Next Time!

    "Total Physical Response" (TPR) the technique for teaching a foreign language, to which Kathy W. introduced me, has made my teaching in Thailand more effective.  Because it does not presume that the teacher is fluent in the learner's language, i.e., I don't need to know Thai to teach English to my Thai students, it works well for me. The essence of  TPR is giving commands in the language being taught to the students.  For example I say "raise your right arm" and the students raise their right arm.
    There are 4 enhancements to teaching that I'm keen to try when I return.  Two I've mentioned previously. One is having the students verbally repeat the command even as they perform the action commanded.  So they would not only raise their right arm but even as they do it say 'raise your right arm'.  The second idea is to have regular demonstrations, perhaps weekly, of what the students have learned.  This would accomplish two goals; demonstrating to others the learning and provide incentive for the students to learn the command for public display.
   Another plan is to have students practice giving the commands.  So I might call on a student and give her/him a command.  When that command has been obeyed then ask the student to give me a command which I would then obey.  This should significantly deepen the student's learning.
   Saying goodbye when I leave the school is always difficult.  It is particularly difficult to say goodbye to the 6th graders because I will not see them again.  They will have moved on to junior high school when I return the following year.  The language barrier has made it very difficult to express the feelings around this farewell.    This is my plan for next year.  I'm going to ask them to draw a "farewell picture" for me.  They love to draw and have had effective art education that gives them ability to express themselves through this medium. It's my hope that this will be a better closure process.

I do seem to be taller than the other teachers.

6th grader whose name is O.

Flowers for sale on the street used in family shrines.

Sweets wrapped in banana leaf; unwrapped in front and wrapped in the background.

Terk and Toon, 5th graders.

Meena, Hawa and Ussma waiting for school to begin.

6th grader whose name is M.