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The day begins by setting up the classroom environment. Having everything ready, so the day can go as smoothly as possible. Welcome each child and direct them to the first activity planned. Move around the classroom. Praising children more often than correcting them. Covering breaks for other employees. Having snack time. Providing activities where children learn through play. Supervising outdoor time. Signing children in and knowing who their family is to release the children safely to family members. Throughout each day we need to be prepared for different types of weather emergencies, a fire, and different levels of school lockdowns.

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My day usually begins at 4 a.m. I begins my day by reading bible and do prayers for my spiritual practice, then watering plants, cleaning house and cooking but as I live in dormitory, I just need to cook once a week. It takes one hour to finish them. After breakfast, I get ready and proceed to school on foot. I live in school campus so it doesn't take much time. The class begins at 8:30 A.M. and continue up to 11:45 a.m. after which we have lunch break. The afternoon classes recommence at 12:45 p.m and continue till 3:00 p.m. I enjoy every bit of my life in teaching and enjoys things around me such as students are playing around with smiling faces, sitting with group and talking and sharing about their days. Last year, we experienced panic attacks by air attacks and bombing in the school campus. Two students got injured and we were hidden from safe place for a few weeks. What push me and inspire me to remain on my journey of teaching is my students because they choose to study even in their tough time.

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My setting is extremely privileged at this time in my life. I am 60 and onky teach few classes per week in the Teacher Education programme I supervise. My main concern everyday is helping future teachers teach with the minimum necessary and not give up in the profession.

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Teaching, for me is all summed up in the desire to impact lives through the delivery of quality education/teaching, to reduce, everyday, everytime at every opportunity, within or outside the classroom the level of ignorance common in every society. Our collective goals, as a Teacher, during, before as well as after our teaching experiences is to make the pupils/students a better citizens of the world. Thereby necessitating the much talked about "Better World" that would be easy for mankind to create and manage by one and all.

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I am a Teacher Trainer and I conduct shorts training courses, so I don't have a daily-teaching-routine. Allow me to share my routine when I have an online training.

I start the day at 7 or 8 as I usually end the day pretty late. I would have my breakfast and go over my lesson plan, presentation slides, and training materials for the day. I get ready with all the materials and links I need to share throughout the 3-hour ZOOM session. The training starts at 9:00 am and ends at 12:00 pm, with a short break and quick energizing activities. After the ZOOM session, I collect presentation slides, ZOOM recording, and training materials for the day and send them to the participating teachers, so that they can be used as references for asynchronous tasks. Then, I reflect on the 3-hour ZOOM session and plan for the next day. I also try to be responsive on our private communication channel to help teachers with any questions they might have when doing asynchronous tasks. My working hours end around 6. However, I am still on stand by for questions and discussions asynchronously.

I encounter many challenges when doing online training. I would like to highlight two of them here. One most annoying challenge is the poor internet connection. Many teachers who attend my training have a very poor internet connection. Sometimes, they hike up a hill for about 30-45 minutes to get access to the internet. Another challenge, which I cannot do anything, is the electricity cut. Households in Myanmar only get 4-6 hours of electricity per day. Many teachers rely on their mobile phone only for all the work, including planning, teaching, assessing, meetings, training, and so on. They usually left the ZOOM training sessions because they ran out of phone battery.

I always record the ZOOM training sessions with participants' consent and share internally. At the end of the training, I share all the training materials and presentation slides again. I keep all the materials organized, so that it is easy for the teachers to go back and review when necessary. I use Flipped Learning, where the participants are giving pre-tasks (read the text, watch the video, or listen to the audio) to save time. I spend most of ZOOM sessions for practice activities and discussions. I also create private communication channel for every online training I lead and post updates to make sure that teachers feel supported even when they are not able to join the ZOOM sessions due to the challenges above.

I have been a Teacher Trainer for more than 5 years now. What keeps me doing this job is the dedication and resilience of the teachers I work with. A belief that "whatever happens, education must continue!"

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It is a daunting task to deal with migrants especially people who are not aware of their unconscious bias and show negative attitudes in some of my ESOL classes in London colleges. Undoubtedly they are suffered, but the teachers are not the cause of their unhappiness. Once I had a Syrian student who had a dominating approach in different class discussions. Although I appreciated his willingness in answering the questions, I reminded him of other students' right in sharing their views. The student misunderstood my point, and complained to my manager. As soon as I became aware of the misunderstanding I designed a lesson to educate them about self-awareness and unconscious bias using different resources including pictures and a Ted talk presentation. This strategy helped them to become aware of their negative attitudes, more open-minded and develop positive attitudes. This approach also helped me to build a better relationships with my students.

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Since I am not a teacher working in a school but a teacher trainer, I would like to share a general daily routine of teachers in our community based on my observations. Not all teachers have the same daily routine. Some work full-time, while others teach part-time, depending on class size and the number of teachers available.

Regardless, most teachers have exhausting days as they must balance their teaching responsibilities with house chores, laundry, and additional work to cover their living expenses. There is also insufficient financial support or stipends from the interim government and the community.

However, despite the crisis, instability, and limited resources, we can see that teachers remain committed to their work and dedicated to their students' education.

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Two third of the day is usually spent for me by preparing the teaching materials and facilitating in the zoom lesson. I am not exhausted by lesson planning and teaching the students, but I faced difficulties in waiting for the electricity. I need to upload some sorts of learning materials for the students but I am frustrated by limited connection speed. It would be easier for me as a teacher who instructed via online if I have access to better internet and electricity.

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In our school, there are a high number of children who are in need of additional support. There is limited funding, therefore it has led to children falling behind with inadequate support and catchup. There are extra interventions, however it is important for staff to be trained in SEND, as there are many unqualified teachers, which can cause a distruption in learning.

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I wake up at around 6:15, I then get ready and leave at 7:30 to get to school for 8:15.

I then make sure I have all my resources ready and ensure I have got all of my power points downloaded.

I then teach maths, followed by english and guided readings.

we take it in turns to cover break duties.

Then we have lunch which again teachers take it in turns to be on duty.

After this we have another two lessons and often an assembly.

I then stay to make sure I have tomorrows resources and the lessons are planned and do some marking

I then head home at about 4:30.

My biggest challenges are probably managing the large differences in abilities. I manage this through providing scaffolding sheets.

What kinds of challenges do you face in your context?

What have you done to address them?

What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

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Challenges and Experiences in Online Language Teaching

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Challenges and Experiences in Online Language Teaching

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I am a language teacher with limited experience in face-to-face teaching, as most of my teaching has been conducted through Zoom. In my context, one of the main challenges is designing engaging and effective exercises for online classes. Finding materials that can meaningfully support students’ learning is particularly challenging, especially when students have different language proficiency levels.

To overcome these challenges, I have used a variety of digital tools and activities. These include PowerPoint presentations, flashcards through Quizlet, and interactive exercises such as providing short texts and asking students to guess meanings or ideas by drawing pictures. These strategies help maintain students’ attention and support different learning styles.

I enjoy my work the most when students show interest in my lessons, actively participate, and remain focused throughout the class. Seeing students engaged and motivated makes teaching meaningful and rewarding for me.

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Household chores before work which is a 15min drive away. At my desk by 7.45 and children arrive at 8.15am. All classes will have differing levels of ability and it is ensuring that where possible, their needs are met in terms of the activities planned which are usually a mix of acquisition, inquiry, discussion, practice and collaboration across the course of the day. Children work in mixed ability pairs so that learning becomes embedded for the more able students when explaining a task or learning point and the other child is able to hear it explained in more 'child-friendly' terms. Those 'lightbulb' moments for the children are what make it all worthwhile - the times when you hit the sweet spot of learning, understanding, application, engagement and fun is when you remember why you love teaching.

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When I volunteered in 2023 at my village, I faced many challenges. Most of my students have not gotten a good education since their old grade. Even though they are in middle school, they did not know what education is important to you. In my village, most of the villagers are farmers, and they raise too many children; as a result, they face financial difficulties, so they can not give their children access to education. Also, the teachers in my village did not get training about how to teach, how to manage the students, and classroom. They just taught what they know. It also affected students.

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Teachers play a central role in creating safe spaces through education, especially in communities facing hardship. From my experience as a volunteer teacher in Karen village, I saw how students struggled with a lack of stationery and financial support, yet they still came to class eager to learn. Even though communication was difficult at first because I did not speak much Karen language, I realized that consistency, patience, and effort could help overcome barriers. By practicing their language and showing respect for their culture, I was able to build trust and make the classroom feel safer and more welcoming. In my community, schools have some basic guidelines for protecting learners and teachers, but they are often limited and not enough to address deeper challenges. I believe the best way to advocate for safe schools is to involve parents, local leaders, and youth voices in conversations about safety, while also raising awareness through workshops and community events. More could be done by providing teachers with training in psychosocial support, improving school infrastructure, and building partnerships with organizations that can supply resources and protection. In this way, schools can become not only places of learning but also places of stability, hope, and resilience for the whole community

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Sometimes teaching can feel isolating, and from the stories I read, I can understand why. Many teachers face similar challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and too many responsibilities. This can make them feel stressed and alone.

Even though I am not a teacher, I can relate to some of these situations as a learner. For example, I have seen how difficult it is when classes are noisy or when there are not enough materials. It affects both teachers and students.

From the stories, I learned that one helpful way to deal with these challenges is by sharing experiences with others. Teachers who talk to each other and support each other can feel less isolated. Being flexible and creative also seems very important in difficult situations.

I think it is important for teachers to have support from their community and from each other. This can help them feel more confident and less alone in their work.

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My experience as an English tutor in a Karen refugee camp.

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My experience as an English tutor in a Karen refugee camp.

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I was asked by some mothers to help teach their children English. I agreed to volunteer to teach five students ranging in age from 10 to 18. It was my first time teaching, so I had no experience in creating lesson plans or interacting with students. I also faced difficulties explaining vocabulary because their first language is Karen, and I cannot speak the Karen language.

To overcome this, I taught myself how to create lesson plans by watching YouTube videos and planned my lessons one week in advance. I also downloaded pictures and practiced explaining definitions in simpler terms. However, every challenge was worth it because my students were very bright, and they improved a lot from when they first started attending the classes. Now, they are using what they have learned to build a better future for themselves.

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I would like to share my student life in Myanmar. I usually wake up at 7am in the morning. I go to school at 8am every morning . My school was small and crowded as well. There was not enough teacher. We did not have a chance to use modern technology. Every lesson was based on textbooks and paper. Sometimes, we did not have enough supplies. Luckily, I got into a post-secondary program in the year of 2025-2026. I would like to attend University to achieve my dreams. I would like to give back my community to help many children like me.

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I would like to share some of my experience as a teacher at Minmahaw School. As teacher assistants who have not yet finished the GED, we have to focus on both lesson planning and how to demonstrate effectively lesson to the students and our own self-study. My every week as a teacher assistance is full of tasks and homework. Another challenge is having to find new activities for the students' morning well-being sessions every Monday morning. However It must exhausted but i got a lot of new encountered in my life. Not only got new experience but also i can share my knowledge to my students effectively to use both in their academically and realistically.

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I am a volunteer teacher, and I started teaching in 2025. At our school, students are required to speak only English in order to improve their language skills. Every morning at 8:00 a.m., students participate in a 15-minute morning activity. This helps them prepare mentally and physically for their lessons. After the activity, they are ready to begin their classes.

I teach Thai and support students in developing both their language and communication skills. Over time, I have seen clear improvement in my students. At the beginning, many of them struggled to speak confidently in English. However, through daily practice, group work, and interactive activities, they have become more confident, more active in class, and better able to express their ideas.

Teachers play an important role in creating safe spaces in these contexts. We create a safe learning environment by building trust, respecting students, and encouraging participation without fear. We also support students emotionally, especially those who come from difficult backgrounds. By listening to them and treating them with care, we help them feel secure and valued.

In my community, schools have some basic guidelines to protect learners, teachers, and school infrastructure. These include maintaining discipline, ensuring respectful behavior, and creating clear rules for safety. However, these guidelines are not always strong or fully enforced, especially in migrant or informal school settings.

The best way to advocate for safe schools is through awareness and collaboration. Teachers, school leaders, and community members need to work together to raise concerns, share experiences, and push for better protection policies. It is also important to communicate with local authorities and organizations to improve school safety.

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I am a young, inexperienced teacher in the migrant community of Mae Sot. My daily work schedule is simple due to my flexible working environment. Permit me to share my day as a post-secondary teacher. My work usually begins exactly at 8 o'clock in the morning, and it ends at three past ten in the afternoon. I teach 24 hours per week to raise students' potential and critical thinking. I had faced so many challenges regarding to my teaching experience. Despite those challenges, I'd like to share one of my recent barriers. That was a period where I was teaching a new social stuides topic that was unfamiliar with my students. I was such a time when I felt most stressed throughout that academic year. The reason was that there were more students who could not catch up with the lesson. But the students were brave enough to speak up about the lesson that they were not clear about. Additionally, I spend extra time for those who couldn't catch up with the lesson at night. Since the students are eager and motivated to study hard, it made me put more effort and reliance on my work.

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My day usually begins at 5 a.m. I start my day with praying and reading the Bible. After that, I clean myself and prepare for the school day. As a teacher who stays in a dormitory, I have to work and organize the students’ tasks according to their group duties.

Our school starts at 8 a.m. The school day begins with assembly and singing songs. After that, we continue with our classes. Like a normal school, we have break time and lunchtime, and the school day ends at 3 p.m. Sometimes we have extra classes, so it continues until 4 p.m.

After school, students also have group duties again, so I have to participate with them. After that, we take a shower and have dinner. This is my everyday routine, and I am happy to spend my time with the children, even though life is not easy due to the low salary.

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I usually wake up at 7:00am because I don't need to do cooking. My mother or sister prepares breakfast and make a lunch for me. After I get up, I review the lessons that I need to teach students and I think of which way is the best to teach them and how can I teach them clearly. We have different students with different abilities so I always figure out the ways to teach them base on their level. Then I take a baht and change my clothes. Next, I go to the place that I have to teach violin. I start teaching 1 hour and give then 15 minutes or 20 minutes break. After that I continue my lesson. Sometimes, I am feeling short temper because students do not pay attention and listen to me. At that time, I talk with them openly and negotiate with them. Sometimes, I persuade them with the snack for the reward. Being a teacher is not easy as I think but I love to share what I have so I still doing this job. I also try to improve myself to be a good leader. Whenever I saw my students are playing violin in front of a lot of people, I really proud of them and satisfied. I hope to improve and learn new things and help it back to the people who in need. When my students face with challenges, I also encourage them base on my personal experience or search advice through social media. I love to support and fulfill other people dream as well. I do not expect the reflection. When I saw the plants that grow and shine, I am feeling joyful and pride.

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A day in the life of a volunteer teacher

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A day in the life of a volunteer teacher

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Since it is a migrant school where many migrant and refugee students come study, I had to face challenges in teaching to the students with different backgrounds, not only in family but also in education. Where some didn't even finish the middle school and some were graduated, it was quite difficult to teach in one class with those kind of variety of backgrounds. Then I try to think of how to solve it and found out the solution which is having one-on-one session with those who didn't get the lessons clearly during the class.

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Frankly, I am a student who don't experience in teaching. But, I am a open-minded person who value teachers are struggling in their life. Despite the difficulties, they don't give up life. Instead, they advance their life with struggles, challenges, and difficulties. The reason they do like this is to educate students in marginalized community like they once stayed.

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I had met a lot of teachers from Burma to Migrant areas. But one teacher I met in Children's Development Centre (CDC) was nice and friendly. He is a foreigner, came from India to teach the students along the Thailand-Myanmar border. He is a vegetarian who is also an anti-war activist(I guess so). He usually comes the school at around 7:00 am in the morning to guide the student and teaching basic Social Studies subject. He, sometimes has problems with his legal document process since Thailand has strict documentation process. He never whines about his jobs weather he is happy or not in his job.

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Every motivated morning and every daunting night remind me of the life as a teacher in a camp. My firsthand experience started in a bittersweet way because I started working as a teacher when I was only a teenager, and I had to handle over 50 students for each and different classroom in an overcrowded place with thin wall that noise can easily penetrate.

For every school day, I walked for an hour to reach the school and back to home. Sometimes bringing my lunch box, and sometimes not. I observed and overcame challenges such as dealing with an individual student's different behaviors and trying to motivate them. There are so many struggles with many different tasks for a in a camp with limited resources and overcrowded classroom. Sometimes, there are some students who lost their concentraion in their study and some show disobedient. In that situation, understanding and empathy for a teacher's life grew stronger in me.

I taught multiple subjects, and Mathematics was the most challenging subject for most of the students. However, I was satisfied to prove the students that Mathematics could be really fun and not as much stressful as they thought.

Every evening and night, I was planning the lessons and checking homeworks or completed exercises for almost 100 students' tasks. Then, had to work house works. As a young teacher, I also had to focus on my personal growth and fulfill my passion about learning for the higher education as well.

Overall, these exhausting days are truly hard, but each day is worth it as it reminded me that regardless of these challenges, there are still so many children who rely on us, the teacher, for a better future as they believe in the power of education. The best part of being a teacher is that seeing a motivated, hardworking, and dedicated student who really values education. Even if there is only one student like that in a classroom, it is still worth it to endure all of the burdens for that one specific reason.

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I liked to get to school early to make sure everything is in place and I am ready for the students. I greet them at the door one by one to assess how they come that day. We begin the class in a circle with some play-based language exercises, the main lesson, and finally a story before a light lunch and recess.

I didn't have many challenges at this school except for some extreme cases. Our school rooms didn't have electricity and we did not have textbooks, but the latter was by design so that the students could record their learning through experience with the help of the teacher. We didn't need electricity because we had plenty of sun and the beautiful outdoors. We often had science experiences outdoors.

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I am working with teachers for the teachers. I occasionally teach and provide teacher training but I don't have regular classes. In my context, I face challenges such as power cut and unstable internet connection since my classes are mostly online. I have to make sure my devices are fully charged including power bank. If there are classes, I make sure my wifi is connected to the power bank beforehand to avoid disruption during teaching. I also make sure buying internet package in case there is bad wifi connection. Luckily, I haven't encountered long power cut so I have time to fully recharged my devices.

I especially like when my students ask me challenging questions that showcase their higher order thinking skills. Teaching is a rewarding job. I enjoy interacting with my students and witnessing their progress and growth throughout their learning journey.

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As a Year 1 student at university, I don't have that much professional experience as a teacher. However, I have placement experience at university and some volunteering experience in high school. My settings were extremely privileged; most students were from high-income households. The biggest challenge I've faced so far was that I had way less experience compared to other teachers. This made it difficult for me to feel confident and made me feel daunted in front of other teachers.

I tried to observe and learn from the teachers in the settings and interacted with them to feel more confident in front of them.

The aspects of education I enjoy the most are: interacting with children, positively impacting future generations, and knowing my daily hard work matters to society.

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My day begins at 5 a.m. I get up and pray Fajr and dedicate a few minutes to reading the Qur'an. I arrive at school at 7 a.m. and teach preschool. You see, teaching in Venezuela is a complex picture. The monthly salary for teachers in public schools is 600 bs (1 USD = 784 bs) plus food bonuses, and the monthly salary for teachers in private schools can range from $130 to $350. Teachers like me are privileged to be part of private schools where we can earn enough for food and accommodation, but the economic situation leaves the rest of the basic service expenses outside (health, transportation, internet...) I mention this with the purpose of reflecting on the conflicts every teacher in Venezuela faces while trying to stay motivated and committed to education. Usually we have to put money from our pockets to get copies or any other supply we might need.