EDUCATION
I Touch the Future I Teach
Sometimes, I really enjoy teaching. Let me tell you the joy of connecting with the young generation and the importance of happiness over academic achievements
It was 13/01/2024, and my school in Thailand held an English Camp. Among other things, exchange students from different countries came to our school. Two girls and a guy from America, plus a girl from Belgium, our exchange student from France named Wanida, and a guy from China. The Chinese boy kept quiet due to a lack of confidence in English.
What cool young people, after all!
Do you know why I like being a teacher?
Because every day is different. Kids of any age are like walking randomizers — you can’t predict what they’re going to do this time or what funny situation they’re going to create.
There’s another reason — it’s fun to be as easy-going as kids, and no one will say a bad word to a teacher. What do I mean by that?
Imagine the situation below, which might be a good skit:
There are kids playing on the playground across from the school. Among them is a grown man who is crawling on all fours, and the children are repeating after him.
Consider two different reactions of the parents of one of the children depending on the input data.
Reaction 1. The woman turns to the man and says, “Who is he? He is a very weird man … I think we should call the police…”
“Agree,” the man replies with bulging eyes.
Reaction 2. The woman turns to the man and says, “Wow! What an interesting approach the teacher has to explain the verb ‘crawl’ after all … Look at our kids! They are so happy ... fantastic!” she looked at the man, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
“Agree,” the man embraced his wife.
“Cut!” a movie director would say.
Ha-ha-ha! Do you catch my drift?
I just have fun and accidentally teach, and I also like to communicate with new generations. So, in this article, I’m going to lift the veil on some moments of my life as a teacher that might be especially interesting.
Are you ready for some positive vibes?
Let’s fly then!
The Joy Of Teaching
That day, I met a wonderful teacher from England who joined us. I realized from the first few seconds that he was a professional. He used vivid body language; his articulation was perfect, and his sense of humor was awesome.
Indeed, he has been teaching in Thailand for 15 years.
My 50 claps to that guy!
I was captivated by his teaching style and approached him after the morning warm-up, “I was captivated by you. You … you mesmerized me. How good you are … it was awesome!” I said, slowly clapping my hands. He said something good back, which additionally illustrated his exceptional manners.
I was happy to say such words sincerely, which was a blessing for me. It was a nice moment for both of us, and I realized that this English Camp was going to be alright!
Yet, let’s go to the young generation.
I also like to be a teacher because I can see what our young generations think about life, what dreams they have, what ideas, what plans … It’s like you look into the eyes of the future while being in the present. When I speak with teenagers, I feel young.
This time, I had lunch with the youngsters, and my German colleague Reiner was also with us. I didn’t realize that the foreign students were twenty years younger than me or Reiner, and neither did they. The German was even of retirement age, and nobody cared.
You should know that in recent years, young people from various countries have visited our school a few times, but this time the youngsters were especially sociable, or the German and I appeared to them as old and kind uncles, I’m not sure.
I apologize for not remembering their names. More precisely, I do not want to write their names with errors. The basic information about them: they are Rotary exchange students aged 16–18 y.o.
“Rotary” is their program, which means that one family, let’s say, from Thailand sends their child to Spain, and the host family in Spain sends their child to Japan, just for example.
In my humble opinion, it is a very wise system when everyone is responsible for someone.
During lunch, the girl from Chicago sat to my left, and the guy with another girl from America sat in front of me (I didn’t have time to ask about the States).
So, I will give them fictional nicknames.
Alex: What did you know about Thailand before you came?
Julia(US): I have heard from many people that Thais are very kind and friendly. That, they always smile. I have also heard a lot about nature and unusual culture.
Alex: Is it true, in fact?
Julia(US): Yeah, definitely.
Steve(US): Absolutely.
Angelina(US): Same me. I also heard only good words from other Americans, and yes, it is like that.
Then, I turned to Julia and kept speaking primarily with her, “How many states have you visited in the USA?”
“Twenty-five,” she answered immediately.
“Wow!” I was impressed, “So you have a great experience, which makes your opinion even more valuable. Which state is your favorite?”
“Well … Florida, I think, but you know … people are there … how to say … not my cup of tea,” she said as if apologizing for a slightly negative feedback.
“Maybe illegal immigrants did their best to spoil impressions about the state?” I smiled.
“Yes, it’s one of the reasons,” she nodded firmly while eating Khao Phad Kung — rice with shrimp.
“Okay, let’s speak about your other favorite state but with good vibes. Which one?”
“Maryland,” she nodded and kept speaking about its historical value, as it was a historical lecture about America for me.
After Julia prepared me for the high-school history exam in the USA, I turned my head to the right. There were two French-speaking ladies, so I decided to engage them in the conversation as well (because why not?), “What impressed you in Thai schools?”
Wanida (FR): Well, recently, I witnessed some educational work with a “magic stick.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Ha-ha!”
“I don’t like this approach!” the German chimed in.
“I like this approach,” I said firmly while chuckling.
The other exchange students nodded with smiles, “Yeah! Yep! Yes! It’s impressive.”
The students then began discussing Thai schools. Some of the exchange students used to go to a private school like Wanida in France. Yet, they complain about their school shoes in their countries, but their Thai school uniform is very comfortable for both girls and boys.
I personally think that uniform is a great idea for schools.
Why? Because everyone is the same, everyone is equal.
You can’t tell who is wearing a gold chain because nobody does. Nobody sees who is wearing $1,000 jeans and is probably very rich, while, on the other hand, someone who is wearing $10 jeans is perhaps poor. If the kids see such a difference, additional reasons for bullying and inferiority complexes come up.
Do you agree with me?
I believe that school uniforms, in general, somehow tune into the educational mood. It is a subconscious signal that the person wearing this uniform is a student, and it is the student’s responsibility to learn.
Then, the exchange students began talking about the relaxing style of teaching in Thailand. That was fun … but there were also setbacks.
The point is that rules are very strict for them in Thailand:
- No riding motorcycles
- No dating
- No night clubs
- Of course, no alcohol
- No active evening life
You know, they just get bored sometimes in the evenings. I understand them: at their age, they want to go for a walk, share emotions with mates, and just have some fun. I also understand that this is done for safety reasons so that parents on another continent can sleep soundly.
Yet, nightclubs are cool here in Thailand; just for the record … I would take them and their host families to a good nightclub in Pattaya. Okay-okay, at least this is a good plot for a comedy movie.
Let’s get back to the conversation with the young generation.
I decided to turn on a super-easy-going-teacher mode and threw an icebreaker, “I like Pattaya, and I tell you why: it’s about contrast…” I looked around and made a pause before my punchline, “You know, in Pattaya. You go straight, and on your left — hookers; on your right — monks. It’s quite unusual.”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” the youngsters began laughing.
“Ha-ha-ha!” I joined them right after that, and the students started throwing questions at me like my old pals.
“Where have you traveled in Thailand?” Steve asked.
“Well, basically, everywhere: North, South, East, West…” I said.
“What is your favorite city in Northern Thailand?” Julia asked.
“Chiang Mai, due to its cool climate and great infrastructure … it’s the second largest city in Thailand. Yet, some people like Chiang Rai more.”
“But in general, in Thailand, what’s your favorite city?” Angelina chimed in.
“Hmm … I love one island — Koh Samui. You should know that ‘Bounty’ advertising was shot on Koh Samui … yeah, that paradise. Amazing nature … I especially love the people there.”
And this is from my archive:
I told you so — it’s paradise.
Yet, the people’s souls are even more beautiful. As a foreigner who understands a little bit of Thai, I heard only kind and heartwarming words on the island — they made me happy many times.
I was recollecting my happy days on Samui, but suddenly, my colleague from Germany, seeing the youth attacking me with their questions, put up his shield in front of me with a counter-question.
Reiner bent, “You had better tell us what you like in your experience as an exchange student, huh?”
I nodded, “Yes! It’s really interesting.”
For a few minutes, the girl from Belgium began to speak brightly, emotionally, and fluently about how she had been learning English her entire life and couldn’t speak, but in Thailand, everything changed.
“It took a few months,” began Alizee (BE), “socializing with new friends, and I have greatly improved my ability to speak English. My insecurities have disappeared, and overall, I don’t know how I’ve progressed so much. I’m just happy.”
She spoke fluently, and I just kept nodding while she was speaking because I totally understood her emotions and the reasons why she improved her skills so quickly and with great pleasure.
Why?
Because nobody forced her, she and other exchange students practiced English or any other language with pleasure. They wanted to understand their mates from around the globe, and they wanted to be understood. In such a case, learning is interest, not punishment.
The German seized the opportunity to speak while the silence knocked, “Let me finally tell you that I believe that punishment with a stick is a bad idea — ”
“I witnessed quite the opposite,” I interjected him. “How about shooting in schools?” the situation got a bit hotter. “Maybe teachers are vulnerable? Maybe too many rights for the studetns?”
“Okay-okay,” Reiner calmed the situation down.
“Look, in France, one teacher was a victim as well, recently,” I tried to change the focus from punishment to the fact that teachers are a bit vulnerable. The youngsters nodded.
“But this is another topic,” Reiner fairly noticed.
“Yes, I know — ”
“It’s about religion,” Wanida (FR) chimed in, “but … Not about religion … it’s about some groups of people.”
“Agree!” I said.
“That’s very true!” the German added.
“There is no problem about religion, just about some groups of people,” Wanida (FR) concluded to make sure we understood her point of view correctly.
The other students nodded and added some ideas that it’s just about some people — no problem about religion.
Then we all smiled.
As time flew by, the students opened up, “So Alex, you are a teacher?” Steve asked me as if he wanted to make sure.
“Yeah … last time I checked, I was an English teacher,” I smiled, “over eight years in this school now. I used to work in a bank, but you know, I got bored, so I spiced some things up a little bit.”
“Where are you from?” Julia asked.
“Oh, heh! I am from Belarus. It’s located between Poland and Russia, but the last time I was there was seven years ago.”
“Oh! A friend of mine went to Belarus as an exchange student!” Alizee said as she got a new boost of confidence.
“Really?” I couldn’t believe it.
“Yes!” she stated.
“Oho!” I began, “Well, you know, there are these extreme people; they are like Bear Grylls, deliberately putting themselves in harsh conditions to test themselves. Your friend probably decided to test herself.”
The students started chuckling, “He-he-he.”
“And how was it in Belarus?” I asked with a mischievous grin on my face.
“Not really good,” Alizee made me smile wider by saying this. “You know, my friend packed the things up and left them in the room before the departure day. But when her last day came, she went to pick up the stuff but found no stuff … probably, the host family misunderstood and took it as gifts...”
“It’s quite an unpleasant experience,” I concluded. Yet, I didn’t understand all the details. I just didn’t want to focus on the bad experience much. Besides, they were eating.
After a while, the young people became more emotional about Thailand, thinking that this kingdom was a totally different world than it used to be.
Thailand is like another planet: totally different food, Thai people wear very different clothes, speak a very unusual language; their schools are very different, and everything is different from the West.
That is why they didn’t choose Europe, which is not very different from America, while in Thailand, everything is great — Sanuk-Sabaai (fun and comfort). For example, in Japan, the educational system and schools are strict; in Thailand, it is all about happiness, not so much focus on education itself.
Sanuk-Sabaai — Fun and Comfort
Yet, the young generation likes the Thai approach in schools more than in America, France, or Belgium, and I understand why. Shall I tell you?
Okay-okay, you have read a lot, after all. Because what does it matter what your IQ is, what place you have in international competitions, if you are happy?
Maybe it’s better to be happy than to be the smartest, huh?
What good are these endless tests and competitions if children suffer?
My point is that I understand and share the Thai approach. In my humble opinion, it’s much more important that children are happy, and how long it takes them to solve a trigonometry problem is secondary…
I believe that it would be better if rich people invested more money in such projects and gave children from disadvantaged families a chance to experience such a unique life experience, and maybe the world would become a little kinder.
Why?
You know, during my career as a teacher, I have communicated with a large number of students from different countries around the globe, and you won’t believe it, but students from different countries always find a common language.
They want to be friends, they want to share emotions and feelings, they don’t want to fight against each other, and when they are not forced to listen to some political poison, there is no problem with religion, nationality, and so on.
If young people had more opportunities to learn about each other in this way, the world would be a better place.
Sometimes, I am really happy to be a teacher — I witness these blooming flowers who one day will replace me.
It’s a wonderful circle of life.
When I teach, I touch the future.
I see the future in the faces of the new generation who often sit in front of me and listen, but I also listen to the younger generation …
Shall I tell you what I hear?
I have been hearing that this future would be happy to have more projects like the student exchange, more comfortable uniforms, and fewer tests. Personally, I totally share the students’ desires … and yes, there are too many tests…
Instead of saying goodbye, let me give you an ironic lesson. The teacher from Manchester taught us how to pronounce “Manchester.” Guess how?
Hmm … okay, it sounds like “Manches-TAH” — throw out your Oxford Dictionary, please, ha-ha-ha.
I hope my story might help readers realize some wonders of teaching.
Teachers have fun, and accidentally teach!
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