ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Mikindra Morin]

Hi my name is Mikindra and I am 36 years old. I great up in Indiana, USA but have lived in South Carolina, Arizona, and most recently Montana for 10 years. My background is in environmental law and policy. I have spent the last 7-8 years working for environment/conservation non-profits across Montana. I am interested in moving to Thailand and teaching English because I want to be exposed to and more understanding of other cultures. Also, both of my parents are teachers and my sister is actually an ESL teacher in Atlanta, Georgia. I have seen the impact teaching has had on students and am exciting to jump in!

The biggest hurdle I see is just adjusting to a different culture. I have not spent time in Asia so I assume everything from dress to food to entertainment to communication will be foreign and something I will need to learn. To overcome this, I plan to lean on other expats who have been there longer and to embrace learning moments when I make a mistake and learn from them.

From my experience I hope to gain a better understanding of Asian culture, to get to know and teach students in a positive environment, and get out of my American comfort zone.

I look forward to meeting you all!
Mikindra

[Neal Moody]

My name is Neal and I am from the USA. I have an extensive background in teaching. I spent most of my career teaching high school in the United States. I have also taught in China and Costa Rica.
I am moving to Thailand to continue my love of teaching. I want to experience what Thailand has to offer and hopefully meet great people and learn about Thai culture.

[Brandon Maglicic]

Hi Everyone,
My name is Brandon and I’m from Niagara Falls, Canada. Being born and raised in a popular tourist area, it was amazing meeting people from all over the world. Hearing their stories and travels only fueled my ambition to explore the world even more.
Last year I came to Southeast Asia for 4 months to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It was very easy to fall in love with the culture, people and incredible cuisine. Since I am in the middle of a career change, coming from Electrical, I jumped at the opportunity to not only return to visit but also help the youth learn the English language.
Some challenges I may face, could be overcoming the language barrier as well as acquiring the skills needed to connect with students in a classroom setting. With time, both challenges will become easier and, hopefully, with experience helping raise my two nephews as well as coaching soccer for 5 years this will give me the necessary skills needed to overcome any obstacles that may come up.
I’m excited to meet all of you all and hear your travel/life stories. My goal, hopefully, is to build a wonderful new network of friends both local and from all over the world, in a possible new career.

[S’bongakonke Hadebe]

Hi! My name is S’bonga, I’m 27 and I currently live in South Africa. I’m studying towards a bachelor’s degree in Intermediate Phase teaching of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Technology. I decided to apply for a teaching abroad program as I had been working as education assistant, and instantly fell in love with teaching. Having taught English Home Language to grade 4 and 5 learners, I was more than interested in teaching English abroad.

The main challenges I might come across may be adjusting to a new country and lifestyle, its culture and cuisine. To overcome them, I will expose myself to the core of Thailand’s culture as much as possible. Also being a lover of language, learning how to speak Thai will make my life more easier when interacting with Thai natives.

I hope to learn more about the Thai culture and meet great people along the way. More especially, I hope to become a much better teacher than I have ever been in the past.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by S'bongakonke Hadebe.

[Sofia Siegel]

Background information about yourself
Why are you deciding to travel/move to Thailand?
Hi, my name is Sofia Siegel and I decided to move to Thailand because I got my degree in teaching and am passionate about teaching and helping children.
What challenges do you expect to face along the way and how do you expect to overcome them?
I expect to be faced with challenges with the language barrier so I am expecting to use resources like Google Translate.
What do you hope to get out of your experience?
I hope to become immersed in Thai culture and learn from the students.

[Heather Scully]

Hi! My name is Heather, I’m 23 and live in Leeds, England. I have a degree in Creative Writing, and while completing this degree I had the opportunity to study abroad in the USA. This experience ignited my passion for travel and created a desire to explore the world and meet new people. Since graduating university, I have completed a TEFL qualification and decided to participate in Xplore Asia’s Adventure Camp Program in Thailand to put the skills I have learned into practice and to try out teaching to see if it is something I want to do long term. I think one of my biggest challenges will be my confidence – I have always struggled a little with public speaking and can get quite nervous when giving presentations. I am hoping that this experience will help me overcome this and prove to myself that I am capable of teaching.

[Makynna Heimer]

Hi! My name is MaKynna! I’m 23 and I am from the United States. I graduated from college in 2023 with a Bachelors in Elementary Education. I have been a 3rd grade teacher for the past year and up till I leave for this trip. I have over 7 years of experience working with children in a professional setting and I cant wait to start teaching in Thailand! I decided to join this program because I’ve always wanted to teach abroad and immerse myself into a different culture. I’ve also alway wanted to travel to Thailand and I think getting to teach and travel will be an amazing experience, but also a way to challenge myself as an educator. I think my hardest challenges will be adjusting to a new culture, customs, language, and food (I can be a very picky eater at time). I hope to overcome this by being openminded, learning the language as best as I can and challenging myself. i hope to gain new teaching skills, learn about and appreciate Thai culture more, make a difference in the children, grow as a person and get out of my comfort zone.

[Jacqueline Green]

Hi all my name is Jacqueline Green originally from Cape Town south africa.I lateroved to pretoria . I have been working in the corporate sector for many years. My passion for teaching started when i had my own two sons and tutored them throughout their schooling career.I later started tutoring in the community as part of social welfare. I have always wanted to travel,but growing up poor never gave one that opportunity.I am thankful to God for this opportunity.
When I first did some research on Thailand i instantly fell inlove with the culture and friendliness of the people.
I know the language barrier will be challenging..but I am confident that with small milestones,one can reach some common ground.

[Simon Bernstein]

Hello,
My name is Simon. Before moving to Thailand I studied history and politics at the University in Vermont. During my time in school I also spent a semester studying in Salzburg, Austria. This inspired a love for learning about other cultures and traveling. I have decided to move to Thailand because I have never been to southeast Asia and I believe that I can learn so much by being there. I love the idea of absorbing a culture that is totally foreign to me and doing my best to assimilate. I understand the challenges and frustrations that come along with this, including but not limited to the language barrier and customs that I am not used to. I am also aware of the challenges that may come with teaching, but I am hoping it provides a pathway to sharing information and culture with people around me. I will do my best to overcome these challenges by taking everything one day at a time and appreciating the fantastic place I am in. I will continue to put it into perspective that there are others who are taking on this challenge and that this experience will be what I make of it. I am very excited to be taking this course and to be in Thailand!

[Riccardo Iacoboni]

Hi! I’m Riccardo from Rome, Italy. I graduated in Law and Economics. Since 2015, I’ve lived abroad and grown passionate about running, swimming, biking, and languages.
I joined the English teaching program to help others connect with cultures and facilitate travel. Teaching in Thailand has challenges, especially the language barrier, as many students lack a strong English foundation. I intend to use engaging techniques and visual aids to improve comprehension while creating a comfortable environment for questions.
Cultural differences in teaching methods also pose challenges. I will learn about Thai culture and education to adapt effectively.
Moving to a new country can be daunting, but engaging with expat and local communities offers valuable support for adjustment. I hope to deepen my understanding of Thai culture, enhancing my appreciation for diversity.
Professionally, I aim to improve my teaching skills, especially in classroom management and lesson planning, while interacting with diverse students to enhance communication and problem-solving skills.
I look forward to building meaningful relationships with students and educators to create a supportive community. Ultimately, I believe this journey will enrich my growth as an educator and person, fueling my passion for teaching and cultural exchange.

[Haley Borgrud]

Hi everyone! My name is Haley. I am 27 years old and live in Madison, Wisconsin in the United States! I have a bachelor’s degree in journalism and have spent my career, thus far, working in the non-profit sector. Taking the big move to Thailand is an exciting new journey. I’ve always enjoyed working with kids and hope to help students feel inspired and excel in the classroom. One challenge I expect is the language barrier between Thai and English. I strive to be able to communicate efficiently with those around me, especially other teachers in my school and cultivate relationships. As a first year teacher, I will face challenges as I break into this new role. While living in Thailand, I hope to make new friends and become fully immersed in Thai culture.

[Haley Borgrud]

Hi Simon,

I look forward to meeting you during this program! I too feel a lot of excitement about assimilating into a new culture.

Cheers ~

[Christian Pierce]

Hello, my name is Christian I’m from Los Angeles CA and I graduated last summer with a degree in film from USC! I’ve loved traveling my entire life and was attracted to film at a young age because of its powerful collective ability to communicate feelings to people, no matter what culture or language they speak. I had a lot of trouble getting a job in the film business earlier this year between the strikes, AI advancements, etc. (plus it’s just always been a hard place to get work), and finally decided that I wanted to continue following my passion of travel plus connecting with people of different cultures through teaching English in Thailand! I’ve also been deeply interested in Buddhism for a few years, and I’m super excited to explore the religious/philosophical parts of Thai culture. I find the creative process to be more collectivist than individualistic (I guess another problem I had with the set-up of Hollywood) and cannot wait to learn and experience Thai Buddhism firsthand!
I assume there will be tons of challenges to face while teaching and traveling in Thailand, I’ve traveled quite a bit in the states, and across Europe, but I’ve never been to Asia. I’m learning a little bit of Thai right now, but I think the language barrier will be one of the biggest challenges. Also, I think the formal dress code for teachers plus the intense heat could be extra physically demanding. Overall, just adapting to the culture will be a challenge. But it should also be super fulfilling and lead to some incredible experiences. I just hope to immerse myself as much as possible in Thailand, embrace the challenges, and learn about this way of life. I’m beyond excited for the journey ahead and wish everyone else visiting/moving to this country the best of luck!

[Katalin Smythe]

Hi! My name is Katie. I am 27 and I am from Australia. I have been a high school science teacher for the past 5 years and for all of 2024 I have been travelling around Europe and Asia on a year off from work. I wanted to take part in this program as I have visited Thailand in 2018 and fell in love with the culture. I have also always wanted to teach overseas and this felt like a great way to start.
I think the biggest challenge will be navigating cultural differences during this program however this is also something I am excited to experience. A big reason for choosing this program was because I liked the idea of experiencing this with others and I think having each other as a support will really help overcome this challenge. Working in the space of English language will also be new for me and I am excited to learn more about how to teach these skills effectively.
I really hope that from this experience I will build more confidence in teaching English learners as this is something I will be able to use in my teaching practice in Australia.
I really look forward to meeting everyone soon!

[Kelis Lovo]

Hello my name is Kelis, I am from El Salvador but when I was 12 years old I move to San Francisco California and have live here since. I have a background in education teaching ESL to newcomers, which has fueled my desire to explore new cultures and environments. I’ve always been passionate about teaching, and I believe that immersing myself in a different country will enhance my perspective, in education.

I have decided to move to Thailand for several reasons. Firstly, I’m drawn to its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and vibrant communities. I want to experience the local way of life, explore the diverse cuisine, and engage with the warm and welcoming people. Additionally, I see this move as an opportunity for personal and professional growth, allowing me to learn more about myself and others.
I expect to face several challenges during my transition, including language barriers, cultural differences, and adapting to a new lifestyle. To overcome these obstacles, I plan to take language classes to improve my communication skills and actively engage with locals to gain a deeper understanding of the culture. I’ll also stay open-minded and flexible, recognizing that challenges are part of the journey.
Through this experience, I hope to gain a greater appreciation for diversity and broaden my worldview. I aim to build meaningful connections, both personally and professionally, and develop skills that will benefit me in the future. Ultimately, I want to create lasting memories and foster a sense of adventure that will enrich my life.

[Author]

Posts