Teaching at Sangsup Pracha Wittayakarn Prayttaya school

Last week we taught at Sangsup Pracha Wittayakarn Prayttaya School leading another 4 days of English camp. Positive difference from the previous school was that we met with the same class consecutively; so I saw the same student class all 4 days. This enabled me to teach something and actually review it the next day and link the lesson plans. For example you teach vocab words like doctor then you teach places people would work in those occupations and finally teach the sentence structure around it: ' I am a doctor. I work in a hospital.'

Most of the time, to get them to understand, I utilized my keen acting skills (lol) teamed with my far from artistry skills on an old blackboard. I am sure you can imagine me trying to act out a cowboy; the kids thought it was hilarious!! I actually had a nice hat for a prop so it worked...5 minutes later I had the kids saying 'I am a cowboy! I work on a farm!'

The classes were also much smaller; my class was around 30 kids of grades 7 and 8. They all seemed to be eager to learn but after conversations school because they have no where else to go. Many have been neglected by their families and all are very poor. The school itself is comparable to a barn like structure in the middle to a rice field. However I must say that the education here seems to be very good and the kids seem to absorb it, crave it and appreciate it. I guess that is all that matters.

One particularly mischievous child brought in his pet gecko to class on the second day, as the previous day we asked the students to draw their pets. The gecko sat on his shoulder or in his pocket the entire time....better behaved than some of the kids in the class.... I was really impressed! On the last day the kids thought it was pretty funny to play a joke on the teacher. When I was crouching down during one of our breaks to inspect a crab that a few of the boys had been playing with I found out 5 minutes later that one of them had put a huge beetle in my bag. I heard this churpping and I could not figure out where it was coming from. Seconds later I looked down and 'BBBBBbwaahhhh!!!' I through the bag off and started to run away....again laughter from the kids from the little teach afraid of a harmless beetle.

I was really sad on the last day. I asked for endless autographs, stood in many pictures and had even some hugs from the students. When we went to leave the kids ran along side the bus waving with huge smiles laughing 'GOODBYE TEACHERS!' Thoughts going through my mind: is this really considered work? I actually love being here!!