Back to Khon Kaen!

PHEW! I’m finally caught up on my blog after two months of being back in Khon Kaen!

KHON KAEN UPDATE!

My Class: The school year in Thailand begins in May and ends in March (meaning their summer break is a few months earlier than ours, March – May.. that’s when its hot season here), so we just started a new semester! I’m physically in the same classroom as I was last semester, but I have a different Thai teacher and new kids. My Thai teacher has been working at Patanadek for a number of years and is so warm and friendly.. I LOVE working with her! My kids are great, not nearly as rowdy as my class last semester and I love coming to school everyday. I have 26 kids in my class, 15 boys and 11 girls.

"Smile, T. Chelsea's Special Class!"

Tutoring: Along with teaching every weekday, I decided to pick up some extra tutoring jobs to make a little extra money. On Mondays, Jess and I take a brother and sister from grade 3 and 5 to Central Plaza for an hour and a half to practice speaking English. Its really a sweet deal, Jess takes one kid while I take the other and we often go to grab dinner (which the kids treat us to), and go to the book store. No worksheets and no need to prep, just conversation! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I tutor at the school. The school sent letters home at the beginning of the semester asking if parents were interested in having their child learn English for an extra hour after school with me and three other teachers. They had more students sign up this semester than ever before so the classes are move overcrowded than usual. I have nine or ten kids each session and I try to make the classes fun by starting out with a movement or song (Hokey Pokey, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, ect), milk break provided by the school, then a game, and finish with an easy coloring worksheet. Some days are rougher than others, the students generally sign up for two days a week so I get a different combination of kids every class. Of course the days with my trouble makers are more of a challenge and an extra hour of school is difficult for some students to handle. On Sundays, I do more tutoring both with students I had last semester, so they are in grade 1 now. On Sunday mornings, JJs mom picks me up on her motorbike and drives me to their shop. The family has a bedding shop near the night market and across the street from a high school, so JJ and I go study at the school. We work on workbooks and worksheets but I always try to bring at least one game. On Sunday afternoons, Tan’s mom drops him off at my place and we decided what we want to do for the next hour and a half, walk to central or play games, whatever we want to do. Tutoring is sure keeping me busy but I love having extra one-on-one time with the kids, its a lot lot of fun!

Wai Kru Day: Wai Kru (“wai” is the Thai respect bow and “kru” means teacher) ceremony is a Thai ritual in which students pay respects to their teachers in order to express gratitude and is held at the beginning of the semester. My Thai teacher helped my students make footed trays out of flowers which were presented to us teachers at the ceremony. The ceremony began with a Buddhist prayer and followed by the students’ recitation of the Wai Rru chant, which expresses respect and gratitude to the teachers and asks for the teachers’ blessing in their studies. After, a representative of each class presented the teachers with an offering of flowers, candles, and joss sticks arranged on the pedestalled trays. It was a special day and I felt very honored and respected as a teacher!

This semester is FLYING by but I’m loving every minute of it!