I was excited to start teaching and check out the school where I would be working. Unfortunately, I had to wait until after the new year for that, but they were going to keep me busy in the meantime. The way the timing worked out, I got to Sisaket just as the high school students that I would be teaching were taking their midterm exams so there were no classes. Instead of having me explore the school, get to know the routine, spend some of my free time planning lessons, it was decided that I would teach Kindergarten and Preschool for the week at the school across the street. This was not ideal as I had requested older students.

Regardless of my feelings about the little ankle biters, they are very cute and I had fun with them for the week. I worked my lesson around the theme of the New Year. We started with some numbers practice by doing a countdown from 10 to 1 and then jumping up and down and screaming “Happy New Year!” I tried to teach them the months of the year, although repeating after me quite slowly was all they could manage. I would then sing and dance the Macarena to the months of the year and they got a real kick out of that (especially at the end when I had my hands on my hips and did a little hip twirl before singing ‘Happy New Year’). The class was finished off with some worksheets or coloring and the students went nuts when I showed them the sparkly star stickers I would give them once they finished.

The young students just want to please the teacher so badly and the fact that I am an American teacher gets them that much more excited. The preschoolers were maniacs! They would be sitting down nicely for all of three minutes when I first came in and then it would deteriorate into a swarm around me at the white board (one time I was literally trapped against it because there were so many) and there would also be the small faction in the back that would just be wrestling on the floor. One preschooler just thought it was hilarious to punch me in the leg, and then when I caught his arm the next time, he thought that was even funnier and he kept trying to punch me so I would catch his arm in the act. The Kindergarteners would constantly call me over and basically tell me their life story, which I understood none of so I would just smile and say “amazing!” and move over to some other students.

I enjoyed my time with the little ones and the school grounds were beautiful to walk around. I also wouldn’t trade the time I had getting to know the teachers at that school for anything, as they had become real friends here in Sisaket. It did end up being a good transition week as I got my bearings at a Thai school as well as in the city of Sisaket. The students were exhausting though and I was definitely ready for a few days off and a reunion with friends for New Years!

Anuban Sisaket School

I just love how many orchids there are all over the trees. The Thai’s attach the pot right to the trunk so they can grow against the bark!

The field before morning assembly starts

I stood with the Kindergarteners under that green pavilion during assembly