All About My Schools
This week marked my first full teaching schedule at all eight schools—okay, technically, I only taught at seven schools. For the majority of the schools, it was my first time teaching there. As a result, I became extremely good at teaching Lesson One. (Who knew that repeating a lesson six times would make you better able to teach it?) Nevertheless, I had a great time at every school I went to and figured I’d share a few sentences about each school.
Nonghin School
Let me tell you what, the kids here know how to make a great first impression. Upon stepping out of the car, I was immediately greeted by dozens of children, all ecstatically waving and shouting “hello.” The teachers told me that the kids were very excited to meet me, and it showed. They were engaged the entire lesson and loved speaking. I had a lot of time to sit with the director of this school and discuss my feelings on Thailand, teaching, and everything in between. Out of pure coincidence, he told me that he played guitar and asked me if I was a musician. Needless to say, like a proud father, I showed off some pictures of my guitars.
Nongjik School
This school also had around twenty-five students. They were all excellent, engaged, and really good about helping each other out. The most notable thing about the school itself is that it is the only school where I had to use a blackboard. On its own, my handwriting is already an abomination to the English language. Add a blackboard to the mix, and you can clearly see the issue at hand. Needless to say, I made good use of the eraser and was able to practice rewriting most of my sentences.
Nongbuakru School
This is the same school that I visited last week for the rice cutting celebration. In terms of teaching, this was probably the most challenging school of the week. The kids weren’t bad; they just had some first-day concentration issues. I’ll make sure to incorporate even more games in the future. After class, I was given a tour of the campus. They have quite an impressive garden of bananas, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, flowers, and herbs. They also have chickens, pigs, and a little pond with some fish.
Nonhedkai School
With a class size of fourteen students, this is easily the smallest school that I’m teaching at. Actually, my class here is taught outside under an awning. Surprisingly, it’s a more pleasant experience than you’d think, especially when there’s a gentle breeze. This is one of the few schools where I don’t have access to a TV or projector. Additionally, my worksheets and homework weren’t printed. Needless to say, this school keeps me on my toes and has me thinking outside of the box.
Krayom Nongdern School
This is the school that I have the most experience with. This week marked my fifth lesson with them. Naturally, having five classes with them under my belt means that class goes quite smoothly. My Thai co-teachers know how I like the room setup and always have my materials ready. I’ve started to build rapport with the students. They feel comfortable speaking with me and understand how my lessons are structured. I know it’s probably the exposure, but I definitely like this school a lot. Actually, the school director even wrote a letter for my visa extension, vouching on my behalf.
Dang School
In terms of workflow and resources, this is the easiest school to teach at. I have access to a projector, speaker, and TV. My class materials are always printed and prepared for me as well. This is also one of my biggest classes, with over thirty students. I initially thought that the large class size was going to be an issue, but so far, I haven’t had any issues. If anything, it’s been a benefit as it has been much easier to elicit information from the students.
Nongklong School
This school and TBA have a history that goes way back. Actually, one of the teachers here told me that she brought her students to TBA eight years ago, when another English teacher was here. The class consisted of twenty-three students, who were all delights to work with. They were quite engaged and had no qualms about practicing speaking. Believe it or not, but the kids actually spent as much time speaking in class as me, and they often corrected one another in English. In terms of overall success, I’d say this school nailed it.
School #8
I previously mentioned that I only technically taught at seven schools, and the reason for this is that school #8 was sprung on me Friday morning. I did visit the school in the afternoon and talk with some of the teachers, but neither of us were prepared for a lesson. The school itself has around seventy students and overlooks a large, gorgeous pond. The director of the school still needs to meet with Pa Lam to work everything out (hence why I don’t know the name of the school), but despite the lack of teaching, I figured I’d mention this school anyway.
Private Lessons
On Saturdays, I teach a private English lesson for a very small group of kids (currently, five). Unlike my normal school classes, this group is made up of much younger kids. This means I’m able to explore my teaching interests through a new demographic, and I can incorporate new activities. For example, I taught the kids a song and dance to help with learning the phrases from the first lesson. Additionally, although my part is still volunteer work, these private lessons are a chance for me to raise some money and give back to TBA.
Gallery
Some photos of me teaching at Nongjik School
Calling All Elves: Help Needed!
Almost all the schools have expressed interest in having me do a special unit on Christmas. This is quite the ironic request, as my past apathy towards children and Christmas makes me a first-class curmudgeon that gives Scrooge and the Grinch a run for their money. However, given the strict trope guidelines imposed on Christmas humbugs, I must begin my redemption arc. As a result, I need some help gathering the essential Christmas atmosphere. If you feel so inclined, please either comment or email a list of your favorite Christmas songs, movies, games, activities, and anything in between.
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