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Too Fleeting to Teach, Too Long to Forget

 

      One month was not enough for the endless learning opportunities, unforgettable memories, and valuable connections I had experienced as a SEA pre-service student teacher in Udon Thani, Thailand. No, kiddin, if the program were to extend, I would prefer to do demo teaching every day!

 

From Sparks to Flame in Teaching

 

      From the beginning of my teaching journey in an international classroom where English is rarely used on a daily basis, my ultimate objective was that my students would learn something from me, even just one concept, and if I got lucky, they got to learn numerous concepts after I went outside their classroom. Not to mention that I was thinking of how I could turn a teacher-centered English classroom into a student-centered one. So, how did I prepare for my practicum? Before starting every lesson, the most essential thing to prepare is a lesson plan. This is your guide when it comes to flowing with the classroom discussion. After making a lesson plan, I make sure to hand it out first to my cooperating teacher for final checking. Then I started to create my Canva presentations for teaching practice, and I added a Thai translation below every English text for clarity and comprehension. Then, I also prepare some speakers and traditional cutout materials for some activities. Inside the classroom, there are no smooth classroom discussions. Hence, it is important to be flexible and innovative when it is necessary. Moreover, whenever I handle my classes, I always form my students in one circle. In this way, I can easily focus on all students equally; it is easier to do collaborative activities; monitor the students who are listening or not; and, moreover, it is easier to see the faces of the students. It was a wonderful sight to behold. You can see their confused faces, and you can discern if there is a light bulb over their head. Based on the results of classroom assessment, the performance of the students, and the feedback of my teachers, all my efforts and preparations led me to successful practice and final demonstration teaching.

 

Transcending Language Barriers

 

      In terms of the English proficiency of the Thai students, according to my cooperating teachers and from my observation, Thai students can understand basic English if an individual speaks in a slow and comprehensible manner. Some students also tend to be shy and uncomfortable when speaking this foreign language. It is important to understand that English is not Udon Thani’s first, second, or even third language, unlike in the Philippines. However, there was an unforgettable time during my first week when the students bombarded the office to ask me basic questions about myself, such as, What is my favorite sport, food, or if I tried some Thai foods, and many more. Having a foreign student teacher around can really help them practice English in terms of communicating their thoughts and expressing themselves.

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      To end, my Thailand journey as a student teacher ignited a passion for teaching within me, nurtured by a whirlwind month of connections and cultural awakenings. The lessons which I shared in Thailand, and those I brought back to the Philippines, surpassed anything found in textbooks. I hope future educators will also have similar transformative opportunities like mine. These experiences, woven together, will ultimately benefit the learners of tomorrow.