Interviewer: Mr. Rolly C. Obedencio
Interviewee: Ajarn Teunchai Akrawichien, English Program Head
Date: September 29, 2008
Starting Time: 4:00 P.M.
Ending Time: 4:30 P.M.
Name of School: Matthayomwatsing School
Type of School: Non-private/government Thai High School
Note: This is an interview for principals/administrators/department heads as part of the requirements of the course (EDAD 651 Online) PRINCIPALSHIP & SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT of the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies. (This interview seems to be the context of the dream about student-centered teaching.)
Below is the transcript of the interview using the ten questions below:
1. Please tell about your background, your work responsibilities, leadership roles and development, and number of years.
Rolly (R): Ok, yeah, ah, the first question’s about your background, your work responsibilities, leadership roles and development and the number of years.
Interviewee (I): Ok, I have got a BA in Education many years ago, about 35 years ago from the College of Education at that time, but now we, like, use it calling below university. At that time like a teachers’ college.
R: Oh, ah, …what university is it?
I: Um…sin…oh no, Wittayalai Witsakan Suksa, Songkhla
R: Here in Bangkok
I: No, not in Bangkok, outside of Bangkok, in the southern part of Thailand. And then my responsibility is to take care of EP program. And then I used to be, ah, like a head of foreign language department for quite a few years. And I will be the first one who start like an exchange program for the teachers and students in my school.
R: Wow, that’s quite a good experience before.
I: Yes, and then I’ve been teaching here for… how long…since …ummm…for thirty…thirty five years
R: For thirty five years
I: Yes, in this school only
R: Oh, wow really a long number of years of experience.
I: Number of years of experience, I agree.
R: Ah, Ok, that’s all probably for number one?
I: Yup!
2. What would you say if we can get back to your college days and how well do you feel that you were prepared to enter the field of teaching?
R: So, what would you say if we can get back to your college and, ah, do you feel any, ah, difference or probably impression you’d like to say how well-prepared you were to enter the field of teaching?
I: Yeah, I think that I’m well-prepared of being a teacher, but the only thing that I complain is about unprepared. I had been prepared for English teacher.
R: Ok…hehehe…not for other areas...huh!
I: But, not all the teachers are taught in English, just only the English is talking in English
R: Ahh, I see…
I: And then for quite a few subjects are taught in English. That’s it. So, do you want to know the truth? Hahahaha…
R: I would appreciate it…heheheh
I: because I think that the educational system now. They should like, ah, give more on the English teachers, because you know, that, how can the English teachers have like a wider vocabulary to teach, like, ah, to students if they don’t have like a direct experience from the school.
R: Yeah, I agree.
I: That is the problem, that’s why we have to have, like ah, foreign teachers to help us in teaching English.
R: That is teaching English in English, not teaching English in other language.
I: Yeah, yeah, because, you know, then we’d never been trained to do that, just for like, ah, a few courses that we have to use English.
R: Ok, I see. Ah…
I: Not enough, but for the methodologies I dare say that Ok, we are well prepared for that.
R: I think…Ok, I appreciate that.
3. What were the challenges in your first year of being a principal/administrator/department head?
R: Ok, regarding your first challenges in your first year of teaching, how would you say about it?
I: It’s hard to know that, to work with the, like, the policy to be the leader, because we work with different kinds of people…
R: Different mindsets.
I: Yeah, and different backgrounds. Some people are very arrogant. Some people are very self-confident. Some people are very self-esteemed.
R: Yeah, hahaha. Different types of personality.
I: Yeah, so different types of personality, and they don’t listen to each other; they think that they are the best. So, it’s hard to deal with them, but if we talk about, ah, the things that we have to do together and give them some good reasons and in a compromising way, that will be help, like ah, don’t be a dictator.
R: Yeah.
I: if you’re a dictator, people accept you at the time, but they will gossip or they will do something behind you like you know, oh, we have to do what you tell us, but you know that just it doesn’t go along.
R: That’s a good point. I’m learning now of it…hehehe
I: Yeah, because we have to like a work, but if we something that we should be strict, we should be strict according to like the rules we should follow.
R: Yeah, I see.
I: But not at, like, ah, at once. We have to gradually, you know that, lead it to the point.
R: So, ah, in summary, that is about dealing with different kinds of personalities in your first year, ah, you know, of position.
I: You need to be patient, more patient.
R: Ah, Ok.
I: More patient and trying to, like, ah, you know, gradually prove them into what you want. People don’t want to be forced to do that. If you are forced to do, it’s just to pass your time.
R: Yes.
I: That’s it. I think that if they are willing, but how can that you make people feel willing to do things is the difficult part. Yeah, it’s the challenge.
4. How would you compare those initial challenges in roles and responsibilities with those of the later years?
R: Ok, how would you compare, like the first year of, ah, being a principal or in your position in the later years, how would you compare that?
I: The first year of being, like ah, the head of, like ah, language department, and the head of EP program, you know that, because I think that, ah, we try, because if we have experience dealing with people. We know that people, some are very stubborn to do things, because they would like to do what they think that they feel more comfortable. Even they know that they are wrong, but they would like to do that. Sometimes, you know, that’s why, it’s hard for the first time, because when you have meeting, like you give them your policy, some people don’t agree with that. They’re trying to find some reasons, and then people, you know that they have some bias. They would like to do what they want. So, they show the sign that they don’t want, don’t need to work hard.
R: Ok.
I: But it’s our way. When to draw them to our point is hard, you know that. I know that, we cannot, like ah, make all the people agree what we want to, but at least the majority do what we want. I think that we are successful.
R: Ok
I: But now for EP program is harder, even harder. We have to care, you know that, not all leaders staff, they have to care for the students’ abilities. We have to care about their future. We have to have about, the, like a community and the parents.
R: So the challenge is not just managing teachers, but the students as well, you know.
I: The students and the parents.
R: Ok, ah, that’s a good thing.
I: This is the challenge.
5. Among all the duties and responsibilities, what do you consider to be the key elements and priorities of a principal’s job?
R: Ah, let’s go to number 5, among all the duties and responsibilities, what do you consider to be the key elements and priorities of a principal’s job or department head?
I: Ah, we have, ah, about the people, the staff that we have to work with. This is the more important, because, you know that, being like, you know, a principal, we have to care about the qualifications of our staff, how well they behave, ah, the proper message of the staff whether what is their goal what to do with the students, because the result, I think, the goal is for the students.
R: Yeah, it’s not for the teachers themselves, actually.
I: No, no, no, no, everything will be with the students. You know, this is my, like ah, parallel, to think about the students
6. What do you consider to be the easiest and most difficult role and responsibility of a principal/administrator/department head?
7. How would you describe the climate and culture of your present school?
8. How do you keep both the teachers and students motivated?
9. What have you found that really helps teachers to be better teachers?
10. Is there anything that I failed to ask you that you would like to talk about or discuss in this interview?
(To be continued...I have just retrieved the file from my broken MP3 Player that is to be fixed yet.)
