English Camp, Farewell Party, and Return Home

On Saturday, we provided an English Camp for 120 students from the schools we have been working with. Our UTSA students paired up with each other to provide six fun activities which gave students practice in listening and speaking English. Everyone had a great time. The program ended with a song that still echoes in our heads -- "Goodbye my friends, Goodbye my friends, see you again someday." The stong was repeated for a good 20 mintues as our UTSA teachers stood at the front of the auditorium and each student coming through giving us handshakes and/or hugs. Many tears were flowing.

The good byes continued later in the evening with a fancy dinner at the resort hotel in Trang which for some odd reason is shaped like a ship. Joining us were many of the teachers, host families, and school directors. We presented certificates of thanks to each of them. We then gave the restaurant's Karoake singers the night off and took over the entertainment. The musical talent of our group members is quite impressive, as is the Karoake machine's repertoir of old American rock songs.

The hardest goodbyes were at the airport, with a large group of host family members and teachers showing up to say goodbye. Hundreds of photos, hugs, and tears later, were were on the plane heading to Bangkok. We got in early enough to do some last minute shopping and then left the hotel at 4:45 a.m. to come home. We happily did not encounter any problems in our travels.

A sense of excitement hit us as we landed in Dallas ("We're back in the U.S.!") and even more as we touched down in San Antonio at 7:05 p.m. ("We're home!").

As we were greeted by the dean, family members, and friends, students said their last goodbyes (and "see you laters") to each other.

It was a wonderful experience and it will take us several days to process all the amazing things we experienced in Thailand. We will forever remain in awe to our wonderful hosts, teachers, and students who did so much for us.

As students complete their final reflection papers, we plan to post selections here on the blog.

Wai Kruu Ceremony

On Thursday last week (June 19th), most of the students were able to participate in an important ceremony at their schools – the Wai Kruu Ceremony. Wai is the word for the Thai greeting in which the palms of the hands are brought together in front of the body. Kruu is the word for teacher. Wai Kruu is a ceremony in which students pay respect to their teachers. By showing respect to their teachers, the students gain merit for the academic year.

The ceremony at Hadsamranwittyakom was especially elaborate and solemn. In addition to Lora Beth, Lori, Amal, and Paula who teach here, we were pleased to have Mary, Lissettee, and Candice from nearby primary schools join us for the ceremony. Our UTSA teachers were not just mere observers, but were placed front and center along with other teachers from the high school, to be paid respect by the students. The same was the case at two of the other high schools were our students are teaching.

Each class of students designed a special elaborate arrangement of flowers and/or incense sticks and candles. Each natural item used in the arrangement has a special symbolic meaning. For example, eggplant flowers represent respect as the heavy fruit bends down the branches, just as the students bend down to respect their teachers.

Part of the ceremony is a contest to see which class designs the most beautiful arrangement. Each student also brought a flower to present to a teacher. The traditional Thai music ensemble provided the music. One of the students provided a haunting but beautiful chant-like song at the beginning, the words indicating the students love and respect for their teachers.

A group of students presented the arrangements to the teachers. The teachers were sitting in a row at the front of the stage. Students were sitting in rows filling up the entire gym, wearing their best white and blue uniforms. As students came up to present their flowers, they would greet their teacher with the wai, then respectfully hand them the arrangement or flower, and then they would bow down and prostrate themselves on the ground – the way to show the greatest respect. Teachers would offer words of encouragement, and admonition, often patting the students gently on the head or back as a show of affection. This continued until each and every student in the school had come before the row of teachers to pay their respects.

A speech by the school director also included a brief ceremony where he paid homage at a shrine which included a large textbook, representing the importance of knowledge and learning. Dr. Perrotta was asked to say a few words. Her comments reflected what was in all of our hearts. We were deeply moved by the ceremony. The respect the students have for their teachers, and the affection they have for their students is wonderful to see. We could not help but reflect on how, in our own American society, respect for teachers has been declining. We do have our teacher appreciation week with little notes, small gifts, or gift cards to Starbucks, but it’s not quite the same as what we witnessed. In our society where teachers are suspect, where politicians constantly criticize and belittle teachers, where some parents feel it is their duty to question everything the teacher does, or where some parents feel they can do a better job educating their children and pull them out of the education system altogether for home schooling, we couldn’t help be feel a bit jealous of the esteemed position these teachers hold in their Thai society.

Excerpts from Student Reflections - Other

Here are some random comments from Student journal reflections:

Student # 1 - Today I am waiting to call home – no phone service and no internet. I must find a way to call tomorrow for Father’s Day. I got a phone card today …

Student #2 – I investigated my bed – really hard with a thick quilt on it and hard sofa cushions. Luckily I brought my U-shaped airplane pillow and a “cocoon” from online. I wrapped myself in the cocoon—which is like a really soft mosquito net, and turned out the lights. There was a florescent light right outside my window. I scrambled through my suitcase and found my sleep mask. I can’t even imagine what I looked like sleeping. I had my covers on me and wrapped around my head and pillow. It would be a funny picture!

Student 3 – I am fascinated to see so much warmness from the Thai people. I feel like a celebrity. They do take it to heart to treat company like family.

Student 4 – So far, my cucarachas have been mosquitoes, wet toilet seats, and feeling obligated to eat. ... Also I am getting a little sick of the food here. I do not really care for eggs, rice, or seafood, so the food situation is always a little rough.

Student 5 – Thai food is amazing!!! The spices, the aroma, the taste, the sight, it’s like sensory overload. No words can describe true Thai food without one having to try for themselves.

Student 6 – My [host] mom took me to a Thai wedding party. It was very extravagant. It had several hundred people at a hotel. It consisted of an eight course meal. They played a slide show and video of the morning’s ceremony. The guest keepsakes were in English. The majority of the music was in English. The dress, suit, and cake were “Western.” No one at my table spoke English.

Student 7 – My only problem right now is this incredible heat. I just can’t believe how hot it is. Lunch on the river was nice until I bit into something hot. It was so hot flames were coming out of my ears. Four glasses of water later I can finally feel my tongue again, although I think it is traumatized now. I think the word of the day is HOT!

Student 8 – I had forgotten the thrill I get from speaking in a new language and having people understand me, even if it’s just two words.

Student 10 – I have already learned so much about what I take for granted back in the states. This is definitely an eye opening experience of the different things I thought was necessity is no just something extra to have and is not that important.

Student 11 – Before coming to Thailand I prepared myself mentally to taste everything I could. I told myself to not ask what was being served because if I did I wouldn’t want to eat it. So after lunch I found out I had eaten fish stomach which does not fall into the groups of food I normally eat. I must admit it was good. Kudos to the chef!

Student 12 – In response to reflection question #4 I have observed the following symptons of culture shock in myself: Fatigue – I am super tired and just want to sleep all day. … loneliness – I no longer have the convenience of picking up my cell phone whenever I am bored and calling friends and family. Longing for home – I want to eat Mexican food and sleep in my own bed. … Food anxiety – I don’t care for Thai cuisine and I worry that I will offend someone or be hungry because I don’t like the food. … This journal entry has reminded me of many times when I’ve felt like this and the one thing that is the same for all those instances is that I was okay afterwards. I will be okay this time too. I guess I would rather be here in Thailand feeling homesick instead of back in America wondering what it would have been like to be here.

ESL Workshop for Thai English Teachers

Yesterday (Wednesay June 25th), I had the opportunity to provide a workshop for the Thai English teachers from the various schools we are working with. The title of the workshop was Listening and Speaking: Strategies for Interaction in the Classroom. As we observed classes last year and this year, it was apparent that the focus in these classrooms in on reading and writing, and that students end up not being able to speak the language well. This is one reason the focus of our UTSA students’ teaching as been on oral language development.

I provided the Thai teachers with some of the same training I provided to our UTSA teachers. The focus was on using cooperative learning structures as a way to provide more opportunities for students to interact in authentic and meaningful ways. As I explained each structure, I had them try it out. They loved it. I also had video clips of an excellent lesson taught by JoAnn. As they watched the video clips, we discussed the strategies JoAnn used to maximize the interaction of her students, and how each activity built on the previous activity to enable students to speak and listen in English with confidence. The teachers were very enthusiastic. Many of them promised they would make changes to their teaching to incorporate the ideas they gained from the workshop. I was greatly impressed with the Thai ESL teachers.

We were honored to have Mr. Wanchai Pongsa, Director of the Trang Education Office 1, the provincial office for the Thai Ministry of Education. He helped present the certificates to each participant, and gave a speech at the end. At the ceremony he met some of our teachers, and also got to see the video clips of JoAnn's teaching. Dr. Perrotta and I had met with him in the morning to discuss the continuation of the program. We feel fortunate that he came by and got a close-up look at what we have been doing. In his comments, he mentioned how he was impressed with our program and wants to support it.

Student journal excerpts - Schools and Teaching

The following are excerpts from student journals about their experiences at their schools and with teaching. Most of these were written after students had only taught for a day or two. Hope to post more on this topic in the next few days.

Student # 1 – The students were great and the lessons went well. I covered more then expected due to no electricity or CD player. I taught the first 2 hours with no fans or lights. Took the classes outside to help with the heat. I am definitely more in my element when teaching.

Student #1 – When we arrived at the school, the children chased our truck and surrounded it to greet me with “good morning!” They followed me and crowded around the office door to look at me. You would think I was a celebrity. One of the teachers brought flowers from her yard for my hair.

Student #2 – Values of Education: All the children stand up and say “good morning teacher” and they stare at you. You have to tell them to sit down. Everything is done slowly and you don’t have to worry about discipline problems. Everyone stays in their seats and does their work. Everyone takes their time and there is no rushing. … The students seem happy to be here. I like the environment of the school. It isn’t as intense as it is in the states.

Student 3 – I had my first day of teaching and it was a very neat experience. The school and classroom structure is very different than how it is in the United States. In Trang, it is a more relaxed and informal school environment. Students are left unsupervised for long periods of time. Other classrooms had no teachers, students were in the classrooms just interacting. … I also saw a lot of students outside helping with chores, playing on the playground, digging, running around, and just sitting around. … Another conclusion I made is that students can be trusted to be left unsupervised without getting into any kind of trouble, and are independent. If students were left unsupervised in the United States, hell will be raised, and not to mention lawsuits. In my opinion, I think we live in a very paranoid, uptight, and worrysome society. Again, cultures are very different, but at the same time this experience provides an opportunity to reflect on one’s values, beliefs, cultures, and standards. This is a good time to reflect and analyze our values since we are so far from home.

Student 4 – Today was my first day of teaching. I was very nervous during my first class and expected to the students to speak more [English]. … I taught my students basic greetings and colors. We played the racing game with colors and they really enjoyed it. … I look forward to teaching more tomorrow.

Student 6 – I hope my students are not disappointed in my “non-American” appearance.

Student 8 – The opening ceremony during the morning (at the high school) was quite impressive. The students were lined up, row after row, while different teachers talked in front. Keo introduced each of us and encouraged us (OK, forced!) us to say a few remarks. Classes went really well. I feel so energized when I’m with the kids, even when I sweat so profusely. The students are constantly laughing and smiling and they are very easily entertained by farang (foreign) teachers.

Student 9 – When I walked into my first class, I was so nervous. Any planning or rehersal that I did in my head went out the door. [but] the kids, they are so beautiful and eager to learn. I feel my nervousness and lack of confidence interfered with my ability to teach. When will teaching become more natural to me? Dr. Perrotta sat in on my class after lunch and she helped me so much. She gave me to the idea to do some games and it worked out beautifully! I was thrilled to see the excitement and smiles on the students’ faces. They were having fun!

Student 10 – Today was exciting but I was really nervous. The first class they gave me, the class was outside. I immediately realized how difficult it was going to be without a chalkboard, but Mai Pen Rai (no worries!). I used a notebook and was able to write the words on it. The students were hesitant to talk in front of the class, so I gave them stickers for speaking. When they saw the race car stickers, they immediately wanted to share! … Never having taught a whole lesson before really made me see how important it is to be prepared and how necessary it is to stray from the lesson plan if needed.

Student 11 – I taught my first class at 10:10 a.m. And boy did the time go by fast. I took me a couple of seconds to find out that they didn’t know much English. Well, there goes my lesson plans. I tried to come up with new ones. Right now the #1 thing is to teach them how to answer and ask questions.

Student 12 – I taught my first class this morning from 9:00 to 11:00. I was expecting 50 minutes max. My lesson went great but I feel that I had to improvise to fill the time. The students were very nice and took to me well even though I didn’t speak much Thai.

JoAnn and Lori's Lessons

Today we had the priviledge of watching two great lessons, one taught by JoAnn and the other taught by Lori.

We first observed JoAnn's lesson in the morning at Paliengdapungsith High School. JoAnn warned us this was her quietest and least participatory class beforehand. However, we never would have believed it. JoAnn's lesson had the students interacting in a wide variety of activites, and the students did a great job. She had a similar lesson as some of the others, with a graphic organizer for students to write their name and then describe their favorite food, activity, sport, and animal. To prepare them for the lesson, she reviewed some vocabulary they had learned over the past lessons. Then she had them play a game where two students representing their teams had to give the proper sentence for the picture shown (i.e., My favorite food is fish). Once students finished their graphic organizers, they shared them with their neighbors, and then practiced them in pairs. She then had invidual students come up and share them with the practice. Her lesson was a great example of scaffolding, as each activity built on the next and prepared studnets for the individual presentations to the whole class.

Lori's lesson at Hadsamranwittaykom High School in the afternoon was equally energetic. She used the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" to help her students learn body parts. She had a great graphic on the board of a person with the body parts labeled. She had students practing using the vocabulary words with the frame "Where is your _________? This is my ___________." She did great game where she had the students in a circle. She would throw a ball to a student, and then ask them a question like, 'Where is your knee?" Students would have to answer "This is my knee' pointing to the correct body part. Once they got it right, they could throw the ball to another student and the game continued. Lori ended with a game with several picture cards on the floor for the various body parts she had taught them. As soon as she said the vocabulary word, the students dove to the floor to find the correct picture card. They clearly learned the words well and their laughter and energy showed how much they enjoyed the lesson.

Given this is the second week, it has been exciting to see how these and other lessons we've observed today have been builing on previously learned lessons. Students are going beyond just learning single words, and are beginning to be able to use them in sentences for real communicative purposes. Students are building up to culminating activities on their final day of teaching when students will pull together all they have learned in a single activity. From the progress we've seen so far, we are sure each of their students will do great.

Student journal excerpts - Host Families

Here are a few excerpts from student journals about their intial experiences with their host families ...

Host Families

Student 2 – I met my host family. We went to the school where I will be teaching. I met a lot of people and they sat me down and brought chairs to surround me. They were all staring at me and they asked me to tell them something. I felt completely out of place but was trying to smile and be polite. … Turns out my family is really friendly and extremely happy. Mai Pen Rai (“no problem!).

Student 3 – Our host family is very sweet. They are so nice and always feeding us. One thing is for sure, we will never go hungry in Thailand. I really like our house, it is very modest but homey. This makes me wonder about how simple their lifestyle is. They only have the essentials, but it is all they need.

Student 4 – After much anticipation, I finally met my host family in Trang. … When [we arrived at the house] it was a dream come true. In addition to the house being beautiful, [my host mom] speaks English wonderfully and is very funny.

Student 6 – My host mother took me to a supermarket to buy me American food. I explained it was unnecessary because I will eat Thai food.

Student 7 – My host family’s home is beautiful! The family is so kind. The room is great but they are worried I don’t like it. I am so over taken by the out pouring of kindness. These people are so humble and kind. I am in awe of their kindness. I really do not know what to say except it has become so much to take in. I need some quiet time to process everything.

Student 8 – We arrived at my bungalow – paradise, and talked for over an hour (with my host mom). We walked around the property and a little on the beach.

Student 9 – I am really sad to see the group breaking up and going our separate ways. At the same time, I am ready to see the real Thailand. Bangkok is a fascinating city, but it also caters to farangs (foreigners). I am excited about having an authentic experience! … During my time alone with my host mother, I learned so much about her. She seems so shy and her English is a little bit limited and of course my Thai is extremely limited. But in that short moment, I felt close to her and happy to learn more about her.

Student 10 – As we were introduced to host families (at the reception), I as well as the others, started to feel a little sad. We realized that the 12 people chosen to come to Thailand are amazing people and we all became instant friends and now we have to leave each other. But most of all, reality set in that I was going to be living with a host family. As we said our goodbyes, the host families had an amazing expression on their face and made me feel better, comforted that they were excited to host us.

Student 11 – We all met our host families and in a blink of an eye we left with them. I was doing OK and enjoying meeting my new family, but later on I started missing everyone. I was wishing I could go back. This happened because I was surrounded by a lot of Thai people speaking their language comfortably and I did not understand. To me this was my #1 critical event. Throughout their conversation they talked about me, I know this because I heard my name said all the time. … I thought to myself that they were just as excited as I was wanted to find out about me from my host mom. I am a foreigner in their country staying in their home and that doesn’t happen that often. … Though I am starting to get used to this, I am still looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow! … [a couple of days later …] This family reminds me of my family because they are all very united and are always together. This is my home away from home.

Student 12 – Today has been the worst day for me yet here in Thailand. The reception was lovely. The people were warm and my host family is very nice. Why the worst day then? I am feeling homesick! [a couple of days later] … In the evening when I finally drove up to the house and saw my host mom and host sister standing outside waiting for us, something changed inside of me. I started to feel like these people whom I had just met already cared for me. Communication between us this evening seemed easier even though we still couldn’t speak much of each other’s language, we were laughing and joking and opening up to each other.

Amari Trang Beach Resort

The past three days have been spent at a little piece of Paradise called the Amari Trang Beach Resort. The facility is top quality, and we’ve pretty much had it to ourselves. This being the low season, we’ve only seen a handful of other guests.

The students (and professors) have greatly enjoyed the must deserved rest and relaxation. Everyone is enjoying the georgeous beach, the enormous pool, and luxurious rooms, the great food at the resort or in the nearby beach-front town, and the fantastic service. We’re amazed considering the price is around what one would pay for a run-down motel in the U.S.

On Saturday the students had quite an adventure. All 12 decided to rent boats to head out to some of the islands we can see from the shore. I went along for the fun. The moderate winds produced large waves, resulting in a pretty rough ride out. But the students embraced it like a wet roller coaster. The biggest adventure of all was a visit to the Emerald cave. Only about half the group went in with the guide. Those from the second boat were too late. This was no ordinary cave. To get in, students had to jump into the trashing waters with life jackets on, and then swim through a small opening under the island that was the mouth of the cave. They swam huddled in a group with their guide through pitch black through several meters with no light except a small waterproof one carried by the guide. One they got through the tunnel, they came upon a beach that appeared to be in at the bottom of volcano – surrounded on all side, but open to the sky at the top. The students who went into the cave had a range of emotions from panic and anxiety attacks, to pure exhilaration. Some described it as the most amazing thing they’ve ever done. Some said it’s the most insane thing they’ve ever done and that they’d never do it again.

It was equally scary for those of us who were left behind. A group of us from the other boat wanted to follow the group in, but our boat captain stopped us telling us it was too dangerous. We watched in agony the 15 minutes or so the group disappeared into the cave. I saw water trashing at the mouth of the cave. No knowing the water was calm inside, or that that the students were standing on a beautiful inner-cave beach inside, I had images of them being thrashed about in the dark cave as rising waters threatened to bash their heads on the ceiling. I broke federal law about the separation of Church and State and prayed they would make it out alive as I just stared as the mouth of the cave. This was my critical event! But one of the happiest sights of my life was seeing the group closely huddled together swimming out of the mouth of that cave, and cheering.

We went from there to the nearby Koh Hai island – another tropical paradise with white sand, and crystal clear waters. We enjoyed a great lunch and then enjoyed swimming in much safer and calmer waters on the beach. Some of the students checked out the rooms with dreams of coming back here some day.

At low tide, we piled back on the boats to go snorkeling around one of the smaller islands. In short, it was a breath taking experience to float above a massive colony of coral and fish. There were so many tiny and colorful fish, we could feel them bump into us as we swam through their city.

Unfortunately, we ended with a small tragedy. Just as most of the students were in the boat, a Jelly fish showed up on stung one of the students on the thigh just before she climbed into the boat. She described the pain as immense. She had a huge red rash on her leg. First aid calls for an anecdote that provides immediate relief – urine. I turned my back as different girls tried to deliver the medication, but couldn’t get any out. Finally, Lissettee saved the day, and provided enough magical liquid that brought immediate relief. The student who got stung was instantly grateful, and the treatment gave everyone lots to laugh about as it took us about an hour to sail back to shore. Once on shore we went to a pharmacy with a pharmacist who looked no older than 18 years old. She spoke great English, and we could tell she’s provided helps to hundreds of people of who suffer from Jellyfish stings. Some ointment, pain killers, and other pills were provided that promised to have the student feeling better in no time.

Students spent the rest of the day relaxing in their rooms or out by the pool. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure! The break has been great. I think the students are sufficiently relaxed and ready to go back to their host families and to tackle their final week of teaching.

Candice, Lissettee, and Mary’s Lessons

On Friday we had the opportunity to observe our UTSA students teaching at the primary schools.

We visited Candice and Lissettee’s school, Watnongsamarn Primary School. Both Candice and Lissettee teach their students in two hour blocks each morning, and thus have a variety of activities and lessons. They both did a fantastic job. They teach with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm that clearly rubs off on the students.

Among other activities, Candice had her students practice greetings in shifting lines, and then taught them how to tell time to the hour. She used a clock from the wall and went around the room giving students the opportunity to say what time it was. All this was in preparation for a fun activity called “What time is it Mr. Wolf?” One student is Mr. Wolf standing in the middle of a circle of students. They ask, “What time is it Mr. Wolf?” Whatever time he says is the number of steps they take towards him. As there is no more room, the answer to the question of “What time is it Mr. Wolf?” is “It’s dinner time!” Mr. Wolf then has to chase down and catch a student to “eat.” The student who gets eaten becomes the next Mr. Wolf. The kids had a blast playing this game outside, so much so they probably forgot they were learning English.

Lissettee likewise had some high energy games and activities for her students. One of these included teaching her students the words and music to a TPR-like song with a great beat giving students commands like stand up, sit down, clap your hands, bow cheer, etc. To reinforce the vocabulary from the song plus to teach and review some other emotion words, she had them play relay games where two teams competed. As she said a word, a student from each team would run to the front and act out the word. The students had a lot of fun and were clearly learning and remembering the vocabulary.

Next we went to Mary’s school, Watpakporn Primary School. Mary’s love for teaching was apparent by the look on her face and those of her students. She had a tiny little classroom with four fans on the walls that managed to keep the stifling hot room a bit bearable. The heat didn’t stop the energy level of Mary’s lesson. Among other activities, she taught her students to do the Cha-Cha slide. Here students must listen and follow the directions to move to the left, right, forward back, crisscross, turn around, and other actions. The upbeat music and fun movements were a hit with the kids. Again, having fun, not realizing they are learning English.

What is particularly neat to see about our teachers at the primary schools, is the consistency and the quality of instruction they are providing. They have been shocked to see the relative relaxed atmosphere of the schools, including seeing groups of students go for hours or even an entire day with no teacher or supervision. The amount of time these students get to spend with our teachers from UTSA is truly precious. The affection these young children show towards Candice, Lissettee and Mary makes it evident how appreciative they are of them.

Exceprts from Student Reflection Journals - 1

Enough of me and my thoughts. Let’s take a look at this experience from the voices of the UTSA students. The following are excerpts from student journals. In the interest of confidentiality, and as agreed upon by the group, no names of students will be attached to the quotes. Before we left we talked about how people move along a U-curve when they encounter and live in a new culture. It starts out with excitement and wonder, but then people can quickly get frustrated with differences. Students talk about the little things that annoy them ("cucarachas"), and describe some critical moments which are highly stressful occurrences. As students accept these and move up, they start to move up the curve again.

The journal reflections below reveal how the students are on various points of the U-curve – sometimes a single student can be on different points of it within a single day. The readings we did prior to departure gave us a helpful way to talk about and deal with things as they have arisen. So far, the experience has been overwhelming positive for everyone.

There are a lot of excepts, so I'll be posting different ones on different days, plus students are still journaling so there will be many more. The ones below start with Bangkok and take us through the welcome ceremony at Hadsamran High School.


Bangkok
Student 2 – We went to some amazing places! We went to see two really cool temples – the Royal Palace and the Reclining Buddha. … The night market was neat – it had some of the exotic foods I had seen on the travel channel.

Student 3 – Arriving in Bangkok was so exhilarating. It was amazing when we went to the temples. For one, the figures/statues were so elaborate and beautiful that I was in awe for most of the time. I had only seen these temples in movies so actually being here was incredible. … There is just so much history in these places that it makes me wonder what it was like during that time period.

Student 5 – The [temple’s] structure is teaming with colors of every shade and inbetween. You almost need sunglasses from the glare of the gold paint or leaf. I was just an amazing place to see and learn the purpose of this Wat’s use and its importance among the Royal family and to the Thai people.

Student 7 – Bangkok is a busy place! The sights and sounds are delightful to this visitor! … I am so ready to try new foods, see different things, and smell new aromas! Let the social/cultural U-curve begin!

Student 11 – Traffic is horrible in Bangkok. Plus these people drive crazy! … I took the tuk-tuk back to the hotel. Unforgettable experience! … [one of my cucarachas] is seeing children on motorcycles. Everywhere I turn, there is a motorcycle with more than one person aboard. I know I get worried about their safety because of my culture, but seeing this really bothers me. I have seen very young children, as young as 4 years old, riding the motorcycle with their parents. Every time I see them I always pray they don’t fall.

Student 12 – I pictured (Bangkok) as a large capital city similar to a city like Dallas or Houston. Instead of a modern shiny buildings though, I saw old, tattered buildings that remind me of "the bad side of town." Driving around in the taxi I saw the "ugly" buildings right next to some more modern ones. I find this odd. There can be an expensive shopping mall complete with high-end stores and a Starbucks, and right outside there will be a poor person selling fruit or old cell phones. … I am amazed at the detail in all of the temples. I don’t fully understand everything about the Buddhist religion, but I can appreciate the beauty of the various temples and figures.

Floating Market

Student 1 – The floating market made me realize I like being a slow deliberate shopper. Snap decisions and impulse buying make me nervous. Pushy sellers make me quit shopping. The experience was grand though. Folks in boats were selling food and would pull up next to our boat and ang on to it while they made and sold us spring rolls, fried bananas, fruits, taco looking things with marshmellow type cream inside, and drinks.

Student 2 – We went to the floating market. This was super cool. … I tried some really good exotic fruit in the market and had some really good spring rolls. … I used the bathroom – I had to pay 3 baht to get in a use a really gross toilet.

Student 3 – The colors were so lively, bright, vibrant, and vivid that I wanted to retain every one of them into my memories. I was just amazed that such a thing existed and I was there.

Student 4 – Initially the Bargaining made me feel uncomfortable. However, after negotiating with a few people I started to feel more confident. In the end I actually enjoyed talking vendors down and found humor in it.

Student 6 – Students definitely liked the shopping. The floating made it more exciting. I hope tey made a cultural connection.

Student 9 – Today was so much fun! We went to the floating market and tried so many interesting and arroy (that means delicious in Thai) foods. I think I am truly in love with Thai food. It was fun riding in the boat trying so many different varieties of fruit that don’t even exist in the U.S. I was also very touched by the kindness of our Thai hosts. Whenever we expressed interest in something, they were quick to buy it for us. We wanted to pay, but they wouldn’t let us!

Student 11 – The floating market was interesting. I had never had such an experience in my life! Bargaining was kind of difficult for me because I feel that the vendors need the money. But after awhile I started getting used to it.

Ayutthaya
Student 2 – The ruins were amazing! There were parts of Buddha (statues) scattered throughout the entire place. You could feel peace and serenity on these grounds. … So far my only cucaracha has been the ignorance for quietude in this country. It seems like at all of the temples and sacred grounds, everyone is quiet and perhaps connecting with Go. Then comes the group of loud Americans disrespecting the Thai culture. I’m sure I am guilty of it also but I think about it and if it was quiter I could have processed more.

Student 4 – Elephants and pizza. It was a good day.

Student 5 – Today we got to ride elephants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think after skydiving, this is the coolest thing I have ever done.

Student 8 – I got kissed by an elephant today! Ayuthaya – the elephants, ruins, shopping, food – Chan chop maak! [I like it a lot !]

Student 12 – The elephant rides were interesting. It was fun to take pictures and ride on the elephants, but I was trying to look into the elephants eyes to see if they were happy or sad. If I were forced to perform for people I didn’t know constantly or face being hit. I think it is pretty sad. I couldn’t read the elephants feelings though. I wonder if they’d be better off in the wild?

Welcome Ceremony in Trang – Hadsamran High School

Student 3 – I was so moved to see the welcome reception. I felt like someone famous, and the other girls said they felt the same way. It is interesting to see the contrast between the United States and Thailand as far as how they treat teachers. Teachers are highly respected in Thailand and in the States I feel that teaching is regarded as just an ordinary profession. It feels good to be regarded and treated with such esteem and respect!

Student 5 – We headed off to Hadsamrawittayakom High School where we were greeted by the warmest reception I had in my life. The students performed traditional Thai songs, did traditional dances from both the Northern and Southern regions of the country. What a great experience watching student demonstrate with pride their respect for religion, country, and king. It truly moved me to the brink of tears.

Student 6 – Everything at Hadsamran was beautiful and well put together.

Student 7 – The welcome ceremony was so nice. I just cannot believe how much they have gone out of the their way to make us feel welcomed. The dancing and lunch was so beautiful.

Student 9 – We had an amazing reception by the students! I think most of us were very touched! I felt like a celebrity as we were made the center of attention. The students performed beautiful dance ceremonies. As I was watching the young girls dance, I thought about how they must have rehearsed and practiced just for us! It made me feel special and guilty at the same time.

Student 10 – No wonder they call Thailand the "smiling country." When we got to the school, the celebration they threw for us was amazing! They are so generous and thoughtful. They treated us as if we were royalty.

Student 11 – At our arrival to Hadsamran we were greeted by everyone there! The students danced, sung, and played music for us. I loved it!

Mariana's Lesson

Today we had the opportunity to observe Mariana's lesson at Thungnonhaengprachasan High School. Mariana decided to avoid the heat of the classroom and brought her students to an open air pavillion under one of the buildings.

She had a great lesson beginning with students learning greeting. To practice she had them form shifting lines and each student got to practice introducing themselves to several of their peers.

Mariana then taught students vocabulary for emotions - happy, sad, excited, angry. Her energetic animated teaching style got the students out of their shells to act out the emotions. She ended with a fun game where students formed a circle with one student in the middle. Each student had an emotion picture card. The student in the middle would pick an emotion card. Any student with that card had to jump up and change seats, and the student in the middle would try and grab one of the seats. The student left without a seat would be the new student in the middle. The students really got into it.

What was great about Mariana's lesson and many of the others we have seen is the emphasis on listening and speaking. As students learned to the vocabulary and sentence structure, Mariana would step back and let the students take the role of the teacher to give the instructions and commands.

Debriefing Meeting and Dinner by the Sea

Tuesday afternoon we held a debriefing meeting with all the students. It was the first time they were all together since our tour of Trang on Saturday. As the students gathered, they excitedly exchanged stories about their host families, schools, and their teaching.



As we started the meeting, we asked to the students to share their thoughts and feelings related to being in a new cultural environment. The students shared many positive experiences. And even when the students shared some of their challenges and frustrations, we were greatly impressed that they managed to laugh about them rather than really complain about them. We feel blessed to be here with such a great group.

After the meeting, we had a feast by the sea. Hadsamran means "beautiful beach," and the students had the pleasure of dining along the beach the area is named for, in a covered cabana right on the beach. We ate at the Tun Baa restaurant, which is part of a small beach resort for local Thais. The restaurant and resort is owned by one of the teachers at the high school, Mrs. Thanawan, who is the host mother of Lora Beth. Lora Beth proudly showed off her small beach bungalow. We were amazed when all twelve students went inside the tiny room and stayed there for over 15 minutes! A bit like the old college trick of seeing how many students could fit inside a phone booth.

For dinner we had a feast of seafood plus fried and sticky rice. As we began dinner, the sun was just beginning set, casting a red glow on the beach and water, and on the small islands dotting the sea. After dinner, the students went for a walk along the beach with only the moonlight to guide their way.

Great lessons

Yesterday (Tuesday) and today (Wednesday) we had the pleasure of watching Holly, Pam and Berenice teach their students. All three had very energetic lessons which kept their students actively involved.

Holly taught her students some basic vocabulary to describe their favorite colors and food. She used picture cards to introduce the vocabulary, and then played a game to help the students remember the words. She then taught them to say, “My favorite color is …” “My favorite food is …” and “What is your favorite color?” and “What is your favorite food?” The lesson culminated in an activity where students ran back and forth in the classroom, and the student who was “it” had to tag a student and then ask them one of the questions. The students really enjoyed the game.

Pam decided her hot (non-air conditioned) classroom wasn’t the best place for her lesson, so she brought them downstairs to the open air pavilion underneath one of the buildings. She taught them direction words for left, right, forward, stop, turn around, etc. She then had them dancing to the music of some kind of slide song. The students really got into it.

Berenice had a similar lesson and activity. She started with the song lyrics on overhead, and had her students practice reading words like left, right, forward, back, turn, spin, etc. Once student could confidently read and act out the words, she had them practice the lyrics and movements in small groups. By the time she had them do the song and dance to the music, they performed it with great confidence.

Hadsamaranwitayakom School Website

Our host high school, Hadsamranwitayakom School, has a website featuring many photos of our UTSA students. Check it out at:

The main website is:
http://school.obec.th/hadsamranwit

The site with the photos is:
http://school.obec.go.th/hadsamranwit/actives.htm

Teaching Begins

Yesterday (Monday June 16) students began teaching at their assigned schools. Dr. Perrotta and I were able to observe the lessons at Hadsamranwityakom High School where four of the students are assigned – Lora Beth, Lori, Amal, and Paula.

All did an exceptional job, though they learned that teaching in Thailand requires patience and flexibility. There were some mix-ups in the schedule, and one of the Thai ESL teachers is gone for a week-long training in Bangkok, leaving her classes un-covered. Paula ended up teaching her first class in the large open-air pavilion where we had our welcome party. She did a great job, despite not having a table, chairs, or white board. Her second lesson was in a classroom, but with two classes combined. There were over 45 students in the small classroom, with half sitting on the floor in the back. Nonetheless, Paula’s lesson went great and all participated. By the time she got to the third lesson, she got to have just a single class in classroom.

Paula, Lori, and Amal’s lessons were based on an All About Me theme. Students completed a graphic organizer describing things about themselves, and then used these to interact with each other in English. In Amal’s lesson, students used their new vocabulary to go around the room to ask questions and record information on a sheet about their classmates. All of these lessons had great interactive components requiring the students to listen and speak in English.

Lora Beth’s lesson focused on learning a few vocabulary words about land features (Ocean, Mountain, Waterfall). Using hands-on manipulatives, students practiced their newly acquired vocabulary by playing a variation of Go Fish where they had to find matching pairs of pictures and words. She then taught them a song with movements called North, South, East, and West which incorporated the vocabulary from the previous activity.

One thing that surprised the UTSA students is just how low the English levels are of the Thai students, despite the fact that many of them have been learning English since primary school. Many of them found themselves having to adjust their lessons accordingly to provide much more support in learning the basic vocabulary needed to complete the activities. This is to be expected the first day of teaching as everyone gets a feel for their students’ levels. Several have already made adjustments for the next lessons accordingly. Dr. Perrotta and I were greatly pleased with the excellent job the students did today, and look forward to seeing the others teach throughout this week.

A Day in Trang

Today we spent time in and around the city of Trang with members of our host families. We started out at a large city park featuring the statue of one of the provincial governors of Trang. This governor was responsible for bringing rubber trees to Trang which revolutionized the economy of the province. His statue is surrounded by rubber trees in his honor.
After visiting a few other historical and scenic sites in Trang, were were hosted for lunch at high school in the Kantung district of Trang.

Following lunch, we headed to Le KhaoKob Cave a few kilometers north of Trang city. The cave can only be accessed via boat. The entrance, exit, and certain other parts of the cave are so low, we had to lay down on the boats. It was quite a sensation to see the ceiling just an inch from your face as you float along. As one of the students commented, “That was a great experience I never want to repeat!”

There were parts of the cave where we were able to exit the boats and walk around to see some of the amazing formations inside the cave. Some cool features – stalagmites you could play as musical instruments, a formation which looked like two roasted ducks, and some formations of spiritual significance to the Thai people.

After the cave, most of the students were taken by their host families to the Trang version of Wal Mart. Here students loaded up on familiar munchies, and picked up cell phones, and grabbed a couple of Dunkin Donuts on the way out the door.

As the day progressed, it was rewarding to see the relationships students are already starting to develop with their host families, and vice versa. Our students proudly introduced members of their host families to the other students. We are continually amazed at the graciousness of hosts, and feel such an honor to be living in their homes.

Tomorrow (Sunday), students are on their own with their host families, and to rest before they begin teaching on Monday. We’ve been having a wonderful time, but now we are ready to do what we came here for and get to work.

A Very Warm Welcome to Hadsamran

Today we made it out of Bangkok with only a slight hitch. Note for future reference: Nok Air requires you show the same credit card you used to purchase your ticket, even though this helpful tidbit is not mentioned anywhere in the confirmation letter or in the terms and conditions. Several of us had to purchase new tickets with a promise the old ones would be refunded.

Our frustrations with Thailand’s only airline to Trang went away soon after we landed. We had a very special surprise in the baggage claim area, where we learned a former Prime Minister of Thailand was on our flight. He graciously posed for photos with our group and welcomed us to Thailand. This is the equivalent of running into a former President of the United States like Bill Clinton in an airport.

As we left the baggage claim area, we were greeted by a few teachers and students from Hadsamramwittyakom High School, our partner school. The group was presented with a bouquet of flowers and each of us were given a cute Trang pin with sea animals.

A 45 minute van ride brought us to the high school, where we did indeed receive a very warm welcome. As soon as we exited the vans, we were greeted by a long line of students in the traditional Thai greeting (the Wai, with palms joined together). Each of us was presented in the line with a decorated coconut ready to drink.

In addition to a delicious lunch, we were greeted with performances from the school’s traditional music ensembles and dance troupes, plus welcoming remarks from the principal and other dignitaries. Dr. Perrotta and Dr. Wright also made a few welcoming comments and thanked all the teachers, staff, and host families. Yuwadee and Thamonwan were treated as special guests of honor coming home after being “Americans for one month.” They shared with the colleagues and students a few of their adventures in Texas. It was touching to see them reunited with their families and colleagues.

One dance was particularly meaningful. It combined a group of students dancing in the traditional Monora style of the south, with intricate costumes depicting birds, and a group of students dancing in a more modern style of the Northern regions. After performing in separate segments, the two groups danced together at the end. This represents the celebration of the coming together of strangers from different lands – a perfect metaphor for the significance of today’s event.

In the midst of the all the ceremonies, Dr. Perrotta was happily surprised when the musicians started playing Happy Birthday and everyone sang along, and then was presented with a large birthday cake and card signed by all of our students. It was her 59th birthday (plus her 20th anniversary the day before).

At the conclusion of the ceremony, each student was introduced, and then introduced to their host family. You could see the joy and excitement of the host families as they met our students. It was clear they had been waiting for this moment for quite some time.
As our students left with their host families, you could see a combination of excitement and trepidation on their faces. No doubt tomorrow as the group comes together for a tour of Trang city, they will have many stories to share of their experiences their first night with their host families. We are no longer tourists. The real cultural and language engagement in Thailand begins.

Ayutthaya Trip

Today we had an amazing journey through the ancient Capital city of Ayutthaya and the surrounding area.

Our day began at the Bang Pa-In Palace. Here we were a afforded a rare up-close look at one of the King's palaces. Tha immaculate grounds covered several acres and included many buildings, a river, and large pond. While the grounds were used as a palace since the 17th century, most of the buildings on the property were built between 1868-1889, including a Chinese-style mansion built for the king as a gift from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. We particulary enjoyed climbing to the top of a large look-out tower where the king enjoyed sitting to look over his Kingdom.

We next visited an Elephant park at the ancient city of Ayutthaya. We met two very friendly elephants who enjoyed posing for pictures, playing the harmonica, and giving long wet suction kisses with his trunk! Several of the students (and yours truly) got the biggest, sloppiest, and perhaps the grossest kisses of our lives.

Next we all took a ride on the elephants for a short trip around some of the ancient ruins of the city. The elephants proved to provide slow, bumpy, but fun rides.

We were treated to huge and delicious Thai lunch at a restaurant along a river. We enjoyed our meal inside the airconditioned restaurant, but relaxed outside on the floating raft dining area after the meal while the van drivers repaired a broken fan belt on one of the vans. We didn't mind the wait as the repair meant we'd have that all important air conditioning for the rest of our trip. The cool breezes along the river were quite refreshing.

We ended our adventure at a nearby Handicrafts Village, where the Thai government provides training for needy students to become skilled craftspeople. We were allowed into the workshop to stand next artists creating batiks, stained-glass, sculptures, metal works, and intracate glass designs. The grounds also included a small aqauarium and a large shop with products made right on the premise.

Students were on their own for dinner, but most headed the large food court in the huge Emporium Mall across the park from our Hotel. I was impressed overhearing many of the students doing their best to use their newly learned Thai vocabulary words to order and try new foods, or to at least order a burger and fries and Burger King.

Tomorrow we have a 5:00 a.m. early start as we fly to Trang to meet our Host Families and prepare for our teaching next week. We've a had a great educational experience in Bangkok, but we're ready to get to work!

Floating Market and Cultural Village

This morning we visted the world famous Floating Market. It was about an hour and half drive from Bangkok. We negotiated for a 45 minute boat ride through the market, but we were having so much fun shopping and trying out all the different types of fruits and other foods we decided to go for a second round. Our Thai teacher friends, Yuwadee and Thamonwan proved to be invaluable as they are expert bargainers and made sure everyone got a good price.

In the afternoon, we went to the Siam Cultural Park. This amazing place is a large beautiful park with buildings and statues strewn along a paved path with bamboo light poles, while soothing Thai music plays from speakers shaped like tree trunks. Inside the buildings were wax figures of famous Thais, and of other famous people including Ho Chi Minh and Mother Theresa. The grounds included full-size samples of Thai styles homes from different regions in the country. Each home was furnished and included wax figures of family members in daily life. We particulalry enjoyed the figure of a teacher grading a huge stack of his students' notebooks.

We had an excellent lunch of noodle soups, pad Thai, and curry at the cultural park. On the way back to Bangkok, we stopped briefly as a small wat (temple). The inside was decorated from ceiling to floor entirely in dark teak wook, including intricately carved wall panels depicting scenes from the life of the Buddah. It was an amazing site.

First Day in Bangkok

We made it to Thailand on schedule, and got to our beautiful hotel around 1:00 a.m. Everyone was up and ready to go by 9:00. Our first stop was Wat Prakeow (Emerald Temple) followed by the Grand Palace. We were met by an official from the Thailand Ministry of Education who presented an official letter and got us in for free as guests. This was a great honor. We were all amazed at the beauty and intracate detail in the buildings and grounds.

We were treated a wonderful lunch at the Admiral's, right on the Chao Praya River, with a perfect view of Wat Arun.

After lunch we headed to Wat Pho and saw the world's largest reclining Buddah. Around 3:15, the group decided we were "watted" out, and decided to head back to the hotel. Instead of the tradition taxis, the group decided to go on an adventure and ride the Tuk Tuks back to the hotel. A tuk tuk is a motorcyle connected to small carriage with a row of seats for about 3 people. The tuk tuk's gave every one a first hand view (and smell) of Bangkok's horrible traffic up close.

Most of the group is recovering from the intense heat by relaxing by the pool, gearing up for dinner and shopping at the night markets tonight.

Its been great fun to hear the comments from the group members about the big differences they are noticing already between Thailand and the United States. They will be writing about their thoughts in their daily journals, and excerpts will be posted here.