A Day in My Life Teaching Kindergarten

Before moving overseas, one question that constantly circled my mind was: What will my everyday life look like? I had lots of ideas, but I quickly realized it's impossible to imagine a routine when it is based entirely on other people's experiences. 

After living in Thailand for the past month, I have learned that my vision of an "ideal day" had to shift in order to fully adapt to my new environment. By combining familiar pieces of home with the spontaneity and cultural uniqueness of life here, I've created a daily routine that is grounding yet full of excitement.

I am currently teaching kindergarten, and the fact is, it’s been everything I hoped for and more! To give a bit of context, the school I am at includes three levels of kindergarten; K.1, K.2, and K.3. I get to teach K.1 and K.2, so my students are between the ages of 4-7 years old. Compared to the English teachers that came with me in primary and secondary grades, we’ve figured out that a typical day in my classroom looks quite different from theirs! 

Everyone’s day will look slightly different – even if you are teaching the same grade – but I still wanted to share a glimpse into what a weekday in my life looks like. 

6:00am - I wake up to the sounds of birds (and occasional rabid dogs) outside of my room. I am very grateful to have my room facing the sunrise, so my body can adjust to being awake much more naturally. My absolute favourite part of the day is the morning, which is why I prioritize waking up early and embracing the slow, peaceful quiet that each morning brings. 

7:30am - Foreign teachers are expected to check-in at the front office by 7:30am everyday. My accommodation is a part of the school property, so it is an easy 5 minute walk to the front office. From there, I walk back to the kindergarten building to the foreign teachers’ staff room and begin to plan my day. Twice a week I have “gate duty” which means I get to stand out front at the school and greet my kiddos and their parents! I must say, those have easily become my favourite mornings, and as my students have gotten more familiar with me, I often get a bunch of little hugs (and the occasional photo session) to start the day. 

7:50am - Every morning there is a 15-20 minute assembly. We sing the national anthem, say prayers, do a fun dance, and then the students have a breathing meditation to end. This is something that I have greatly enjoyed about the Thai school system. I feel like this structure sets the students’ up for success, and the meditation calms them down and gets their minds ready for what the day will hold. 

8:15am - After the assembly, I usually have around 45 minutes to prep for class, connect with the other foreign teachers, and just get settled in for the day. Naturally, this also includes a much needed caffeine boost! 

9:00am - Classes begin for me! Each period for me is 30 minutes long, and I have three, with one 30 minute break in between. I teach English conversation, so a lot of my lessons are built around speaking practice with my kiddos, but I definitely make sure there is no shortage of dancing or singing mixed in too. Since each class is only 30 minutes, the time ends up flying by. 

11:00am - This is the start of my lunch break, but because mine is a bit longer than others, I normally wait to join the other English teachers for 11:30am. My kindergarteners have nap time for 2 hours every day, which means I get that time to prepare my upcoming lessons for the week – a luxury I definitely did not have when I was teaching in the United States! 

1:30pm - I will typically have two more periods after my students’ nap time, and then it is time for my extra class. 

2:40pm - My extra classes only have 3-4 students each, and they are specifically for students who need a little extra help with their English skills. I cover K.1, K.2, K.3, and P.1 students, with each grade assigned to a certain day. I am given a topic each week to focus on with them, but it is meant to be a fun class, so these sessions are full of games, laughter, and lots of encouragement.

3:30pm - Classes are over for the day, and students gradually start to go home. Most of the time, students will stick around for an hour or two simply playing with their friends. Watching them play, completely lost in their own little worlds, is a beautiful reminder of how carefree life can be before we grow into adulthood. As for me and the other foreign teachers, our day isn’t done just yet, we still have another hour of planning before we can wrap things up. 

4:30pm - My school day is done! I’ll clean up my desk and make sure nothing else is needed of me before making my way back over to the front office to clock out. Along the way I am guaranteed to be stopped by many of my students who are still around, to say goodbye and give some last minute hugs or high-fives. 

5:00pm - Most evenings after school, I’ll head to the gym or take a walk around the nearby lake. Some days I join spontaneous outings with friends, while other days I enjoy the quiet of my room, catching up on journaling or planning weekend trips. 

Having a balance of structure and freedom has made day-to-day life here feel both comforting and exciting, giving me space to grow while still feeling at home in a new country.

Of course, there are days where I leave school more exhausted than others; whether that was because the language barrier felt a little heavier, or I spent eight out of the ten hours surrounded by energetic, screaming kids. But then the very next day, a student will come up to tell me they love me, or I’ll get an unexpected hug, and suddenly all the challenges from the day before fade away. 

That’s truly what teaching is all about; embracing the ups and downs, and accepting the inevitable uncertainty each day brings. Being able to witness these students at such a young age reminds me of the beauty of childhood; the innocence, the pure joy, and the way kids can find magic in even the simplest moments. It is those moments that make me deeply grateful for this opportunity and I can easily say that there will never be a day where I will regret teaching abroad!