Day One as Ajarn Paige

Day one as a teacher.. pretty funny.

Today I taught 4 one-hour classes with a Thai co-teacher (all of the English teachers get this basic set-up - so that's great), and I effectively got the girls to talk/ write about their vacations and didn't have too many blank/ disgusted stares. Lovely.

The other 4 hours in the work-day are to be used for prep/ grading etc - which is also really nice, and today allowed me to shadow some of the other teachers. Different days of the week it's not exactly half and half - but it balances out so I'll have some harder days and some easier days.

Off the bat it seems like I'm really going to enjoy teaching. (phew.)

I also learned the beginning of class ritual today, which goes like this:

At the beginning of the class I ask the girl who is the current "class leader" to ask the class to stand up. Once everyone is standing I say "Good morning class" and they say "Gooooood Mooorning Ajaaaarn Paaaaige." [My name when said by 30-some Thai 1st graders sounds kind of like Paaaaysh. Ajarn = teacher.] And then I say "Please sit down," and they reply "Thaaaank youuuu teeeeacher" and sit.

I don't know if this sounds adorable/ hilarious - but live and in person I guarantee that it is.

I also had a delightful experience yesterday tutoring for an 11 year-old girl who is going to England in a couple of months to study, and wants to go to boarding school in the US. The family is just so pleasant and very sweetly understated given the fact that they live in this beautiful mansion in the middle of Bangkok with classic Mercedes and Lexi cramping up their driveway. Her father also studied in the US ("oh cool, where?" "err, umm in Cambridge" oh. right. didn't we all?).

The girl loves reading English books - and so we spent most of the time talking about a few of our favorites since her parents mostly just want her to practice conversation.

So today's pic is celebrating nerdy book-loving girls of all ages:



oh! also! Forgot to mention that I sounded like a scary heavy-smoking baritone all day/ have basically lost my voice because of this cold I can't seem to get rid of. Typical. Hopefully it will find its way back to me by tomorrow am.

Much love!
-Paige