Invaluable teaching experience, great support, and friendly environment

I spent a year with BFITS teaching at a large convent school based in the heart of Bangkok. Having worked overseas for one year in South Korea, I had some experience of dealing with companies placing native teachers in schools and language centers. Currently I work in essentially the same job at a private high school in Tokyo.

I found BFITS to be professional, supportive, and organised. Along with this, I found their staff to be knowledgeable with regards to good teaching practice. As somebody who still teaches English and sees this as my career, my time in BFITS taught me a lot about teaching large classes, using materials, engaging with students, classroom management, writing tests and arranging a curriculum. Among other critical applications for an aspiring teacher. The company were efficient with the arranging of visa dates and clear about how the process works.

I taught classes of around 25 students between the ages of 13 - 15. When I started the position, I was given a tour of the premises along with a chance to observe lessons and get a feel for the school. The company was very supportive in this and provided me with a useful handbook to give me an idea of how to conduct myself around the school, and I was also given pre-prepared attendance records and other such materials. Now that I work in a high school in Japan, i have learned that these benefits - while seeming small - are not always provided and are very handy!

BFITS is a multi-cultural organisation. Between management and teaching staff I worked directly with staff from Thailand (of course), America, Philippines, Taiwan, Britain, and Canada to name a few. This multitude of nationalities lends itself extremely well to a positive teaching environment, the importance of which cannot be understated as - in order to provide students with a cooperative environment in which to study English - that atmosphere should exist within the teaching staff as well. This is something BFITS has fortunately recognized.

In regards to management, I again left with a very positive impression of the program - BFITS provided regular feedback and observation, and my program manager did a wonderful job of recognizing improvement as well as offering areas for potential improvement. Feedback was always constructive and well laid out. My co-teachers were also very professional, highly motivated and generous with their time and knowledge. The head teacher of the English department was also very friendly and helpful - not always the case when working in a foreign country as an English teacher and a mighty relief.

Overall I would highly recommend BFITS, particularly to new teachers who are motivated and want to ''try on'' English teaching. Thailand is a very beautiful country and has plenty of sights to see, so even if you're just wanting to work overseas while seeing the sights, the company does provide a generous amount of time off. Just be sure that you're motivated to work hard and be professional, but with that being said, I think this role could appeal to someone who wants to take a year out and see Southeast Asia.