My experience with Gotoco Thailand 6 month programme

I had a great time during my Gotoco programme. It was an incredible experience with many great excursions which allowed me to learn about Thailand and the culture there.

The teaching experience itself was challenging, even having experience as an English teacher before, it was challenging. This was down to the school where I was placed; for example I didn't have a teaching assistant in my class, class sizes were large (40+ students) and had to design exams and the curriculum myself. This was not the experience of all people on the programme, but many that were teaching at high schools had a similar workload to myself. If you want to progress as a teacher then this is an excellent way to do so, but I'd recommend if you're new to teaching or worried about the workload, it would be best to let them know you'd prefer to be placed in a primary school, as they do ask about your preferences.

Overall, I had the time of my life and would recommend this to anyone thinking about moving to Asia, teaching English or wanting an step in to travelling abroad, as it is a great way to see if it is for you whilst having a support network around you! Nonetheless, it is challenging and you will have ups and downs, so being in a good headspace and an expectation to work hard is needed, otherwise it may be too much for you.