e martë, 5 qershor 2007

Teaching at Nong Phue Primary School in Thailand




Ever learn the song.....?

"Head and shoulders, knees and toes... knees and toes...
Head and shoulders, knees and toes ... knees and toes...
Eyes and mouth and ears and nose...
Head and shoulders, knees and toes!"



All done kenesthetically so that the students use hand movements to point to each part of the body. It's kind of a combination of song aerobics, biology, music and English.... all rolled into one! The primary school students learned it quickly and they love it!

This song seems to be one of my 2007 educational theme as I work with primary school children.

When I began teaching in schools here in Thailand four years ago, Mr. Elvis was an English teacher at Hinngompittayakum High School located about 15 kilometers outside of Nongkhai. Last year Mr. Elvis left teaching to become an administrator, so I am now teaching the students at his school.



There are only about 100 students at this school. After working with high school students, these ones are so little and they are so eager to learn. The 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. class seems to fly by as I use a combination of song, Dolch sight words, colors and numbers.... all with a variety of repetition exercises. We break for an hour lunch and then it's back to teaching again from 13:00 to 15:00. Not my favorite part of the day to teach since the afternoons tend to be very hot!


The school itself is a two story 50 year old wood building. The fans turn lazily overhead, with just enough speed to make me long for the hint of a cool breeze. So by the end of any given lesson, I'm usually drenched in sweat and ready for a shower!


The students were a little frightened of me at first, since I am the first foreign teacher they have ever had. But between the songs, my eating lunch with them, and all the activities in the classroom.... I've now got a parade of little kids behind me wherever I go.... I feel like the Pied Pipper!



Staying in Nongkhai and teaching has also cleared most, if not all, of the Bangkok smog out of my lungs. I'd planned so long to stay in Bangkok and take Thai lessons, but the heavy pollution really got to me this last time. So now here I am... living and teaching on the banks of the Mekong... swimming in the ever present humidity and for all practical purposes.... living like a king!



Sometimes these students just make me laugh!

3 komente:

Unknown tha...

Ahh...The little ones. I love their drive but I would still teach the ones that can drive.

WmF

Mr. T tha...

Great comment! Up for a challenge outside of your SDC class? Use your writing talents in an ELL setting half way around the world?

LAT

Unknown tha...

I still want to go and teach in Thailand... I bet it is a big..huge..difference from teaching these kids in Rialto!!! haha..

Linda S.