Just got fired after barely two weeks in (Thailand)
Just got fired from my first job ever after two weeks( Thailand)
I graduated and finished CELTA this year so no job experience and my degree was unrelated to education. When the agency chose me they knew that I was a non native speaker and didn’t have experience teaching kids below 4-5 yo.
I feel like shit because even though it wasn’t my dream job I would have done forever I enjoyed it and could see doing it until next year.
The contract stated there was teaching English but no training was given from the first day. We were put in a classroom with 25/30 kids aged 3/4 and had two Thai teachers with us. One spoke ok English and the others not at all. I was given orders from day 1 and there was no rapport really, sometimes they were quite standoffish. They knew when I was hired that I didn’t speak much Thai but only beginner level.
They have a tendency to replace teachers often as they come and go like crazy (the guy teaching older kids had a class who changed 7 teachers in two semester, he wants to change job because he feels like a nanny even though his class teacher is very good, he also speak better Thai and has lived here for a while).
I speak a little Thai and I have very basic knowledge and cooperated with the Teachers in doing the babysitting part which was around 5 hrs a day. Taking them to the toilet, washing their hands, cleaning their lunch tray etc
The contract said I never had to take care of behavior and classroom management but I still controlled them if they were misbehaving and crying or doing something dangerous or running away.
I played with them a lot, made them laugh and they could clearly tell the kids liked me.
I had issues setting up the lesson plan but the Thai teacher prepared it for me and basically told me to use that instead.
Yesterday the guy who hired us watched my class and said changing teacher was much was not good so they wanted me to adapt and stay, etc and gave some constructive advice which I followed.
Apparently teachers complained about my teaching style but since day 1 most of them did all the pleasantries bullshit in the morning and I was always polite but they were quite standoffish and communication was hard.
Like apparently they said I didn’t cooperate setting up the class when I remember asking if they needed help setting up stuff for nap time but the teacher said she was going to do it because I didn’t know their symbol representing their name. I did help for some clean up like during lunch and toilet time, when they brushed their teeth and went napping (which is supposed to be my break…) but apparently they complained and i never got a thank you ever.
I let them do the child classroom management because they speak Thai but I always stayed present, comforted the kids if they cried, when they wanted to be all over me and hold my hand and get help I never said no.
I used a little Thai to make things easier.
Yesterday I received a complaint for my clothes. One of the nannies who clearly did not like neither me or this other guy I have a thing with asked why I was wearing pants and called the guy who hired foreign teachers.
I clearly remember the director saying pants were ok as long as they were not jeans and skirts were to their knees and he never said anything about the color (apparently they have to be black).
I respected Thai culture and did all the patriotic bullshit were the kids are forced to listen to the National Anthem three times at 8 am and never complained.
I missed two days but my contract stated I have three paid sick days and other days get deducted from my salary.
When I was hired by the agency one of the women working there told me that you are not supposed to touch the kids at all because Thai parents don’t like it but how I am supposed to interact with them?
I use words and body language but they were all over me, wanting to hold my hand and hugging, bringing me toys, had to clean up their face if dirty or sweaty etc they are 3/4 for fuck sake!
I don’t think this is the issue because another male teacher is always picking the kids up and has physical contact they way you typically interact with kids and no issue.
I messed up with the lesson plan thing but I recall the guy who hired us saying that two weeks is hardly any time to tell if you are teaching ok.
The manager of my agency said i suit primary or high school better but I didn’t mind the childcare thing.
I feel like shit, other teachers said they are bullshitting and it was 100% personal because they didn’t like me or the guy (also hired two weeks ago) for specific reasons or stupid shit and wanted us to fuck off basically.
I didn’t even say goodbye to the kids properly and they all expect me to see me next monday…a few hug me or look sad when they had to go home and wanted to hold my hand when walking somewhere.
The salary was ok, 31k for a starter job is not bad but the other guy had a 29k salary.
I am saying I feel like shit because we were fired out of nowhere and we heard there is a Filippino guy who has been touching kids inappropriately (possibly lower salary) and he was not fired. How the fuck we are below a fucking pedo??
The parents pay good for English school but it was a government owned school and the salary for one teacher is the fee from one students and there are about 70-100 only in a k1-2.
So yeah