Teaching Internship

Immerse yourself in the local hilltribe culture by living with a family in a traditional homestay. As a voluntary teaching intern at Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary you will be teaching basic as well a intermediate English classes at the local hilltribe primary school which houses grades 1-6. You will be able to teach some very basic English at the local nursery as well. In addition, you will have the amazing opportunity to join our elephant hikes. Some evenings will be spent running an after-school club and tutoring members of the community.

Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is set in the rolling hills of Northern Thailand in a Karen hilltribe village. It is surrounded by a forest that is perfect for our elephants to roam and forage in. 

The Karen people are originally from Myanmar but they have migrated to Thailand in search of a better life during the wars over many generations. Due to this they have their own language and culture, which volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and experience. They are keen weavers and are well known in Thailand for their elephant keeping. They make an income from their elephants and working in the fields, mainly growing rice and corn using rotational slash and burn. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn more first hand about their culture and even help out with the community when required.

This internship is perfect for any teaching/university students who need more work experience, anyone with a TEFL certificate , anyone thinking of getting a TEFL or any teachers looking for a new challenge and would like to help out a small hilltribe community. The applicants for this internship must have at least some previous teaching experience as well as a fluent knowledge of the English language. However, upon arrival there will be a small amount of teaching training provided. 

You are expected to work Monday to Friday. Three days a week you will wake up in the morning and have breakfast with our team before heading to the school with the kids. There you will be teaching children aged 6-12 years old. Your task is to improve their writing, speaking and reading English skills. Evenings will be spent completing lesson plans, running after school clubs and sometimes tutoring. Twice a week, you will have the chance to join our elephant hikes and spend the afternoons teaching very basic English at the local nursery. During the weekends you can  explore the surrounding area or just relax in the village.

During your free time, you will have the opportunity to bamboo raft down the river, get a Thai massage, manicure, pedicure, go for a swim, learn how to weave or explore the nearby villages, towns and waterfalls.