Paige's first week of school

Getting picked up for my first day of school at Kanchanapisek was like to going into high school for the first time.  It’s sort of like walking by a group of kids talking in the hallway and they are all looking at you, but right when you look towards them, they turn away and all start laughing.  Except multiply it by 2000. 

I taught 3 classes the first day, and fortunately they got progressively better.  My first class was taught to 40 blank stares, who didn’t seem to understand anything I was talking about.  No one spoke when I asked a question, and I received zero nods of recognition.  But I stumbled through until the bell rang, at which I patted myself on the back for finishing my first class.  The following classes got a lot better once I realized that for the most part they did know what I was talking about, but were too timid to say anything.

We each teach 17 classes a week, and each of those is a different group of around 45 students.  Half of my classes are the equivalent of 6^th graders, and the other are 9^th graders. The rest of the week included some really good classes, and some really bad classes.  But the moments when I can actually share a joke or a laugh across cultures, make up for all the not so inspiring ones.   

Oh, just enjoying a popsicle during my break:

The kids love to say, “Hello” as we walk by.  And whenever we return the “Hello” they turn and giggle in their little groups.  All of the girls loooove Cyrus; one of the other teachers even told him he looks like a TV star.  The students are well behaved for the most part, but the biggest problem is constant talking.  Five seconds after you get the class quiet a group starts talking again.  They also love games. I played hangman in all of my classes, and the shouting of letters would get so loud I thought the whole school could hear it.  Despite the noise, it’s really fun seeing their excitement over a stupid game like hangman. 

Cyrus and some of his many admirers:

Overall, I would call it a successful first week.  I didn’t cry, nor did I make any kids cry … so it’s a win for everyone.  This weekend we are just going to relax and explore Suphanburi a little bit.

Love you all,

Teacher Paige