On the 13th of july at 6 'o clock I had to get up to get to school. This was very exhausting because I had only arrived the evening before after two days of travelling so I still had a huge jetlag. PiMook introduced me to all the teachers, but it's very difficult to remember all their names. Each morning the students have like a ceremony with the national anthem and they bow to the king. The king is very popular in Thailand because he does apparently a lot for the poor people. Really in every house and building there are pictures of the king and the queen, and even calenders with on each month a picture of them. After the ceremony I had to get on stage and present myself in front of the whole school which is about 2500 students and many teachers. That day I only went with the teachers to the classes and sat between the students to see and learn how the teachers teach. It's quite awfull. They speak still a lot in Thai and justlet the student repeat what they say. The student can know a word when it's written, but often they don't understand it in a sentence, nor when spoken. That's what I'm here for. I try to let them speak and think for themselves. They are just parrots and can't think for themselves. it's very hard because most of the times the students just look shy and turn away or speak in thai when I ask a question. I still don't know before the lesson what they will teach about so I can't prepare my lessons that quite good. I hope they will give me in time the lessons schedule.
The students are divided into groups of age but also of level. It makes it still difficult to know the level cause sometime hey are too old for little games, but then they have a very low level or just the opposite. It's difficult to give the lesson in a fun way but still to get some reaction. They are sometimes with just too many pupils in one class for making conversations. I have to let them speak to me english because with each other they will only speak thai. Sometimes I feel really foolish.
I have to teach a class with another teacher normally. Some classes went very well when I really may interact with the teacher in class en the theacher can still help me to let the students comprehend. But other teachers just leave me to my own. Two classes went well like this, but others not. It depends a lot of the students. I still have to get to know my students and their level. I also don't know wich words they already learned.
A very positive thing is that the students are very polite. It's amazing how well mannered they are. They bow all the time to teachers. Even if you walk just from one room to another they all bow. To bow with your hands pressed to eachother is the way to say hello in thai. They also always have to take of their shoes to come into the class. The teachers don't have to do that.Almost every day they have another uniform that they wear, even the teachers. I don't have to wear them cause I don't have those uniforms, but I still have to dress formally so I had to buy some formel skirts and blouses.
I can wright on my blog now cause they have midterms so the teachers are mostly revising their contents for the tests tomorrow untill friday. So I can't really do anything.
that's about it. see you later
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