World Education

Almost every time I meet my colleagues at this new school, the usual greeting is, “How are your students?” I’m curious what it really means.

I have some observation with the three Grade 8 and one Grade 9 Thai classes today. I have been known being efficient in classroom management and teaching ESL. However, the experience today really awakens my curiosity, not to mention disillusioned by the annoying behavior of some obnoxious and impolite students. I’m a bit baffled why students at this level couldn’t just behave well and keep themselves quiet after having understood and agreed to some simple and clear instructions. They kept quiet upon hearing my loud voice, but then after a few seconds they would easily blurt out loudly as if nothing has been instructed to them. Not just three times that I told them to keep quiet, but many times until each whole period was over. The activity was more on classroom management than on administering exams and teaching. This is true to any foreign teachers here in Thailand, but not to Thai teachers, because students seem to be afraid of their Thai teachers than of the foreign teachers.

Questions arise: Recognizing that their noise is not related to the lesson nor contributory to the objective of the lesson, should I allow more degree of tolerance to their noise and fidgets simply because they are adolescents (about 14-15 years old)? If Thai teachers could totally control them in a serious atmosphere with sustained attention, why can’t the foreigners? I can be as controlling as the Thai teachers. Of course I understand the Thai concept of “Sanuk” (fun), and in fact students have had some countless moments of laughs with me. Besides language and cultural factors, is it possible that I am missing something here, such as psychology, sensitivity, skills or some art? Any ideas, please!

A 15-year-old Thai student asked me about where I come from. I asked him back for him to ponder why he asked me such question when almost everybody around knows where most of the teachers at our school come from. He said, “I think you come from Nigeria.” I asked, “What made you say that?” He replied, “because you are as bald as our Nigerian teacher.” I was astonished by his logic. It made me think. Why could such a Thai adolescent easily identify me with somebody who is directly in contrast with who I am?

On my first day of teaching, a high school student tried to bully me in class by sneeringly asking me, “Hey, what is your name?” His peers laughed loudly. I said, “Are you the teacher?” He humbly answered, “Sorry, I’m not.” He and the whole class kept quiet, waiting of what I would say next. I wonder if this is a good classroom management, and whether it is ethical. Any insight?

This blog is under construction.