I’m Emily, I’m from County Waterford in Ireland, and I’ve been teaching English in Thailand through The TEFL Institute of Ireland since October 2025. When I first decided to move abroad, I spent hours reading blogs and watching TikTok videos from other teachers because I wanted to know what life was like. Most of what I found focused on the travel side of things, but I was just as curious about the day to day reality of teaching. 

So, if you’re thinking about teaching abroad, I thought I’d share what my typical life looks like, what teaching in the classroom is really like, and some of the things I’ve learned over the past nine months. 

I actually completed my TEFL qualification a couple of years before moving to Thailand. At the time, I wasn’t planning on leaving straight away, but I always had it in the back of my mind that I’d use it one day after finishing university. Teaching abroad was something that had always interested me. I’d heard so many positive stories from people who had done it before, and reading blogs like this only made me want to experience it for myself. 

More than anything, I wanted a change. I wanted to move away for more than just a holiday. I wasn’t looking to travel for a few weeks and come home, I wanted to build a life somewhere different, experience another culture properly, meet new people and challenge myself. I’d been backpacking before and absolutely loved it, but I also realised it wasn’t something I wanted to do long-term. Backpacking can be amazing, but it can also be exhausting. You’re constantly packing your bag, booking buses and accommodation, figuring out where you’re going next and, of course, spending money every day. 

I realised I actually like having a routine. I enjoy having somewhere to call home, getting into a rhythm during the week and then travelling when I have time off. Teaching abroad seemed like the perfect balance. I could earn a salary, experience a completely different culture, have weekends and school holidays to travel, and still enjoy the stability of everyday life. 

I’d also never been to Asia before, so Thailand felt like the perfect place to start. It’s somewhere I’d always wanted to visit, and it also gives you easy access to explore the rest of Southeast Asia. 

Like any teaching job, my weekdays follow a fairly normal routine. I work Monday to Friday, and my school day begins at 8:00 a.m. Every morning starts with assembly, which usually lasts

around 20 to 30 minutes. During assembly, the students line up by class, the Thai national anthem is played, and there are often announcements, presentations or updates from the school. 

It’s actually something I’ve really enjoyed experiencing because it’s such a different part of school culture compared to back home. I live close to my school, so every morning I hop on my scooter and drive the five minutes to work. At this stage it has become part of my routine and honestly one of my favourite parts of the morning. 

Classes usually begin around 8:40 a.m. and the school day runs until around 4:00 p.m., you don’t teach every single period of the day. Depending on your timetable, you’ll usually have free periods between classes. I normally use these to prepare PowerPoints, print worksheets, catch up on lesson planning, grab breakfast or a coffee, or simply have a chat with the other foreign and Thai teachers in the staff room. 

It’s a really nice balance because you have enough time during the day to stay organised rather than bringing lots of work home every evening. 

At the moment, I teach English to M5 and M6 students, who are generally between 16 and 18 years old. If you’re from Ireland, this would be the equivalent of teaching 5th and 6th year students. Earlier in the school year, I also taught M1 and M2 students, who are roughly the equivalent of 1st and 2nd year in secondary school. 

One thing I’ve learned is that every age group and every class is completely different. The younger students tend to have much more energy and love interactive games and activities. They can sometimes have shorter attention spans, so lessons need to move at a quicker pace. 

The older students are often a little quieter at first, especially when speaking English, but once they feel comfortable, they’re brilliant to teach. They enjoy conversations, debates and activities that allow them to express their opinions.Every class has its own personality. You can teach exactly the same lesson to two different classes and have two completely different experiences, which keeps every day interesting. 

One of the questions I get asked most often is how much lesson planning is involved. The good news is that you’re not expected to create an entire curriculum from scratch. 

We’re provided with a course plan for each year group, so we know exactly what topics need to be covered throughout the term. This includes the vocabulary students need to learn, conversation topics, learning objectives and suggested activities.From there, it’s up to you to create PowerPoint presentations and decide how you’d like to teach the lesson.

One thing I really like is the flexibility. Not every class has the same level of English, so you’re encouraged to adapt your lessons depending on your students. If a class is struggling with a topic, you can simplify the vocabulary or conversation practice. If another class has stronger English, you can challenge them with more advanced speaking activities or vocabulary. 

After the first couple of weeks, you get a really good understanding of each class’s ability, and lesson planning becomes much easier because you know what works best for them.We also complete weekly lesson plans. Ours are already largely filled in with the curriculum content, so it’s more about reflecting any changes you’ve made rather than writing everything from scratch. Every week, we upload our PowerPoints to the school’s Google Drive, which keeps everything organised and allows the school to keep a record of what has been taught. 

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that no two lessons are ever the same. Some classes are full of energy and answer every question. Others need a little more encouragement before they’ll speak. Sometimes an activity you think is going to be amazing completely falls flat, while something you planned as a quick five-minute task ends up being the highlight of the lesson. 

I’ve learned not to overthink it. Teaching is very much about reading the room and adapting as you go. If something isn’t working, it’s completely okay to change your plan and try something different. The more experience you gain, the more confident you become doing that. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that students of every age love games. Kahoot is always a favourite. The competitive element gets everyone involved, and it’s a really fun way to review vocabulary and grammar. At the same time, I’ve found it’s important not to rely on Kahoot every lesson because students can eventually get used to it. 

I like to alternate between online games and classroom-based activities to keep things fresh. I also use worksheets quite a lot, particularly for grammar and vocabulary practice. There are brilliant websites like the British Council that have thousands of free resources you can download and adapt for your own classes. 

One tip I’d give any new teacher is to ask your students what they enjoy doing. They’ll often tell you what games they like, and it’s a really good way of making them feel involved in the lesson. 

Towards the middle and end of each term, students complete a midterm and final examination. Teachers create these exams based on the content covered in class, following the structure

provided by the school. For example, our exams included multiple-choice questions, reading comprehension and longer written responses. 

Once the exams are complete, we grade them and record students’ results.Students are also assessed on things like attendance, participation, classroom behaviour, worksheets and their overall contribution throughout the term, so it’s not just their exam result that counts. 

Although teaching is obviously the main reason I’m here, some of my favourite memories have happened outside school. One of the best things about living in Thailand is having a routine while still having plenty of opportunities to explore. After school, it’s not unusual to go for dinner with friends, visit a local café or simply relax after the day. 

On weekends, we’ll often explore nearby towns, visit local markets or head away on short trips.During the school holidays, I’ve been able to travel around Thailand and even visit neighbouring countries, which has been one of the biggest perks of teaching abroad. Having a salary and knowing I have a job to come back to makes travelling so much more enjoyable because there’s no pressure to rush from place to place. 

One of my biggest worries before moving to Thailand was making friends. Moving to the other side of the world on your own sounds scary, and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. Looking back, I really didn’t need to worry. During orientation in Bangkok, I met so many other teachers who were all starting the exact same journey. Everyone was new, everyone was nervous and everyone wanted to make friends. 

Since then, we’ve built such a lovely little community. We go out for dinner together, explore Thailand at weekends, celebrate birthdays, travel during school holidays and are always there to help each other if someone needs advice or support. 

The Thai teachers at my school have also been incredibly welcoming from day one, and they’ve helped make settling into life here so much easier. 

When I first moved to Thailand, I thought the best part would be the travel. While travelling has been incredible, I think my favourite part has actually been building a life here. 

I’ve become more confident, met amazing people, experienced a culture I’d never experienced before and learned so much—not just about teaching, but about myself too.

If you’re considering teaching English abroad, I’d definitely recommend it. It can feel like a huge step, but for me it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. It’s given me the opportunity to do meaningful work, explore an amazing part of the world and create memories that I’ll genuinely keep for the rest of my life.