*"Don’t be scared to conquer the danger zones, for better opportunities await you there*.”
Simple line but full of meaning. This quote has been my compass as I navigate my voyage as a teacher here in Thailand.
About Me
From a simple Filipino guy to an international teacher in Thailand. Yes, that is me. My name is Michael. I have been teaching in Thailand for 7 years now as a Secondary Mathematics Teacher, both in junior high school and Senior High School. I love to explore and try new things. I am also thankful to have found this platform, where I can share my experiences, both in teaching, traveling, and my life here in Thailand.
During my free time, I enjoy watching science fiction movies, series in different genres which include space exploration, planet earth mysteries, romance, and animated movies. I might say I am a bit nerdy, and I make sure that I am always on top of everything that I do.
My Academic Journey While I am working in Thailand, I also find time to continue my studies. I juggled between work and study to finish my Master’s Degree. Tears and sweat were poured together with sleepless nights just to finally reach the finish line. And just like always, I made sure that I am pouring my 100 percent best, and thus, I graduated with Meritissimus award – with the highest academic honors. During my undergraduate degree, life was not that easy for me. My dad needed to work on the farm just to send me to school. During my free time, I am doing tutorial work to sustain my education. And because of this, I made a promise to myself that I am going to make my mom and dad proud, and I wanted them to go up on stage to dawn my medal. And so, I did, I graduated with honors (Cum Laude).
My Teaching Thailand Journey Just like other OFW stories, my life here in Thailand is not always rainbows and butterflies. Some thorns and stones were thrown along the way. During my first year here, I felt so overwhelmed about the Thai culture, about the student behavior, and about my new professional community. Though I am a small but terrible guy. I did my best to adjust myself to this new experience, and here I am now, about to open the 8th year of my teaching journey here. There are a lot more things to learn, but I can say that I am not well adjusted to their culture. I am now more engaged and connected with my students. Also, my employer is already recognizing my hard work as she is giving me incentives for it. Every day is a challenge for me that I am willing to take. Life is an ever-changing concept; thus, we need to be adaptable to the changing world. We should not fear to conquer the danger zones, for the best opportunities await you there. Turn your what-ifs into I did so you will not regret it for the rest of your life.
Why and Who Invited Me to Join Hive? I come across the Facebook page of @antonette and @chinito and she oriented me on how to onboard the Hive. She discussed how Hive works and all the dos and don’ts of the platform which includes no AI in creating and engaging in the post, no plagiarism, and only quality post is included. Moreover, we must post our own pictures. These rules as fundamental so there will not be any issue regarding the intellectual property rights.