u/Camouflage_Ox

Hi!
I've been thinking of getting a PGCE lately.
My main concern is that I expect the private school market to be even more biased towards native teachers than the entry-level positions I've been working in so far. At least when teaching EFL is concerned.

My degree is in art (sculpture), so this is the only subject I can teach outside of English.

My other problem is that I'd like to work in Japan or China. The former looks very close to impossible in my case, as even the private school sector seems to be oversaturated. I don't even know if the schools recognise a PGCE or look for other credentials/certifications.

I'm not sure what the situation is with work in China for someone like myself either.

I know the post is only partially related, as this sub is for people wanting to teach in the UK, not abroad. Hope the mods will have mercy on me.

I would greatly appreciate some insight and advice!

All the best!

Hi!
I wanted to learn more about project-based learning methods.

Doing this and relying only on my hunches will probably end up being a hot mess, so I wanted to ask you if there are any materials (books, yt channels, websites, etc.) that give you a better overview on how to teach English through meaningful projects? And how to monitor and give feedback to your students?

I looked at the subreddit's wiki, but couldn't find anything.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Hi!
I teach English (2 years of experience and a CELTA). I come from the EU, and I want to teach in Japan. I need some insight on GABA's requirements for people with my background (the 3 years and education in English requirements in particular).

I would really appreciate a comment or a DM from someone who managed to get hired by them.

All the best!

Hi!
I want to reactivate a music pod/radio show with a friend, but we're currently living on two different continents.
We're far apart, so there are going to be lags. Is there software made for our needs? Ie. software that minimises lagging on video calls

It would also be super helpful if it could record the sound from both of our PCs, so that we could play music and use soundboards in real time.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions!
Cheers!

Hi!

I'm thinking of moving to China as an EFL teacher.
My life passions are art and obnoxious music, so I'll be very interested in living in a place with a lot of activity like that.

It's probably safe to assume that the biggest cities like Beijing, Chengdu and ofc Shanghai have very vibrant scenes. But maybe there are more places that I don't know about?

I'm a non-native speaker, so my options for the locations are probably quite limited. It would be easiest for me to find work somewhere on the outskirts.

Also, is it easy to make local friends with just English?

Thanks a lot in advance and all the best!

Hi!
I went to therapy at the start of uni, and I have no idea what my diagnosis was specifically. Could you help me out?

I think my main problem was the lack of social skills. I've had a pretty isolated childhood, and then literally 0 friends and social life through junior high and high school. I often had days when I didn't say a word to anyone. I was spending most of my free time playing video games; I was also bullied through primary and junior high, and got an eating disorder in high school, so clearly living my best life. I think I was also diagnosed with depression? I was taking pills, but I don't remember an official diagnosis.

The main body of therapy was just me getting out there socially and then chatting with the therapist about this and other issues.

The main reason I'm asking about this is that I am 27 now and still feel behind my peers, so, frankly speaking, I'm looking for something to justify my mistakes through.
I still make some terrible social blunders and am often very awkward (also, I'm still on reddit, lol).
I've also made some not-so-smart life choices and wasted a lot of time at uni.
My therapist was saying that I would be very successful if I just completed my university without repeating any of the subjects.

Since I'm not aware of my diagnosis, idk what the grounds are for saying that, might as well be an offence to my intelligence, as far as I know.

I'm here because going back to the therapist and asking is much more expensive than going on reddit. I really want to know if my issue is to be taken seriously. I'd really appreciate your insight!

I would welcome some further reading on the topic of social isolation/lack of social skills, if you have any recommendations.

Thanks for stopping by and all the best!

Hi!
I went to therapy at the start of uni, and I have no idea what my diagnosis was specifically. Could you help me out?

I think my main problem was the lack of social skills. I've had a pretty isolated childhood, and then literally 0 friends and social life through junior high and high school. I often had days when I didn't say a word to anyone. I was spending most of my free time playing video games; I was also bullied through primary and junior high, and got an eating disorder in high school, so clearly living my best life. I think I was also diagnosed with depression? I was taking pills, but I don't remember an official diagnosis.

The main body of therapy was just me getting out there socially and then chatting with the therapist about this and other issues.

The main reason I'm asking about this is that I am 27 now and still feel behind my peers, so, frankly speaking, I'm looking for something to justify my mistakes through.
I still make some terrible social blunders and am often very awkward (also, I'm still on reddit, lol).
I've also made some not-so-smart life choices and wasted a lot of time at uni.
My therapist was saying that I would be very successful if I just completed my university without repeating any of the subjects.

Since I'm not aware of my diagnosis, idk what the grounds are for saying that. Might as well be an offence to my intelligence, as far as I know.

I'm here because going back to the therapist and asking is much more expensive than going on reddit. I really want to know if my issue is to be taken seriously. I'd really appreciate your insight!

I would welcome some further reading on the topic of social isolation/lack of social skills, if you have any recommendations.

Thanks for stopping by and all the best!

Hi!
I went to therapy at the start of uni, and I have no idea what my diagnosis was specifically. Could you help me out?

I think my main problem was the lack of social skills. I've had a pretty isolated childhood, and then literally 0 friends and social life through junior high and high school. I often had days when I didn't say a word to anyone. I was spending most of my free time playing video games; I was also bullied through primary and junior high, and got an eating disorder in high school, so clearly living my best life. I think I was also diagnosed with depression? I was taking pills, but I don't remember an official diagnosis.

The main body of therapy was just me getting out there socially and then chatting with the therapist about this and other issues.

The main reason I'm asking about this is that I am 27 now and still feel behind my peers, so, frankly speaking, I'm looking for something to justify my mistakes through.
I still make some terrible social blunders and am often very awkward (also, I'm still on reddit, lol).
I've also made some not-so-smart life choices and wasted a lot of time at uni.
My therapist was saying that I would be very successful if I just completed my university without repeating any of the subjects.

Since I'm not aware of my diagnosis, idk what the grounds are for saying that, might as well be an offence to my intelligence, as far as I know.

I'm here because going back to the therapist and asking is much more expensive than going on reddit. I really want to know if my issue is to be taken seriously. I'd really appreciate your insight!

I would welcome some further reading on the topic of social isolation/lack of social skills, if you have any recommendations.

Thanks for stopping by and all the best!

Hi!
I just started working as an EFL teacher in Bangkok.
I am also a sculptor, and I'm looking for a way to pursue it in my free time - like renting a studio with someone or starting an art class.

I would also like to meet someone to hang out with. I'm male, 27, I enjoy concerts of obnoxious/DIY/experimental music, I don't drink, and I speak Japanese at N3/N2 level.

I would appreciate you giving me some leads, or if you think we have something in common, I'd appreciate you reaching out even more!

I am already aware of the "Drawn Together" Meet Up group. I know of a few concert venues as well, but if you know more, I'd be grateful for the information.

I'm showing off my work in the attachment to this post.

Cheers and thanks in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/evxkhxyhoifh1.jpg?width=3888&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fbf7a5e7b178660d2398fd86019d1bbe92e03d2

https://preview.redd.it/fk7p2cyioifh1.png?width=2958&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3856272a35d4ada56b4bc1c9ff5ef7e755f4ccc

Hi!

I've worked in Vietnam since October last year. I've had a very chaotic but also quite a good time out there.
However, my contract was not prolonged, and since then I have struggled to find a new job. In the meantime, a public school work opportunity in Thailand came up. I figured that it would be a great opportunity to get more serious experience, and that it would look great on my resume. I also needed balance and a stable salary after some unfortunate events that happened to me in Vietnam - I had an accident and lost a third of my savings, among others.

Now I'm sorry to say this, but as far as growth opportunities are concerned, this is the worst teaching job I've ever had. It's very disorganised, the choice of materials is counter-productive, and my work is not being supervised by anyone. So it's probably going to be hard to even get a recommendation from my employer later on. The few classes I have get cancelled all the time as well, so I'm mostly getting paid for polishing a chair in the office with my butt. I've also made some great friends in Vietnam, and now I miss them.

I'm tempted to save up for a few months and then move back to Vietnam for the second semester of the school year.

Do you think that staying in a workplace like this will have a negative impact on my looking for jobs in the future? Or should I just treat it as a stop and make the best out of what I currently have?
Is it even worth it to change a workplace and a country in the middle of the school year?

I'll be very grateful for your insight!

All the best!

Hi!
I've run out of music to listen to.

I enjoy folk guitar with more complicated structures, unusual tunings and playstyles a lot - musicians like Robbie Basho, Martin Carthy, Sun House (slide guitar pieces), Jandek (not necessarily complicated, but undisputably off-grid and inventive).

I like midwest emo a lot too!

Would you have any recommendations for someone like me? I think I only scratched the surface of this style of playing, and I need to educate myself.

Anything is welcome, even if it barely fits what I described above.

It would be great to hear some recs of music outside of the anglosphere!

All the best and have a great day!

Hi!

I had an eating disorder as a teen, and that's when my hair started to fall out and break like there was no tomorrow.

It's been 10 years since the recovery, but my hair health is still not amazing. I take out a lot of it when I comb, and they still break. They're very thin at the ends. My nutrition is very fine though. I don't eat processed foods and eat more than enough.

The volume is still pretty high, but definitely thinner than it used to be.

I went to a dermatologist 10 years ago, but she only gave me a serum that didn't really work.

Maybe it's just a general haircare issue, and I should just trim them more often, comb with a conditioner, etc. Or simply ageing, it looks like my hairline is receding (I'm a man).

I would really appreciate help and suggestions. Thanks a lot in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/6f60gscf9vxg1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b42e7c7149c3257eeaa766499eeefd8d366f858

https://preview.redd.it/zgd7yucf9vxg1.jpg?width=2544&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df6d876287a87c720f1e85e07663d71f6cecc494

https://preview.redd.it/kesm9vcf9vxg1.jpg?width=2544&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6b4a2acd38dbf39b8adaa0d8b11d1720845fd22

https://preview.redd.it/okpi4xcf9vxg1.jpg?width=2544&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6d3404016482a3e1e4502631a6222186b24aeec

https://preview.redd.it/hq5advcf9vxg1.jpg?width=2544&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a3699487319afee594f526dcf0162e65836d6c12

https://preview.redd.it/b8lm30df9vxg1.jpg?width=1795&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ff0a9c544240c18075ff45bec4d75ca389684a3