and Instructions Efficiency Project
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ERIC - English Resource and Information Center
Khuruprachasan School, Chai Nat Province
"Adversity is the first path to truth." - Lord Byron
Once again I was asked to participate in a teacher's training program, this time on a Saturday in mid-January in Thailand's rural Chai Nat Province. The setting for the clinic was at the Kruruprachasan School, a monster of a school with an enrollment of over 1,600 students and a English department staff of 10 teachers.
The weather had changed radically only the day before with most of the gulf and inland areas being caught up in a cold front bringing dark, overcast skies and the first rains that I have seen in months to Thailand. Along with the inclement weather, came colder temperatures and shivering Thais bundled up in everything from jackets to hats to socks. Quite unusual for this time of the year but for me a welcome change reminiscent of previous years in Europe and the US.
After being met at my home on the banks of the Chao Pray River (in the small village of Sapphaya), I was driven to the teacher's clinic by my school's English director, Ajarn Anong, and her husband. It was here that I was introduced to the program's director, Suriya Channiam, a dynamic lady who heads up what is commonly referred to as 'ERIC'.
ERIC is an acronym for the 'English Resource and Information Center', which serves as a focal point for English learning and training in Chai Nat province. Ajarn Suriya likes to be called 'Sunny' as her name translated from Thai to English means 'the sun'. As this makes it very easy for me to remember, I just call her Ajarn Sunny!
After our polite introductions, Ajarn Sunny introduced me to my classroom that I was to use for the day. I was however in for a bit of a surprise as when I walked into the room there were over 100 teachers already sitting there! As this was a bit over the 25 teacher trainees that I had been led to believe would be in the class, I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Although we were suppose to start at 08:30 AM, it soon became obvious we were working on 'Thai time' and after a bit of maneuvering to secure a board and some paper in which to present my lecture on 'Intonation', the class of 135 teachers was sub-divided into 'smaller' groups of 43, with the remaining going into the last larger group.
You get use to this sort of thing here and you need to always be aware that numbers have a way of growing from what was promised to what it becomes (except for pay!). I had been led to believe my groups would be no larger than 25 but in fact became 40+....but as always, you go with the flow and make it work.
As these things go, the prepared lesson for me was well done with minimal mistakes.
Sometimes I am asked to teach a class only to show up for the training session and be handed material that makes absolutely no sense to me....or to the poor student in the class! Today however wasn't one of those days and the 1st class of an hour and a half went off pretty well I thought, with the right amount of laughter and smiles (that are a requirement for a successful class in Thailand).
Each session was designed to bring native speaking skills to Thai teachers with the focus of this day's session rising and falling intonation, combined with a long poem from my childhood days. We also practiced the inflections used in questions while I also tried to introduce the ideas of inference in teaching English to their students as well as the politically correctness of American English and the use of questions to actually give commands.
After what turned out to be a marvelous lunch and some interesting conversation concerning teaching in Thailand, we re-convened at 1:30 PM whereupon I taught another hour and a half session. I was also asked to teach another session in February, which I knew before I even asked the question was going to be on my birthday. And sure enough, as fate would have it, it is to be held on Sunday, February the 13th....my birthday!!!
Having just taught at a Christmas Camp on Christmas Day, it seems my 'holidays' (if there is such a thing) was not to be for my birthday as well. Once again, trying to keep things flowing, I accepted the invitation.
It was after this and the afternoon session that I had an opportunity to meet some of the other teachers outside as we shared some drinks and cookies. It was here that I was invited to the following evening's (Sunday) 6PM 'Teacher's Day Party'.
Over the years I have found saying 'yes' is much better than saying 'no' and even though I was feeling dead tired from both the week's teaching and the Saturday session, I agreed and made my way home, back to my home on the banks of the Chao Pray River.
Ajarn Charlie
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