Dear reader,
It’s been some time since my last post, and I apologize for the lapse. My schedule has been, as ever, demanding. It seems that for every task I complete, two more appear in its place, creating a never-ending cycle of responsibilities. So, please forgive my lack of updates on the happenings of my life.
In November 2021, I achieved a significant milestone—I received my permanent teaching license in Thailand from the Teacher’s Council, also known as Khrusapa. This accomplishment followed the completion of a one-year Teaching course in 2020, which was necessary to earn my teaching credentials. Unfortunately, the process was prolonged due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. When I finally viewed the PDF copy of my license certificate on the Khrusapa website, a profound sense of relief washed over me. It felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Securing this license means I can continue my role as a teacher at my current school.
In September 2022, there was news of a Special License Exam for Teachers (SPLET) in Bangkok. Usually, having a teaching license from the Philippines is enough to get one in Thailand, so I didn’t really need to apply. I wasn’t planning on teaching back home anyway. But I thought having licenses from both places would look pretty cool on my resume, so I signed up for the LET exams.
I started studying right away, using some review materials from a friend and the internet. I made an online quiz to practice over and over until I knew the General Education and Professional Education parts of the exam inside out. But, as always, life got in the way. With school events and grading to do, I barely had time to study for the English major part of the exam. I had this gut feeling that I wouldn’t pass and would have to retake it in 2023.
When exam day came in Bangkok, I was feeling pretty down. I messed up the timing for the first part because I mixed up Philippine and Thai time, and I was taking too long on each question. When I realized that mistake, I rushed through the rest of the questions as fast as I could. I was the last examinee to finish the first part. After that mistake, I lost all hope of passing the LET exams that year. I was so anxious; I even got lose bowel movement and had to spend more than five minutes in the toilet during the exam. I did okay in the second part, but the last part, the English major exam, was a disaster. Many questions, primarily related to the technical and theoretical aspects of teaching English, were answered with my uncertainty.
It rained when I finished the exam. Such drama and perfect timing. I said to myself that I would do better next year. I expected to fail.
It did not worry me that much after that, as I was not really depending on passing the LET exams. I signed up for it in a whim. So I said, “Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be.”
However, I was surprised in December of that year when they announced the list of LET exam passers. I was one of them. The feeling was bittersweet though because I did not really expect to pass. For some reason I wanted to take the exam again because I felt that the 81% rating I received was not enough. If I had only prepared for the exam properly, I could have gotten above 90%. So it seems that I am stuck with such a mediocre rating.
In March 2023, I joined the synchronized online oath-taking for professional teachers. The next step is to register and get my license. But this has to be done in person at a PRC office in the Philippines. So that would be one of the to-do-things I would need to get done as soon as I return.
Finally, in April I signed up for a Master’s of Arts in Education degree course specializing in English at National University of the Philippines in Laguna. They offered the course online and at a surprisingly affordable tuition. As of writing, I am currently on my 2nd trimester into the course out of five trimesters.
How’s that for an update.