ITP - 51: Teaching Kindergarten at 60 in Thailand

Greg: Welcome to the International Teacher Podcast. This is Greg, the single guy. Matt, the family guy, is not with me today—it’s a little early—and Kent, the cat guy, is working on another podcast, so he’s not able to join us.

I do have a very special guest. Her name is Diane, and if I called her “Teacher Diane,” that would actually fit according to her book that’s coming out June 20th, called Kindergarten at 60. Diane, am I right about that?

Diane: Yes, that’s right. The title is Kindergarten at 60. The subtitle is A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand, and that’s exactly what it’s about. I’m an American, and I was teaching in Thailand at age 60, not having ever taught in Thailand before—actually not ever having taught kindergarten before—so it was kind of a second-act story for me. The book is coming out in June. Thank you for your interest in the story.

Greg: No problem. I love having you on here because most of our guests are either looking at international teaching, already teaching overseas, or working in international schools. We have listeners from about 100 countries, as far as we know.

What I really loved is that you sent me an early copy of your book, and I had a chance to read it. Can I quote a little bit from it?

Diane: That would be an honor. Go right ahead.

Greg: This really sets the stage. Diane wrote: “We’re in a stage of life relatively new to our species called active retirement. I don’t know how a demographic or sociologist would define it, but I’d say it’s a time when you’re still willing—if sensibly somewhat hesitant—to go outside your comfort zone and do something worthwhile. The challenge is you never know how far outside or how worthwhile until you give it a try.”

I think that really captures your journey. Can you tell us a little about you and your husband before this—what you were doing prior to getting to 60?

Diane: Sure. My husband, Steve, and I were both involved in climate change work. He worked on the policy side, helping negotiate international agreements to protect the global environment. I was a research scientist studying climate change in the upper atmosphere.

We both had long careers in the U.S. federal government—he at the Environmental Protection Agency, and I at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We lived in the Washington, D.C. area.

We both retired relatively early and then pursued other interests. For me, that included teaching English as a second language at a school in Washington for immigrants. Steve eventually joined me there as a volunteer.

So we were both teaching English, and eventually we thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to try teaching English somewhere else so we could have a living-abroad experience while also working or volunteering and becoming part of a community?”

We know lots of people who retire and travel—spend a week in a country, come home, and show pictures—but we wanted something richer than that.

Greg: If I’m not mistaken, you and Steve were planning on teaching adults since you had been doing that already. How did you go about finding a position? Did you use a recruiter?

Diane: That’s a good question. We decided to get certified to teach English as a second language. There are certifications available—it’s not quite the same as a full teaching degree, which Steve actually has, but I do not.

We got a certification offered by Cambridge University, which is internationally recognized. When we finished the program, they tried to help us find opportunities abroad, but that didn’t work out very well.

There were many opportunities to teach English abroad, but when we started applying, we weren’t getting much response—really none at all. I don’t have proof, but I believe it was related to our age. Most people teaching abroad are younger—recent graduates or early-career teachers—and we didn’t fit that demographic.

Greg: That’s something a lot of listeners might not realize. Once you reach a certain age, it’s not just schools—it’s the countries themselves that set visa limits.

Diane: Exactly. That became clear as we continued searching.

Greg: So you started narrowing down countries that would accept you. Eventually, you found a program that helped place teachers abroad, right?

Diane: Yes. We signed up with a program that helps place people in positions overseas. They assist with certification, job placement, visas, housing, and insurance.

The program worked with several countries, including Thailand. Even then, though, many opportunities had age limits, and at 60, I was already considered beyond the preferred range. My husband was even older.

But one representative told us she might be able to find a placement in Thailand where they could be flexible. That was the only real lead we had after months of searching.

Greg: When did you find out you were going to be placed?

Diane: Thailand operates on a different school calendar. We weren’t planning to go for a full school year because my mother is elderly, and I didn’t want to be away that long. So we aimed for a single term—from October to early March.

We actually didn’t have a position when we arrived. The program sends you to Thailand for a one-week orientation, and during that time, they arrange interviews and placements based on your preferences.

So we arrived in Chiang Mai not knowing where we’d be living or what kind of students we’d be teaching. We hoped to teach adults, but we were told it might be more difficult to place us than the younger participants.

There were about 25 people in the orientation—Steve and I, and 23 others in their 20s and 30s. They looked at us like we were from a different generation entirely.

Eventually, we were offered what was supposed to be a shared teaching position.

Greg: And that’s where things took an unexpected turn.

Diane: Yes—it turned out to be kindergarten.

Greg: So you went from planning to teach adults to suddenly being placed in kindergarten. What was that like?

Diane: It was quite a shock. When I think of kindergarten in the U.S., I think of five- or six-year-olds. But in this school, they had levels called K1, K2, and K3, and children could start as young as two and a half.

So yes, we had two-and-a-half-year-olds in our class. That was completely new territory for me. I had never worked with children that young, especially not in a classroom setting with multiple students.

Greg: And if I remember correctly, you thought you were going to be job sharing with Steve, but that didn’t quite happen the way you expected.

Diane: That’s right. The position was presented as a shared role, but in reality, we were both at the school full time. The concept of job sharing wasn’t really understood in the broader school environment, and it didn’t make sense for one of us to leave during the day while others were working.

So we were both there all day, working with the children alongside more experienced teachers.

Greg: What was the classroom setup like?

Diane: It was actually quite supportive. There were four teachers for about 14 students, spread across two classrooms—K1 and K2. Often the groups were combined for certain activities like lunch or playtime.

There was a lead teacher who had been there since the school opened, another teacher from South Africa, and then Steve and me. So we had support, which made a big difference.

Greg: Still, working with kids that young must have been overwhelming.

Diane: It was. They were adorable and sweet, but also very energetic—as you would expect from two-and-a-half-year-olds. Some weren’t fully toilet trained, which added another layer of challenge.

It was a completely different experience from teaching adults who are motivated to learn English for practical reasons like getting a job.

Greg: You really went from one extreme to the other.

Diane: Exactly.

Greg: Did you have any experience with children that age before this?

Diane: Not really. I’m a mother, but at the time I was teaching in Thailand, it had been nearly 30 years since my daughter was that age. So it wasn’t something I was used to anymore.

Greg: That’s a huge jump out of your comfort zone—new country, new culture, new age group.

Diane: Absolutely. It pushed me in ways I didn’t expect.

Greg: And on top of that, you were stepping into an established school system with its own expectations and routines.

Diane: Yes, and that was interesting in itself. This was an English immersion program within a larger Thai school. The children were learning English in the classroom, but they also had lessons in Thai and even some exposure to Chinese.

So they were juggling multiple languages at a very young age.

Greg: That’s a lot for such young kids.

Diane: It is. And the structure of the school day was also quite different from what I expected. They had lessons from about 8:30 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon, with a break for lunch and a short nap for the youngest students.

Greg: That sounds very academic for that age.

Diane: It was. They had lessons in reading, language, and even basic math concepts. I had to keep them engaged and seated for these lessons, which was challenging.

In my view, children that age should be learning social skills—how to be a good friend, how to interact with others. But this system was more academically focused.

Greg: That’s a cultural difference you had to adjust to.

Diane: Exactly. It was a different philosophy of education, and I had to adapt to it.

Greg: And then there’s the whole classroom management side of things. With kids that young, that must have been a whole new challenge.

Diane: It really was. Classroom management is fundamental—if you don’t have some level of control, you can’t really teach anything. At first, it was frustrating. The children didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them.

But over time, we got used to each other. I started to understand their personalities, and they began to understand my expectations. Things gradually became smoother.

Greg: I have to say, I really admire that. I’ve taught three-year-olds before, and it’s not easy. It doesn’t matter if you have a small class—at that age, everything is a challenge.

Diane: It certainly felt that way at times.

Greg: Did you have any support with things like bathroom routines and daily care?

Diane: I shouldn’t make it sound too difficult because we did have support. There were multiple teachers in the room, and that helped a lot. But even with that, there were many moments that were completely new for me.

Greg: And you’re also dealing with language barriers on top of everything else.

Diane: Yes, that was another layer. The classroom was English-only, but the children spoke Thai at home, and they were just beginning to learn English. So communication could be a challenge.

Greg: That’s a huge adjustment.

Diane: It is, but there was also something reassuring about the structure of the school. Even though it was different from what I expected, there was a clear system. The expectations were defined, and that helped.

I didn’t have to invent everything from scratch. I just had to learn how to operate within that system.

Greg: That makes sense. Sometimes structure can actually make things easier, even if it’s unfamiliar.

Diane: Exactly.

Greg: I remember you mentioned something in your book about lesson planning. You were expected to plan quite far in advance, right?

Diane: Yes. At one point, we were expected to create lesson plans for the entire term. That was challenging because we were still learning how the classroom functioned and what the students needed.

Later, we realized there was a reason for that level of detail. The Ministry of Education can review lesson plans and assessments as part of accreditation. So everything had to be documented very carefully.

Greg: That’s something a lot of international teachers run into—different systems, different expectations, sometimes a lot more paperwork than expected.

Diane: Yes, and it was something we had to adjust to.

Greg: We’ll take a quick moment to remind listeners how to reach out to us. You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at ITPExpats, or email us at [internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com). You can also visit our website.

Back to the show—one thing that stood out to me in your story was how different cultural expectations can be, especially around young children and education.

Diane: Absolutely. In Thailand, there was a strong emphasis on academic learning, even at a very young age. The children had structured lessons throughout the day, and there were expectations around homework as well.

Greg: Homework for two- and three-year-olds—that’s wild from a Western perspective.

Diane: It was surprising to me too. But it reflects a different cultural approach to education.

Greg: And that’s one of the big takeaways for teachers going abroad—you have to be ready to adapt.

Diane: Yes, flexibility is essential.

Greg: One thing that really stood out to me in your story was just how different everyday life can be—little things like food, routines, even how you interact with people.

Diane: Absolutely. Thailand was full of those moments. One that stands out is how spicy the food can be. Thai people are used to a level of heat that most foreigners are not.

We were taking Thai language lessons with a colleague, doing a kind of language exchange—she wanted to learn English, and we wanted to learn Thai. After one lesson, we went to a street food vendor to try ordering in Thai.

I thought I had successfully asked for something not spicy—“mai phet.” But when the food came and I took a bite, it was incredibly hot. I could barely breathe or swallow.

So either I didn’t say it correctly, or what they considered “not spicy” was still very spicy by my standards.

Greg: That’s a classic experience in Thailand. You think you’ve got it right, and then you realize there’s a whole different scale of spicy.

Diane: Exactly. It was definitely something we had to adjust to.

Greg: I also want to bring this back to the classroom for a moment. You mentioned in your book a really nice story about one of your students—something small but meaningful.

Diane: Yes, there were many moments like that, but one in particular stands out. It was early on, during nap time, which was quite an involved process.

The children would change out of their uniforms into pajamas, lie down on little bedrolls, try to nap, then get up, get dressed again, and pack everything away—all within about 40 minutes.

Many of them didn’t know how to do these things on their own, so the teachers had to help each child individually. It felt overwhelming at first.

There was one little girl—the smallest in the class—who was very bright and curious. I decided to show her how to unbutton her uniform.

She didn’t know how to do it, so I guided her hands and helped her figure it out. She became really interested in learning this skill.

The next day, her grandmother dropped her off at school and greeted me with a traditional Thai “wai.” Then she indicated that her granddaughter had been practicing at home and wanted to show me what she could do.

It was such a joyful moment. She had learned something practical and meaningful, and her family recognized it. That really stayed with me.

Greg: That’s such a great example of what teaching is really about. It’s not always the big academic lessons—it’s those small, human moments.

Diane: Exactly. There were many moments like that. The children brought a lot of joy to the experience. Thailand is often called the “land of smiles,” and that really rang true for me. The children’s smiles were incredible.

Greg: I’ve always said that kids are kids everywhere in the world. That innocence and joy—it’s universal.

Diane: I agree completely.

Greg: Before we wrap up, I want to make sure listeners know about your book. It’s called Kindergarten at 60, and it’s coming out June 20th. Where can people find it?

Diane: It will be available through major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org for those who prefer independent bookstores. The print version is available for pre-order now, and an audiobook is also in production.

Greg: That’s great. And I think your story is really inspiring, especially for people who might think it’s too late to try something new.

Diane: Thank you. I would just say that there are opportunities out there, even later in life. They might look different—short-term programs, volunteer opportunities—but they exist.

Greg: That’s a great message.

Diane: And it doesn’t have to be a full school year. Steve and I recently returned from Italy, where we spent two weeks teaching conversational English to middle school students as volunteers. There are many different ways to have these experiences.

Greg: That’s fantastic. So what’s next for you?

Diane: I’m still processing that experience, but I do know that I’ll be returning to teaching adults at the Washington English Center soon. That’s something I really enjoy—helping people build a new life in the United States.

Greg: That’s a great way to bring it full circle.

Diane: Yes, it is.

Greg: Well, Diane, thank you so much for being on the show. This has been a great conversation.

Diane: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure.

Greg: And to our listeners, thank you for joining us. This is Greg, the single guy, signing off from the International Teacher Podcast.

Greg: And as we close, I just want to say thank you again. Your story really highlights that it’s never too late to try something new, even something completely outside your comfort zone.

Diane: Thank you. That really is the message I hope people take away—that there are opportunities at any stage of life if you’re willing to step into them.

Greg: And we appreciate you sharing that with our listeners. Hopefully we can have Steve on at some point to hear his side of the experience as well.

Diane: That would be great.

Greg: All right, this is Greg, the single guy, signing off from the International Teacher Podcast. Thank you again, Diane.

Diane: Thank you, Greg. It’s been a pleasure.