By Kate Taylor, Teacher in Bangkok
If you told me over a year ago that I’d be living in Bangkok teaching kindergarten children aged two to five, I honestly don’t think I would have believed you. Yet fast forward to now, I’ve just started my second term of teaching, and my days consist of songs, dancing, and lots of games! While being a kindergarten teacher can be exhausting and sometimes unpredictable, it is 100% the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. So come along on a day in my life as a teacher here in Bangkok.
6:00-8:00am:
My mornings start pretty early. I wake up and get ready for work at around 6:00am, and somehow I’m still not used to the early mornings! Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I get to see gorgeous sunrises from my bedroom window before leaving for work.
I quickly eat some fruit for breakfast before leaving my flat at roughly 7:00am to catch the bus to school. The bus journey only takes around five minutes and costs 15 Baht, which is about 30p! Once I get to the bus stop, I normally treat myself to an iced chocolate from 7/11 before heading into the teachers’ office.
By around 7:30am, I clock in and begin prepping materials for my lessons. This usually involves organising flashcards, worksheets, games, and making sure I have enough energy for the very busy day ahead!
8:00-9:00am:
The school day begins at 8:00am, where I find myself teaching pre-kindergarten classes for the first hour. Once the day starts, there’s never really a quiet moment — especially with a pre-k class full of crying children!
At the moment, my main aim with this class is helping them settle down and begin getting comfortable with me. I’ve found that songs and dances work really well to calm them down, so my mornings usually involve a lot of singing and movement activities. This was definitely a big adjustment at first, as it can be difficult to summon that much energy so early in the morning. However, seeing their smiles and hearing their giggles makes it completely worth it.
After song time, I normally do some sort of educational activity or game. Since the children are only two years old, I often help them one at a time to complete tasks. Activities can vary from flashcards and sorting games to fine motor skill activities.
Before I know it, the first lesson is over, and I’m saying goodbye to the children before heading over to my K2 class.
9:00-10:10am:
My second class of the day is with my 4–5-year-old children in K2, which is a very different experience compared to pre-k! This lesson is split into two half-hour sessions with a scheduled ten-minute break in between.
The lesson topics vary depending on our ten-day rotation schedule, but subjects include English, maths, phonics, reading, and writing. We also sometimes take the children to the library or computer room to play phonics games, which they absolutely love.
I really enjoy the variety of lessons available with the slightly older children, as I find it easier to plan engaging activities and games for them. Typically, I start with our morning routine before introducing a song to wake everyone up a little more. After that, I move into teaching or reviewing vocabulary using flashcards and interactive activities.
Once we’ve reviewed the topic, we usually play a game to keep the children engaged and active. Kindergarten classes definitely require constant energy and entertainment — if not, you lose their attention very quickly!
10:10-11:10am:
This is when I head back over to pre-k, where I repeat a similar routine to earlier in the morning. We go over simple vocabulary before completing an activity to reinforce what they’ve learned.
Depending on the timetable, I also use this time to complete worksheet pages to ensure we stay up to date with the curriculum. This section of the day often ends slightly early, as the Thai teachers are usually eager to get the babies fed and put down for naps as soon as possible.
11:10-11:40am:
The school I work at happens to be a private school with multiple programme levels available. During this half-hour session, I teach children from a different programme, where they receive only 30 minutes a day with an English teacher compared to the two hours offered in the alternative programme.
I follow a similar routine during this lesson, focusing on introducing relevant vocabulary and incorporating games so every child gets a chance to participate and demonstrate their understanding.
11:40am-12:20pm:
Lunch time!!! This is very much needed by this point in the day.
I usually buy food from vendors who come into the school, which is one of my favourite parts of the day. There’s always such a good variety of food available, and it’s a nice chance to sit down and recharge for a little while.
Unfortunately, lunch goes by way too quickly, so I normally spend the rest of the break eating, preparing resources, and planning lessons for the next day.
12:20-1:20pm:
For the final hour of the day, I head back to my K2 class. I normally try to teach another topic during the first half hour alongside a game, as the children tend to have lots of energy after lunch and this helps keep them engaged.
Towards the end of the lesson, I like to do story time. On Fridays, if the children have behaved well throughout the week, I sometimes let them spend time upstairs on the indoor playground, which is always very exciting for them!
Once lessons finish at 1:20pm, I head back to the teachers’ office to put away my resources and catch up with the other teachers.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I teach two hours of after-school classes with K1 students, meaning I stay at school until 4:00pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, however, I don’t have any after-school classes, so I’m free to leave from around 1:30pm. These are definitely my favourite days, as it feels like I still have so much of the afternoon left to enjoy!
Overall:
Overall, my days as a kindergarten teacher are hectic, exhausting, and sometimes a little chaotic; but they are also incredibly rewarding and fun.
One of the best parts about teaching in Bangkok is the work-life balance. Finishing most days at either 1:30pm or 4:00pm means I still have plenty of time to explore the city, try new food spots, relax at my condo pool, or go to the gym after work.
Living and working in Bangkok as a kindergarten teacher has pushed me far outside of my comfort zone, but it has also given me so much independence, confidence, and freedom. Although every day is different, I know this is an experience I’ll look back on for the rest of my life.
