A day in the life of an English teacher: BKK

I honestly have the most rewarding job as an English kindergarten teacher, and I live in the huge unpredictable city of Bangkok, Thailand. I thought I would share my typical week day in this wonderful place I call home (for now).

Its such a great feeling to wake up in the morning and not have to drag myself out of bed after hitting the snooze alarm 3 times. I splash some cold water on my face, put on my uniform of black pants and a polo shirt (a different colour for every day of the week) and do my hair and make up. In Thailand the way you present yourself is very important in terms of how others see you. Its more about the fact that you look after yourself than pure vanity, so I put a little more effort into my appearance. In the same way, the Thai teachers that I work with are some of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met, and we are constantly laughing and joking around with each other.

Teacher A and I taking a selfie

My breakfast usually consists of scrambled eggs and fruit, or a banana muffin and a yoghurt, along with a much needed coffee or two. If I haven't done a grocery shop in a while I usually grab breakfast from a street food stall or a 7/11 on the way to work which is super convenient and cheap. I then take a short walk to the BTS skytrain, and get off at the next station to meet with the other teachers. We share taxis to our school cause its quite a distance from where we all live along the main transport system. I work at Denla Rama 5, a very prestigious kindergarten that has an intensive English programme for children ages 1 to 6.

As I walk into the staff room at 8am I am surrounded by so much chatting and laughter from the 26 other English teachers I work with. There is never a dull moment when you are put in a room full of foreigners from countries all around the world. It really is a cultural experience in itself! The funny thing is that there are 8 other South African teachers in the group, which shows you're never really too far from home these days! I spend an hour in the morning planning my lessons and collecting everything I need, then off I go.

Because the children are so young, the main aim is to keep them interested without getting bored. This is what makes my job so much fun, and English lessons are full of energy, singing and games.The one thing I have to admit is that I have a new found appreciation for the profession of teaching. Before coming over here I worked in the corporate world (miserable as I was), and teaching always seemed like an easy alternative for less pay. Many people still have this assumption but don't realize the impact that teachers make on students, especially the younger ones.

Sai Rong is ready for swimming lessons

Deciding what to teach and how to teach it is a daily challenge, because young children absorb information and behavior even when you don't expect them to. This is especially true for me as I teach Pre K, the youngest age level at the school. These kids come in not even being able to speak Thai fluently, let alone Chinese and English. The countless adorable moments I have with my class of 15 is too much for one blog post, but they genuinely fill up my heart in an indescribable way.

My precious Pre K class on dress up day

Lunch at school is a range of choices, from omlettes and rice to curries, fried pork, papaya salad and grilled chicken. There is always the temptation of ice coffee and fruit smoothies, which are so addictive! I finish work at 2pm (I know, how early?) and if I don't have extra private classes after school I head home. The amount of physical activity I do in a a day has massively increased compared to my desk job and sedentary life back home. I am literally on my feet morning to evening and without a car my main way of getting around is good old fashioned walking (as anyone living in  Bangkok would tell you). I still make an effort to go to gym at my condo after school, or do a few lengths in the pool.

The gym at our condo is fantastic, and usually empty

In the evenings we alternate between cooking meals at home and going out for street food, because the latter is just so cheap and doesn't involve washing dishes. We end the evening off watching a movie or series and then head to bed. Its a convenient lifestyle here, and my day is so full of activities and joy. It makes me feel content knowing that at this stage in my life, I am exactly where I want to be. x