First, define what a successful first week means
You do not need to learn every student’s name or transform the room in five lessons. A good first week gives you a reliable way to start, explain a task, get most learners practising English, check a few answers, and end on time. Learn the school’s expectations before changing seating, routines, or discipline practices.
Large classes can make it harder to monitor each learner and provide enough materials. Pair and group tasks can spread speaking time, while clear steps and active monitoring help you see where learners are stuck. These are adaptable teaching options, not claims about every Thai school. The British Council’s large-class guidance discusses groupings, scarce books, monitoring and shared behaviour agreements; its large, low-resource classroom webinar models pair and group tasks. UNESCO Bangkok’s regional work on social and emotional learning also stresses supportive classroom relationships and teacher well-being; the examples in that project are regional and early-childhood-focused, so treat them as principles to adapt, not a Thai secondary-school rule.
Before you teach: questions to ask on day one
Ask your co-teacher, department head, or assigned mentor. Write down the answers; a school’s actual routines take precedence over generic advice.
| Ask about | Useful questions | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Class and lesson | How many learners usually attend? What age and level range should I expect? How long is the period? What textbook, unit, and assessment target are we following? | Your timing and language goal should fit the real group and syllabus. |
| Room and materials | Can I see the room before class? Which board, speakers, projector, markers, photocopies, and student books can I rely on? What is the backup if electricity or internet fails? | Build the lesson around confirmed resources and a paper-free fallback. |
| Routines and safety | What signal gets attention? How are attendance, late arrivals, seating, breaks, phone use, praise, and behaviour handled? Who should I call for urgent help? | Use consistent school routines, especially for safeguarding and escalation. |
| Working together | Will a Thai co-teacher be present, and what are our roles? Who explains instructions or translates when needed? How should I share plans and concerns? | Agree privately on support and hand-offs instead of improvising in front of students. |
On a phone, each row is presented as a card. Scroll or swipe within the table on larger screens.
A 50-minute first lesson for 40 learners
This is a sample for a secondary class practising useful question forms. Swap in the unit vocabulary and grammar the school expects. Keep students in their existing seats at first; pairs can usually work with the person beside them, so there is no furniture move.
| Minutes | Teacher move | Student task | Check for learning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 · Settle | Stand where most students can see you. Greet the class, learn the school’s attention signal, and write the lesson goal: “Ask and answer three questions about free-time activities.” | Take out the unit book or notebook; look at the goal. | Wait for the agreed signal and a quiet response before speaking. |
| 4–9 · Model | Model two exchanges with the co-teacher or a volunteer. Write a short frame: “What do you like doing?” / “I like ___ because ___.” Say it once naturally, then point to each part. | Listen, repeat once, then identify the question and answer pattern. | Ask the whole class to show with fingers: 1 = question, 2 = answer. Scan the room. |
| 9–14 · Everyone tries | Give 30 seconds of silent thinking, then a 60-second pair rehearsal with the frame visible. Demonstrate the voice level and a stop signal. | Rehearse the exchange with the person beside them, then switch roles. | Move down two aisles; listen for the question form and note one common difficulty. |
| 14–26 · Pair survey | Give each pair three prompts on the board: music, sport, or weekend activity. Set a clear finish product: three names or initials and one answer detail per prompt. Give a two-minute warning. | Ask and answer in turns; record key words, not full paragraphs. | Track participation in several zones of the room. Prompt with the board frame rather than correcting every sentence. |
| 26–34 · Add a stretch | Keep the same task. Add an optional follow-up: “How often…?” or “Who do you… with?” Point early finishers to it. | Learners who need support repeat the base frame; ready learners add a follow-up and detail. | Ask one pair from the front, middle, and back to share one answer. |
| 34–43 · Report | Invite three pairs to report a partner’s answer. Give listeners one job: note one activity they heard. Correct one class-wide pattern after the reports. | Report using “My partner likes…”; listen for one detail. | Ask listeners to show or say the activity; revisit the target form briefly. |
| 43–48 · Exit check | Ask each learner to write one question and a truthful short answer on paper or in a notebook. Collect a sample by row or ask students to hold it up while you scan. | Complete the exit sentence independently. | Sort what you saw into ready, needs a model, and needs a quick follow-up. |
| 48–50 · Close | Praise a specific action, state the next lesson’s connection, and dismiss according to school routine. | Return shared books or materials and leave the area as instructed. | Record one adjustment for next time. |
Board plan: goal at top left, question-and-answer frame in the middle, three prompts at right, optional stretch below. Keep it visible for the whole activity. If the class is younger, shorten the writing and use pictures or gestures; if it is adult learners, change the prompts and keep the same model–rehearse–report sequence.
Build a repeatable first-week routine
Predictable transitions save your voice and make activity time easier to monitor. Add one routine at a time, and agree on it with the co-teacher.
- Start visibly. Greet students at the door if that fits the school, then show a short “do now” on the board. Have a starter that works without devices or handouts.
- Give instructions in three parts. Say who works with whom, what to produce, and how long they have. Model one example; ask a learner to say the first step back.
- Use a consistent attention signal. Confirm the school’s existing signal. Practise it before a noisy task. Stop speaking, wait, and thank the class when attention returns.
- Make every task leave evidence. A spoken answer, marked choice, list of key words, or one written sentence shows who has tried. Avoid activities where only the fastest volunteers are visible.
- Close with a check. End with one question, sentence, confidence rating, or next-step reminder. Use the evidence to choose what to review, not to label students.
Keep behaviour instructions short, calm, and specific: “Books open to page 12”; “Talk to your partner at table voice”; “Stop, look here.” Agree with the school how to handle repeated disruption, missed work, and student support needs. Do not invent consequences or handle a safeguarding concern alone.
Mixed levels: one goal, more than one entry point
In a large group, the same worksheet can be too hard for some and finished too quickly by others. Keep a shared core task, then vary the support and stretch around it. The British Council’s mixed-ability guidance describes differentiated question sets, extension tasks, varied nomination, and selective correction.
Support the core
Leave a sentence frame or word bank on the board. Let learners rehearse quietly before answering. Give two examples instead of five, or let students use the textbook vocabulary list. Check discreetly so nobody is put on the spot to represent a level.
Extend the same goal
Ask early finishers to add a reason, a follow-up question, a comparison, or a short report. Keep the extension connected to the target so it feels like deeper practice rather than extra punishment.
Change grouping to suit the task: pairs for quick rehearsal, mixed groups for idea sharing, or similar-readiness groups for a short targeted explanation. Do not make one student the permanent translator or unpaid assistant. Rotate roles and make sure each learner speaks and produces their own work.
Working with a Thai co-teacher
A co-teacher can help you understand school routines and learner needs, but roles vary by school and class. Before the lesson, agree on who leads each segment, how you will signal a hand-off, what language support is appropriate, and who handles attendance or parent communication. Share the board plan or lesson outline in advance when possible.
During class, address the students together and avoid contradicting one another in public. If a routine needs changing, discuss it privately after class. Ask how to pronounce names and which behaviour or participation expectations matter in this group. Treat local expertise as part of lesson planning, not a last-minute translation service.
When books, copies, or technology are missing
Design one version of the activity that needs only a board and student notebooks. A missing projector should cost you minutes, not the lesson. If there is one book, put the key prompt on the board or plan rotating book use while other pairs prepare, predict, or summarise. British Council guidance offers similar options for classes with limited copies.
- No handouts: write three prompts and a response frame on the board; students copy only keywords or answer numbers.
- One textbook: display the question or paragraph on the board if permitted, or rotate the book between small groups while others do a related pre-reading task.
- No internet or projector: use a spoken model, board sketch, gestures, and examples students can supply.
- Not enough markers: establish a materials monitor with the co-teacher’s agreement; avoid making learners leave the room to find supplies unsupervised.
Check copyright and school policy before copying or photographing textbook pages. For a substitute class, ask what materials and lesson target are approved instead of assuming you can replace the planned unit.
Reset a lesson that is losing the room
When noise rises or the task stalls, pause the activity and reduce the number of steps. Raising your voice over the class often adds noise without clarifying what students should do.
- Use the agreed attention signal and wait for a response.
- Name the next action in one sentence and show it on the board.
- Model the first answer with one student or the co-teacher.
- Restart for two minutes with a smaller output, such as one question and one answer.
- Scan the room, acknowledge the groups that have restarted, and decide whether to continue or switch.
If a learner is distressed, hurt, unsafe, or repeatedly disrupting learning, follow the school’s safeguarding and escalation procedure and involve the designated staff member. Keep your response respectful and proportionate; do not use humiliation, threats, or physical discipline.
Five-minute after-class reflection sheet
Copy this into your notebook after each class. Use observations you can check, not labels such as “lazy” or “bad class.”
1. Who got to practise? Which rows, pairs, or quieter learners did I hear or see? Who may need another chance?
__________________________________________________________________
2. What evidence showed learning? One answer, exit sentence, or common error I observed:
__________________________________________________________________
3. Where did time go? Which transition took longer than planned? What will I shorten or model next time?
__________________________________________________________________
4. What should I ask my co-teacher? A routine, name, language point, or learner support question:
__________________________________________________________________
5. Next lesson: keep / change / try
Keep: ____________________ Change: ____________________ Try: ____________________
Once in the first week, ask a colleague to observe one narrow question, such as “Did instructions reach the back rows?” or “How many pairs used the target question?” A focused observation is easier to discuss and act on than a general verdict.
Prepare for the classroom, then choose training that fits
Use the Thailand interview and demo lesson guide to rehearse a short, clear model before your first school day, and the application checklist to organise your documents. If you are comparing TEFL preparation, the in-person versus online guide explains how to weigh observed practice and feedback. Our independent Essential TEFL review summarises provider terms to verify; a course is optional and cannot promise a job or replace school-specific orientation.
This practical guide draws on general large-class and mixed-ability teaching resources. Class sizes, curriculum, co-teaching arrangements, materials and school procedures vary across Thailand. Confirm the expectations for your own school and follow its safeguarding, assessment and behaviour policies.
Sources
- British Council TeachingEnglish: Teaching large classes
- British Council TeachingEnglish: Teaching mixed-ability classes 2
- British Council TeachingEnglish: Managing communicative tasks in large, low-resource classrooms (webinar, recorded January 2026)
- UNESCO Bangkok: Regional social and emotional learning work in Fiji, Cambodia and Viet Nam
Written 13 October 2026. Examples are adaptable teaching suggestions, not official Thai Ministry of Education requirements or school policy.