After celebrating the new year in paradise it was time to get back to reality. For me that meant teaching in a Thai high school. On that first day I was honestly as nervous as a scared, young freshman entering high school for the first time. Looking back, that seems like a lifetime ago and yet, it has only been a month. I got situated at my desk, was given a tour of the campus by another english teacher, got to know my students and began to feel comfortable.

The first few weeks did not go by without any difficulties though. There was a building under construction so a lot of the classrooms had been changed. I spend a day going to all the wrong rooms and being late for my classes as students and Thai teachers ushered me to the correct place. I had my own internal dilemma of whether or not to follow and use the curriculum book that was provided for me. It would have been very easy because everything was already done, but as I read the readings and looked over the comprehension activities it was clear that it was not the right level for the students. Finding appropriate material is certainly a challenge because the students are older and quite advanced and yet they are learning in a foreign language so the topic needs to be relatively simple without being too childish. The time of year also created some issues. I started right after midterms in the second semester and the end of the year was full of events. I missed so many classes that it made it really hard for me to get through a series of lessons uninterrupted, gather enough work to sufficiently grade my students, or feel like I was making a difference in their education.

Despite those obstacles I really loved working at Sisaket Wittayalai School! My students are fantastic, ranging from the exceptionally intelligent ones who ask all kinds of questions to the crew of troublemakers that sit in the back of the class and mess around(and I inevitably have one or more of them switch seats and sit at the front with me). I’ve had a lot of fun with them, in class coming up with a new writing prompt each class and reading their responses, and playing Bananagrams or Text Twist when there’s extra time; and outside of class when they call my name anytime they see me walking by on campus, wave and giggle when they see me getting lunch at the food court, or cheering them on during sports week. The Thai teachers have been so kind and welcoming and I get along really well with the other english teachers. The community and environment at the school is exactly what I was hoping to find while working here in Thailand.

I am without a doubt looking forward to the school break but I am just as excited to come back for the next school year!

The entrance way of the school

Buddha statue as you come down the main campus road

Looking back towards the entrance

Road to the administration building

I keep going down the road to get to my office

The bridge I walk over every day

The other side of the bridge

This is the building where the english office is

There’s another shrine and the students will bow when they walk by

A walkway between two of the classroom buildings

There are courtyards between the buildings where the students hang out and work

These are 11 graders and they are so smart!

They loved the Bananagrams!

Some of my students playing Bananagrams

Practicing traditional Thai dance. It was beautiful. The dance is slow and graceful.

English teachers vs Thai teachers volleyball. I played the day before but was in a skirt this day.

Teacher Peggy, Warner and I. We were on the pink team and walked in the parade for sports week!