Travel to Teach Experience: Thailand (TEFL Certification) (Formerly "Traveling Teacher")

This past summer before entering my Junior year of college I decided to follow my passions for educating others and traveling by embarking on a 2-week trip to Thailand. This experience was hands down the most life-altering and breathtaking excursion I have had the privilege of experiencing in my lifetime thus far. The staff was exceptional both the American and Thai staff members) and there was always something new to learn, see, or do! There literally were (basically) elephants in our backyard! I 100% recommend Loop Abroad programs, especially the traveling teacher program, to anyone interested in stepping outside your comfort zone and taking in a whole new and incredible culture. One thing I will recommend if you decide t go on this program is to travel to Thailand with an open mind! The hill tribe village in which we stayed, Ban Lao, was more rural than anticipated with cold showers and bugs galore, but honestly I loved every second of it and it make the trip and our group closer/better as a whole! It has been only 2 months since I've retuned from my trip to Chiang Mai and I miss it more and more each day... Am definitely returning to Thailand in the near future and hope to pursue a career Teaching Abroad post-graduation. Thank you loop for the unforgettable experience of a lifetime!

When I saw this program I immediately knew that I wanted to take this adventure. Unsure of what was next for me as a recent college graduate, I was craving to travel outside my comfort zone. This trip definitely met all of my expectations and more!

For the two week-long trip, I always looked forward to what was planned next. From teaching English and living in a village in Ban Lao, to exploring the city in Chiang Mai and meeting an amazing group of people, it made my trip a memorable one. Living in the village is definitely something to get used to, it is not like living at home or staying at a hotel. The living conditions are the best they can be given the fact that you are staying in a village away from the city. It is very rewarding when you visit the children at the school and interact with them. Let alone being able to interact with the elephants, I felt very fortunate to have such an astounding opportunity. During the weekend when we stayed in the city, the conditions were accommodating from the resort we stayed at to shopping at the night market. Despite the obstacles that you might be faced with, you have to come to Thailand with an open mind. When you do, you'll have an amazing and unforgettable experience!

The summer entering my junior of college I pushed myself to travel across the globe with complete strangers to spend a few weeks both teaching English but also to obtain my TEFL certification. I knew I wanted to embark on this journey but I had no idea what that really entailed. To my great surprise I had the time of my life. The staff supported me and the group I was with the entire time. From dealing with culture shock to overall adjustment the staff was right by our sides the entire time. They helped us become the teachers we always wanted to me. The hands on experience in the classroom was something I would have never been able to receive in the USA. Having a classroom of 25 second grade Thai students who had never practiced English at all was a huge task. But with my new found friends by my side and my teacher encouraging me and giving helpful hints, it was the most rewarding experience of my life. I love the outdoors so being able to live with and for the people in Ban Lao completed my experience. From soccer games in the mud to helping farmers plant their fields I made unbreakable connections with the people I encountered. If I could go back right now I would, no hesitations at all. Loop Abroad was so wonderful and helped me achieve my dreams.

Loop abroad's traveling teacher program was amazing. The classes where hands on & the teacher was always extremely helpful & literally living with you could always ask questions. The school where we did our hours truly welcomed us & all the students showed so much love & appreciation you couldn't help but to fall in love. I loved that we got to live exactly how our students lived. We had bugs, cold showers, & supper thin mattresses. But it honestly was completely duable especially because the staff was always there for you, protecting you and taking care of you. I think it makes you grow as a person & makes you appreciate the little things. If people live like that I don't see why we can't! That was honestly one of my favorite parts! I think it made us all as a group closer having to fight of the bugs. We had elephants practically in our back yard!!! & we got to go to the Elephant Nature Park! We got to see the city in the weekends & stay in a nice hotel & we got to go to the markets! I would recommend this program to anyone !! I would do it myself in a heart beat as well!

I didn't have a very clear idea of what I was getting into by participating in this program, but I'm glad I went for it. Loop Abroad's TEFL program was unlike anything I've ever done before and I will treasure the experience the rest of my life. The staff was very friendly and accommodating of each participant's individual needs. Everything was so meticulously prepared for us, it seemed like they always had something for us to do, or see or learn. The living arrangements were a bit rustic, but being out in a hill tribe village and seeing all the amazing views was well worth getting a few bug bites. The actual teaching part wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Loop does a really good job of making sure everybody's prepared to go into the classroom and start teaching, plus the kids at the school were actually pretty excited to be learning English. It's about as real as an experience as you can get in a TEFL certification course, and I feel well-prepared for getting a real teaching job.

This was my first time travelling with strangers so my anxiety level was crazy high but the staff at Loop Abroad are so responsive pre-Thailand and at every point of the trip that it made the trip easily enjoyable. I also had to travel separately from the group and had to stay an extra day due to my departing flight. Meeting up with the group after landing in Thailand was so easy (you can't miss them, I was randomly walking around and bumped into all of them) and I didn't expect accommodations for the extra night or a trip to the airport either but LA set me up with ALL OF IT.
Our Thai guides were just the absolute best. They were so friendly and knew everything and anything about Thailand. Words cannot describe the impact they have on your experience; you will miss them when you leave.
For the majority of the trip you will be staying in a hilltribe village, which means you will be sleeping on a mattress on the floor under a mosquito net in a little house and you will probably share the bathroom with a few bugs. But all that is nothing compared to the breathtaking view you get every morning, the amazing food prepared for you throughout the day, and all the wonderful people and animals you will only have meet at the village. Also it's close to the school you teach at, so you get to see your students go home and sometimes you can see where they live and it really gives you perspective into their daily lives. Thai kids are the nicest, cutest, and most polite kids you will ever meet. Even if you don't like kids, you will love these. And you do stay in the city on the weekends where you will explore and stay at a hotel. There is so much to do and explore that you will only get to see a fraction of what the city has to offer.
Our TEFL instructor was knowledgeable and experienced, she shared lots of stories about classes she's taught abroad and is very helpful too if you have minimal to no classroom experience.
This was definitely a one of a kind adventure, although it may not be for everyone. If you are willing to get a little dirty it is well worth it.

Going into this trip, I felt pretty nervous and unsure. I don't know what it was with the people around me, but no one agreed with me going on this trip. In the end, I decided not to let other people's words/opinions bother me because I thought to myself, "How could I pass up such a good opportunity?" and i'm glad I didn't! I think it's safe to say that I had an amazing time and experience! Living the village life was definitely interesting and intimidating but it was a welcoming experience. I really enjoyed learning about Thai culture and being able to experience the life that these Thai people lived in. The village life is definitely not the life for me but being able to work with the kids and interact with them every day made it bearable! The kids were absolutely amazing! This trip was definitely an eye-opening experience and has made me appreciate the city life a lot more. It's been a little over a month since I came back from this trip, and till this day, I still think about the kids and all the amazing people that I have met in such a short period of time in Thailand. Like the title of my review says, 10/10 I would definitely do it again!

Prior to this trip, I had been taking an online course in order to obtain my CERTESL/CERTEFL. Each course was already $500 CAD, and you had to take 6 of them with absolutely no hands on training. So it was either, 2 years of online reading or hands on trip in Thailand.

The hands on approach for the Travelling Teacher was incredibly beneficial, as you are able to refine your skills and practice them with a well educated and caring instructor. I loved my class, they were hilarious.
Now this trip is not necessarily a vacation- there is a purpose to this trip. So a five star resort is not included. But why would you want to stay at a five star resort when you can experience life the way the locals do? I gained a whole new appreciation and respect for how the villagers lived. It wouldn't have been fair if I stayed in a fancy hotel, while my students and fellow teachers are living in modest homes.
Anyways, the trip was an amazing cultural experience as well. We were fortunate enough to participate in Buddha Day with our students and got to visit many temples and learn about their importance. Every night we got to hang out with our guides who taught us Thai, showed us Thai instruments and played games.
Our guides were super accommodating, one of our guides even brought me instant noodles and eggs for the last couple days :P
I really enjoyed all the sites and activities that we participated in, and I would recommend this trip to anyone who isn't afraid to get a little dirty. If you are expecting a fancy hotel, look elsewhere.