My First Week

How I spent my first week... Railay Beach

I’m here! And I have just begun my second week in Thailand. I’m surviving! Actually, I think survive is the wrong word to use; it makes it sound like it’s been an ordeal, and that I have managed to sustain in spite of a difficult situation. Truth be told, while this IS a big event for me, it’s not like I am blazing any trails. I’m not the first person to have done this. And adjusting has been an adventure, but it hasn’t been difficult. Right now, I think I am in a state of constant awe. I am always developing and redeveloping my schemas each time I encounter something new or unfamiliar. And while I have been here only a short period of time, I already know… well, I think I know… that I am going to love it. I think I already do. 

Meaghan's butler. He greeted me at the door.

The day after arriving, we went to the school where I will be teaching in downtown Nakhon and met with the principal. Just to be clear, there were quite a few things that I either didn’t understand or failed to ask about what I will be doing and what the situation is. Sigh. Lessons learned! First, I thought I would begin teaching on January 6^th. However, school didn’t begin (they were on holiday) until January 10^th, so I ended up with almost a full week to prepare and get acquainted, which has been great. Also, I did not understand just how new the school is. I thought I would be teaching grades 7-12. However, NICS has been open less than a year, and because of this, 7^th grade is the only grade. There are only 43 students in the school, some who board here and some who live in the city with their families. In some ways, I am really excited about this, because I will get to be a part of the school’s formation. However, because it’s new for everyone, there are a lot of, er, kinks that need to be smoothed out. Next, this is a city school, and it is the mayor’s “pet project”, from what I understand, so he does the hiring and it’s really his vision that the school is being built from. His ultimate goal is to establish this as an international school that follows the International Baccalaureate Program, and hopes to do this in five years. I have a feeling, based on what I know about IB schools and what I have learned about the Thai culture with regards to time, that it may take a little bit longer.

Whatever the case may be, I am thrilled at this whole prospect. Monday I met with the mayor, who is a story on his own. I can’t get into it right now, but if we were talking movies/TV, think along the lines of “The Godfather”, “Sopranos”, etc. And for those of you that know me, you now know that because of this, I think my whole situation here is that much more intriguing! He likes to be involved in the hiring process and meet the new teachers before they actually begin teaching, so my meeting was with him, the principal, and the school director. It went very well.

So excited to receive my schedule, I had to take a photo!

So the next day, I began teaching! Right now, I’m just trying to set up a classroom community, get to know the students, and learn all of their names. So far, they just seem like a really great group of kids. This morning, my parents tried to Skype me while we were involved in a lesson, but since we were sharing about our families, I allowed the brief interruption, introduced my family to my students and vice versa. I think both sides got a kick out of it! In addition to my ELA classes, I am also teaching a technology class. At first, I was pretty lost- I know technology, I use technology, I incorporate it into my lessons, but how do I TEACH it??? And let’s be honest, I’m not the most technologically adept person on the planet. So what I have tentatively decided upon is a project, one per week, using some form of computer technology. It’s mainly groups and involves presentations as well… any thoughts? I could really use some input here. This week’s taken care of: a powerpoint presentation on a popular world sport- would you believe one of the choices was curling and nobody took it for their group!?! J From here, we’ll move to blogging, wikis, collecting and researching data, etc. But, any input would be stellar.

Just a herd of cattle in the middle of the city, crossing the street at night....

Outside of school, Meaghan has been showing me around the city on the back of her motorbike, whichwas scary at first but now it’s just fun!  Everyone I have met here tells me it’s the only way to get around, and that I should definitely get one, but I’m not completely sold on the idea just yet. We’ll see…

Safety First! Helmets are a must for us.

I have been brainstorming all the things I want to share with you in my blog, so be on the lookout for entries on the cuisine, social life, cultural norms, language barriers, teaching, travel and all my adventures/misadventures in those realms. Also, I'll be trying to get some pictures of the school, my classroom, etc. up on here sometime soon!