Here are some pictures of Teacher Day, Bong Fie (finally), and a Wat or temple at Ayuttaya that we visited last weekend...We are with Ying's younger brother. Isn't the temple amazing?
Friday, June 15, 2007
More Pictures from a fast internet connection!
Here are some pictures of Teacher Day, Bong Fie (finally), and a Wat or temple at Ayuttaya that we visited last weekend...We are with Ying's younger brother. Isn't the temple amazing?
Goodbye Nayao!
Hi Everyone!
Today I left Nayao School...What a sad experience! This past week flew. We taught some English classes to grades 7 and 9, a taxonomy/geologic time class to grade 12, visited a cool royal development center, and got to see and participate in teacher appreciation day.
Teaching here is so much fun. The students are respectful, smile a lot, pretend to understand even when they don't (you don't hear, "This is boring!! Why do I need to learn this?!?") and generally are motivated, hard workers who are creative, intelligent, curious, and fun to be around. They show up at 7:15 and don't leave until 4:30...Even longer than the Jennings day!!
We also got to visit the King's Royal Development Study Center, which implements the New Theory of sustainability. This suggests that a farmer's land is 30% water resources and fisheries, 30% rice production, 30% fruits, vegetables,and livestock, and 10% for house and kitchen garden. They took an area that had been stripped of soil fertility, and turned it into a diversely planted study area that now teaches local farmers good farming practices. One of the major reasons I wanted to visit Nayao was to see this in action...And it works great! It gives farmers the ability to be self sufficient and produce most of what they need themselves.
Finally, we had Teacher Day. This is a huge deal in Thailand, and is truly beautiful. It began Wednesday afternoon with classes being cancelled, but the grades getting together to create natural materials sculptures. Students carved papaya, squash, and watermelon, strung beautiful garlands of flowers, weaved palms, and constructed sculptures out of clay. One group stayed at school working on theirs until 8pm! On Thursday, each student came with a small handmade bouquet of flowers. The teachers were put on stage in a single row, and every student presented the teachers with their bouquet while crawling and bowing at us. Students here really worship their teachers. I will attach pictures shortly!
Today was sad...Saying goodbye! I cried saying goodbye to the Thai teachers...They are so inspirational...Working so many hours each day, and still having energy to laugh and joke all of the time. Tonight we had our group presentations and goodbye dinner...I am emotionally drained! But today vacation also begins!! Time for the beach and snorkling!
Tomorrow we are spending the morning in Bangkok, then taking a night train down to a southern town, followed by a morning boat to a small island called Koh Tao, which seems like a hippie paradise! More info on that later!! Miss you all!
Love, Carrie
Today I left Nayao School...What a sad experience! This past week flew. We taught some English classes to grades 7 and 9, a taxonomy/geologic time class to grade 12, visited a cool royal development center, and got to see and participate in teacher appreciation day.
Teaching here is so much fun. The students are respectful, smile a lot, pretend to understand even when they don't (you don't hear, "This is boring!! Why do I need to learn this?!?") and generally are motivated, hard workers who are creative, intelligent, curious, and fun to be around. They show up at 7:15 and don't leave until 4:30...Even longer than the Jennings day!!
We also got to visit the King's Royal Development Study Center, which implements the New Theory of sustainability. This suggests that a farmer's land is 30% water resources and fisheries, 30% rice production, 30% fruits, vegetables,and livestock, and 10% for house and kitchen garden. They took an area that had been stripped of soil fertility, and turned it into a diversely planted study area that now teaches local farmers good farming practices. One of the major reasons I wanted to visit Nayao was to see this in action...And it works great! It gives farmers the ability to be self sufficient and produce most of what they need themselves.
Finally, we had Teacher Day. This is a huge deal in Thailand, and is truly beautiful. It began Wednesday afternoon with classes being cancelled, but the grades getting together to create natural materials sculptures. Students carved papaya, squash, and watermelon, strung beautiful garlands of flowers, weaved palms, and constructed sculptures out of clay. One group stayed at school working on theirs until 8pm! On Thursday, each student came with a small handmade bouquet of flowers. The teachers were put on stage in a single row, and every student presented the teachers with their bouquet while crawling and bowing at us. Students here really worship their teachers. I will attach pictures shortly!
Today was sad...Saying goodbye! I cried saying goodbye to the Thai teachers...They are so inspirational...Working so many hours each day, and still having energy to laugh and joke all of the time. Tonight we had our group presentations and goodbye dinner...I am emotionally drained! But today vacation also begins!! Time for the beach and snorkling!
Tomorrow we are spending the morning in Bangkok, then taking a night train down to a southern town, followed by a morning boat to a small island called Koh Tao, which seems like a hippie paradise! More info on that later!! Miss you all!
Love, Carrie
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Teaching in Nayao
Hi Everyone!
Finally some time and a good internet connection to update everyone! We finally started teaching at our school. Today we spent 2 hours teaching 10th graders about proteins, and tomorrow we will spend 2 hours teaching 11th graders about the excretory system of multicellular organisms. Really easy topics to teach in English, right!?? The expectations of what students need to know in this rural village is amazing...These students are so disciplined, motivated, and respectful. They also know much more and are expected to know much more than the typical American student. I will post some pictures of the school, students, and other activities we have been doing. And at the request of Lisa, I will post some Bong-Fie pictures as well! Hope everyone is doing well! Miss you all so much!
Carrie
Finally some time and a good internet connection to update everyone! We finally started teaching at our school. Today we spent 2 hours teaching 10th graders about proteins, and tomorrow we will spend 2 hours teaching 11th graders about the excretory system of multicellular organisms. Really easy topics to teach in English, right!?? The expectations of what students need to know in this rural village is amazing...These students are so disciplined, motivated, and respectful. They also know much more and are expected to know much more than the typical American student. I will post some pictures of the school, students, and other activities we have been doing. And at the request of Lisa, I will post some Bong-Fie pictures as well! Hope everyone is doing well! Miss you all so much!
Carrie
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