Teaching Practice

Richard and I have had two days of teaching practice so far, and it's gone pretty well. We were initially surprised at how low a level the kids were at. Richard was teaching a lesson on emotions, and he made a happy face, and asked the kids how he felt. They knew "happy," but when he drew a frowning face and asked the same question, the kids were stumped. "Face" was the best answer that he got. But we both got through our lessons pretty well. I had really little kids today, and they were so cute! They know a lot of basic words, like animals and colors, but have a lot of trouble with sentences. It's been really fun. The kids have been pretty well behaved in my group, but Richard encountered some terrible behavior today. Like kids anywhere, they'll start hitting each other, speaking out of turn, etc. And when they get excited, it can be difficult to settle them down. But at the beginning of the lesson, they all say in unison, "good morning teachaaaaa." And at the end, "thank youuuuu teachaaaaaa." Cutest thing ever. But, as Richard says, "cute is dangerous." I'm gonna have to be careful.

Right now, I'm in one of the millions of cafes that surround the university here. This might be the only one I've found so far that serves affordable food, serves coffee, and has wi-fi. I wish I'd found it sooner. It's lovely. I'm getting used to this lifestyle. Having a full-time job again is going to be a shock! But hopefully a good one.

Oh, and some news! Richard and I will be teaching in Hua Hin (see picture above). It's a beach resort town. It's fairly touristy, but is supposed to be really nice. A lot of Thai people go there for vacations, so it won't be all farang (foreigners). There are lots of beautiful beaches around there! We're pretty excited.