut, one of Saai's friends from church. I joined Aut and a friend of hers for lunch, and then was off to my next school.
The last school on my list was Sarawittaya (K-12). I knew the least about this school. In walking around campus, I found all apparent offices closed. There were kids around, but no adults. I finally found an adult staff person, but she didn't speak any English but did gesture towards another building that appeared to be a fair distance away. Then I found another adult, and although she spoke a little English, it wasn't much. She also pointed me towards that same building. So, I finally walked to that building (long walk). I passed two kids playing tennis and when a tennis ball found itself near me, the kids shouted, "teacher" to direct me to the ball. Am I a teacher? Soon! Wearing a dress shirt, slacks and tie does make me look the part I guess on a school campus in Thailand. When I arrived at the building, I found a large auditorium filled with teachers/staff. There was a performance on the stage with Thai dancers, and food was being served to the teachers/staff. I have no idea what the occasion was. I ended up talking to a lady outside the building who said all foreign teachers are supplied by APEC (a recruiter/language school). They didn't hire foreign teachers directly. Oh well.
There haven't been a lot of developments on the job front since Tuesday. I do have a meeting with the head of the Humanities Dept at Sripatum University on Monday though. I'll also follow up with Kasetsart University next week. I'm checking ajarn.com daily, but as usual, the open jobs aren't anywhere close to me.
Amidst the job hunt, I have also been doing more research on the Philippines (checking out travel message boards, online travel guides, etc). I leave on September 29. I've reserved a room in Manila for my first 3 nights, and Boracay (beautiful island!) for my next 4 nights. The rest of it I'm going to figure out once I'm there. I don't even have a ticket yet from Manila to Boracay. The Philippine airline web sites aren't very good, and they don't take American credit cards at this time. No worries. I'll get to Boracay.
Saai has been doing a lot of tutoring this week, as many of her students have exams coming up. She will ease up on the schedule next week so we can spend more time together before I leave for my visa run/trip. She has school until October 12, and then one week off for her semester break. She's going to visit her family, and then we will re-unite in Bangkok on October 17.
Last night, Saai and I had dinner with Greg & Julie (Greg is an American pastor at Saai's church, and Julie is his American wife). We've asked them to assist us with marriage prep. Yikes! Actually, it's a great thing. God has blessed me with a great girlfriend. We just want to make sure we're ready for the next step in our relationship. Does Saai know what she's getting herself into? 😊
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Karleen
non-member comment
Yeah!
We are excited for you guys. :)) The Klopps