New rules and new attitudes

Monday, 6 September 2004

Since Christy and I are now job sharing teaching the day by subjects (She will teach English/Reading and Science, and I will teach Math, Social Studies, Art, PE, and Home Economics), we have to begin new routines and rules. One of the rules we decided to implement everyday was for the students to speak English only during all lunches and breaks, with a free day to speak Thai on Fridays. Since this is an English Immersion program, and the students are used to rote learning, up until now, we figured the students should be speaking English conversationally if they are going to improve their speaking and understanding skills. Well, we had some rebellion today, after we instituted the new plan.

Imagine "The Sound of Music" (my favorite movie) scene where Froline (sp?) Maria has just arrived late to dinner on her first evening at the captain's house, and she just chats away merrily at the table, while the children sit there, hardly eating their food, and pouting and crying. Well, today at lunch, several students pouted, and our usually noisy group was very silent. We did not hear English or Thai, but rather silence from all seven students, while the adults talked and encouraged the children to eat or else they would be hungry later. Eventually the few pouty children ate their lunches. Christy and I go back and forth over how strict we should be with their speaking of English. But, like my learning Thai, I will never be fluent unless I use it, so even when I know people can speak English to me, I encourage them to use Thai with me instead. We'll see how our students do.

I am adjusting to how things work here in Thailand, especially when it comes to their last minute decisions and notices. Part of that is me not understanding the language and the school announcements that come over the loudspeaker each day. But, another part of it is just the way Thai people lead their everyday lives, and I thought I was laid back! We just need to be really flexible when it comes to teaching, for you never know when a big assembly, special class, or guest may affect the next hour or the rest of the day. As far as household things go, we may find out we have some hidden charges for things (like when the worker took our comforters to get laundered at a laundromat because she couldn't hand wash them and now we owe her additional money, but it was only a couple bucks, so no big deal) but we find out after the fact.
It doesn't help that I can't speak Thai fluently, but I am working on it everyday. And, last week, our Thai language tutor (who we pay 100 baht - about $2.50 - for an hour each Friday afternoon) at Silpakorn University, Panida, said she was impressed that we are doing so well having only been here for a short time.

Tonight, I discovered another part of Thai culture that just cracked me up! Our Thai teacher, Matt, took us to Big C to go shopping for school organizational supplies, and when we came out of the store about an hour later, there were cars double parked everywhere in the huge parking lot. I thought, oh no, what if we are blocked in because we haven't even been home all day, and it is almost 8 o'clock! Well, sure enough, there were two trucks blocking us, so after putting our bags away and settling in the car, Matt and her sister get out and walk towards one truck. I am assuming they are going to have the drivers paged or something, but no, Matt and her 12 year old sister start pushing the truck forward! Then they go to the other truck, and push that one out of the way as well! Christy and I were just both hysterical, as we have never seen that before. Apparently, there are signs that remind drivers not to put on their hand brakes, so when cars need to double park, they just put their cars in neutral so that other people can move them if they are in the way!

Christy and I will be busy these next couple of weeks preparing for the Ministry of Education to come and visit our program. Our principal and manager have directed us to re-write the handbook for the English Program and to present our year-long curriculum plan addressing the standards and benchmarks for each discipline. Along with that, we must include all of our lesson plans, assessments, and tools we are going to use. Funny thing is, as Thai culture goes, each day the tasks and requirements for us keep changing, and we are supposed to have all of this done by September 21st, when the Ministry of Education visits. But, the school is relying on our expertise to shape and develop the curriculum, although we are still following the curriculum guides we were given and supplementing with materials we brought from Seattle. It is a lot of work, and the principal keeps telling the Thai teachers how America is "the most progressive country in the world" and how they can learn teaching skills from us. My conversation with Phu's father last night highlighted this fact that I do not want the Thai teachers to think we know it all, or to think that America has the best ways to do things. I can learn just as much from the Thai teachers as they can learn from me, and I want to follow and respect their everyday culture and expectations as much as possible. Although Christy and I will have many long nights typing up curriculum, creating worksheets and assessments with clip art, organizing materials, along with spending 12 hours in the classroom each day, it will be great learning experience for us both. We are lucky that we only have seven students right now.