Assignment 1: Introduction

Hi my name is Simone Watsford. I am a 50 year old from Australia who has over 20 years experience teaching children. I am also a qualified horticulturist with over 30 years of knowledge which I like to incorporate into my daily teachings. I have been married for 30 years and have 2 beautiful adult aged children. Since my husband works away for long periods and my children are grown independent adults. I chose to partake in this program as I love the Thai culture, people and landscapes. I am excited to share my knowledge and skills while learning myself, meeting new people, travelling to new places and do what I love – teaching.

Hello,
It looks like we may have a similar background in corporate and making a change to teach in Thailand. I look forward to meeting you soon!

Hi everyone! My name is Maddi, I’m 30 years old and I’m from Perth in Western Australia! I’m a fully qualified Chartered Accountant, and have been working for almost 5 years in that career – but I felt like I just needed a break from that, so here I am!
I have always loved to travel and experience new places, but I wanted to be able to get a bit more immersed in another place/culture, rather than just a short visit. I decided to do the English Teaching program in Thailand through Global Work & Travel, so I could fulfil this want of mine, as well as be able to hopefully help some kids learn a new language! As I mentioned, I needed a break from accounting, and I wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid, so I thought this would be a great and exciting opportunity!
The challenges I expect to face are, of course, the language barrier and cultural differences. I have been using an app for a few months trying to get at least some Thai basics down, but I would like to be able to hold a conversation by the end of my time in Thailand, hopefully by getting to become a “local” in the area in which I’ll be teaching! I think the cultural differences will just be something I have to learn about and adapt to as I go.
I think my biggest challenge though will be how much I miss my pet cat, Cleo, while I’m gone 🙁
What do you hope to get out of your experience?
I hope through this experience I am able to help people through learning a new language, and feel fulfilled in the job. I also hope that I make new friends, and have lots of fun and memorable experiences! I’m so excited to go on this journey! 🙂

Hi,
My name is Holly, and I am from Queensland, Australia. I have worked as a disability support worker for the past 4.5 years and I’ve also done some work as a casual relief teacher’s aide in a primary school. My mum is a teacher’s aide and worked in the SEU at the school and I’ve played sport and coached since a young age so I’ve always been naturally inclined to helping others, supporting and guiding them in whatever way I can.
When I was 18, I came across an ad for Global Work & Travel and I called them about it. I was told I was too young and then about a year ago, I came back across another ad and thought that it must been time for me to put myself out there. I chose Thailand because I wanted to try a culture that was completely different to my own. I am ready to tackle any challenges that may come my way but I suspect the biggest challenge that I will face will be having to adapt to all the culture norms that may be different to Australia’s. I am a social butterfly and ready to put myself out there but I feel like I have lots to learn about the way of life in Thailand, which I am excited to learn through pure perseverance and determination. I don’t believe I’ll get home sick but I will miss my friends and family for sure, but I also know that there will be opportunities to make new friends which is exciting!
I’ve always wanted to try teaching overseas and anything I learn whilst I’m overseas, whether it’s about the job, the culture, the country or the people will just be an amazing added bonus.
Thanks so much everyone! I’m so excited!
– Holly

Hello everyone,

My name is Bora and I am from the Netherlands. I hold a degree in biomedical sciences, and for the last four years I have been working as an industrial process engineer.

Over the past year, my work has started to feel less and less rewarding, and the feeling of being stuck in the 9-to-5 routine prompted me to look for a new adventure. When I stumbled upon the TESOL programme, I immediately got excited and signed up.

Other reasons for moving to Thailand are my desire to see and experience more of the world, not just through brief holidays, but by truly experiencing what it is like to live somewhere else. I have also always been interested in teaching (it runs in the family). Before starting my biomedical studies, I briefly attended a teacher training program with biology as my subject. Although I decided to switch to biomedical sciences after a year, I still remember having a great experience during an internship where I taught biology at a local high school for about three months. After four years of mainly working with numbers, I also felt a growing need to apply more of my soft skills in my professional life and work more closely with other people. Therefore, teaching felt like a very logical step to take.

While I feel quite confident about starting this new chapter, I of course expect to face several challenges along the way. Getting familiar with and living in a place with a completely new culture will require both practical and psychological adjustments. As I have never been to Thailand (or Asia for that matter) before, I will be going in without much prior knowledge of the country, which feels a little intimidating, but exciting at the same time. In addition, teaching relatively young students carries a responsibility that I take very seriously. While I already had a positive experience teaching during the internship I mentioned earlier, I know there is still much for me to learn as I grow into this role.

Finally, I hope this experience will contribute to my personal growth, deepen my understanding of the world and other cultures, and enrich my professional life with new experiences. I can’t wait to get started!

Hi everyone,

My name is Michael. I’m originally from the U.S. and have spent the past 10 years working in the video games industry. For the last several years I’ve been based in Los Angeles, where I focused on analyzing game markets and helping teams in China understand Western player behavior and industry trends.

I decided to come to Thailand because I wanted a meaningful change of pace and the chance to do something more people-focused. Teaching English felt like a great way to experience daily life in another country while contributing something positive. Thailand has always interested me culturally, and living here for several months felt like a rare opportunity to really immerse myself rather than just visit.

I expect the biggest challenge will be adjusting to a new environment and learning how classrooms operate in a different culture. My plan is to approach it with patience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from both students and other teachers.

From this experience, I hope to gain teaching skills, learn more about Thai culture, and connect with the local community. I’m also looking forward to meeting everyone in the program and sharing the experience together.

Best of luck to everyone!

Hello, My name is Regina and I’m from Utah in the United States. I am a working professional who has been working in corporate america for 10 years. With all the political turmoil happening here, I know that I’ve got to get out. I didn’t vote for this! I am excited to explore thailand to understand the food and really be immersed in a new cultural experience. I am also excited about learning about buddhism because it is a popular worldview in Thailand.

Hello
I’m Jazzlyn from The United States. I’m currently 28 years old. I work as an early education teacher and a direct support professional. I take care of people all day, everyday. In 2024 I was looking for ways to travel to Thailand because it was my dream. I discovered an opportunity to be a volunteer English teacher in Phayao. I volunteered for 3 months and ended up staying for an extra month in Chiang Rai. I fell in love with everything. I made a lot of friends. Everyone I met even though they didn’t always understand me was will to try a conversation with me. I started learning Thai about 3 months before left and I’m still learning.
That’s experience left me wanting more to be more involved with teaching and Thai culture. I’m truly happy to be going into this next chapter of my life.