English Teacher to Thai Buddhist Monks

As a volunteer, you will gain access to the completely different world of Thai temple schools or universities. In these educational institutions, the day starts very early: students arrive around 7:30 at school, where they receive some morning announcements and proceed to meditate until 8:30 when classes begin. Students also pray and meditate at lunchtime. Being able to participate in these practices, recite mantras with the students, celebrate festivals and learn about the traditions as a guest of the monastic community will surely prove to be a unique and enriching experience.

Volunteers' experiences will vary depending on whether they are working at a school or a university:

First, in schools, volunteers are assigned their tasks based on their abilities. If the volunteer feels capable enough and confident enough to teach and manage a class, he/she could teach it directly himself/herself; otherwise, the volunteer will be assigned a Thai teacher, whom the volunteer will have to support through daily lessons and assignments. 

Being able to speak English in Thailand is a highly sought after and important skill that can really change the lives of students who are able to learn it. Through your help, you will help your students build strong connections in their lives. 

In most of these schools, every student and faculty member is a Buddhist monk. Students are between the ages of 12 and 15 and usually have had little or no interaction with foreigners. Volunteers are welcome to join the students and faculty during lunch so they can get to know each other better.

We ask volunteers to prepare and plan each lesson before giving them. When planning, we suggest that volunteers try to cover the four main English skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) within a one-hour period of a class.

At the university, the environment is quite different: there are usually around two hundred students; most of the students are between 18 and 22 years old; the students are not exclusively Thai, but also from many other nationalities such as Laos, Bangladesh, Cambodia and India (it is an international institution focused on higher education for Buddhist monks). 

The university with which our volunteers collaborate is located in one of the most historic and well-known temples in Chiang Mai. Each volunteer will be supervised by highly qualified and bilingual staff working in the English department of the university. 

Volunteers can expect to assist English teachers with scheduled lessons and also help students outside of the classroom on an informal basis to practice topics such as pronunciation, writing, grammar, conversation and other homework or study. At times, Thai teachers will also ask for volunteer support in the preparation and grading of their class. These responsibilities will be assigned based on the relationship the volunteer and teacher may have. 

Some religious considerations to keep in mind:

• First, remember that things or people who follow religious rules may not chant, dance, play active sports or games, or clap. Students of Buddhist monks may play simple games, as long as they are not too physically active. In addition, Buddhist monks are allowed to perform; art programs are often very popular among students at these schools, as students love to use art as a means of expression. We encourage our volunteers to bring art projects or ideas to class, as long as they are within Buddhist regulation.
• Secondly, volunteers must wear appropriate clothing. This means that volunteers should not wear clothes that are too tight or too bare. In addition, volunteers should wear long skirts for projects at the university (volunteers may wear loose fitting pants for projects in schools), shirts that cover their shoulders and wear breasts and remove/cover piercings and tattoos.
• Thirdly, smoking and drinking are prohibited both in the schools and in the accommodations.

Finally, please note that not all monks may touch or be touched by a woman. Also, women may not hand something directly to a Buddhist monk; they must first place the object on a secondary object such as a chair or table (never the floor).

Each week a Buddhist day is selected, on which the university will remain closed. When this day is a weekday, volunteers can make up that day on Saturday of that week. The university is closed on Sundays, Thai holidays and Buddhist holidays.

Classes at Buddhist temples follow these schedules:

In schools:

• 8:00 Morning announcements, assembly and prayers.
• 8:30 Start of school day, first class of the day begins
• 11:10 Lunch time 
• 12:10 Assembly and prayers
• 12:40 Continue with classes
• 16:20 End of school day.

At the University:

Volunteers will support in the temple schools for beginners in the mornings, because volunteers at the university have a fairly light schedule. In the morning, university students stay at Buddhist temples to practice rituals, prayers and meditation. After lunch, volunteers will join the university and collaborate until 4:30 p.m. when classes end.

Volunteers are encouraged to join students, teachers and staff in prayer and meditation. If volunteers do not wish to participate, we just want them to be respectful of these religious activities.

You will volunteer in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. A complete contrast to Thailand's capital Bangkok, Chiang Mai is a smaller city with a great connection to the environment, providing direct access to the beautiful nearby forest mountains that are a hotspot for adventurers and nature lovers alike. Besides that, Chiang Mai also has very intriguing traditionally Thai sites, such as its well-known open-air markets, its historical center full of centuries-old temples or the Buddhist temples near the city. 

In addition, Chiang Mai could offer you hiking and trekking in mountains and rice fields, beautiful handicrafts in its markets, night safaris, a lively nightlife that you can enjoy with other volunteers in the Zoe Yellow area, among other things.

During your stay, you can also visit some of Thailand's other beautiful places, such as its beaches or historical sites like Ayutthaya.