Disclaimer: This post is all about Krizia Mari Catubig Mayol a.k.a Okamflesym's SEA-Teacher Experience blog in Thailand last January 2019. This blog will be in a third person point-of-view.
I. SCHOOL
"School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside." (Watters, L.; xxxx)
NOTE: The information seen below is prior to Okameflesym's assigned school's general information and academic administration.
MENGRAIMAHARAJWITTHAYAKHOM SCHOOL
Mengraimaharajwitthayakhom School was declared and established under the Department of General Education, Chiang Rai Province by the Ministry of Education of Chiang Rai on the 9th of January 1980. This school, the third government high school in the district, provides co-education to support the students in the five (5) sub-districts surrounded by the Kok River; namely, Tambon Tha Sud, Nang Lae, Ban Du, Mae Khao Tom, and Rim Kok that gave more students' opportunities to study at a secondary level.
The school commenced teaching since 1980. At first, there were only four (4) classrooms, one hundred seventy-five (175) students, and nine (9) teachers in the whole school. Mr. Prasert Suwannajit was the first headmaster of this school.
Right now, the school is functioning under the Office of the Basic Education Commission Region 36 (Chiang Rai - Phayao) and the Ministry of Education. The education level has been permitted to teach High School (Matthayom 1 to 6, i.e. Grade 7 to 12). And, there are thirty-five (35) classrooms effectively running at the school. Mr. Pramot Nopphawong is the current director of the school.
The school is located at the address of "113 Moo 3, Tambon Nang Lae, Amphoe Mueang, Chiang Rai Rai". It is 11 kilometers away from Chiang Rai's City Center. The site is located in the valley of three (3) hills of the National Conserved Forest. Fifty (50) Rai of land has been granted to the school by the Department of Forestry. The land was completely deteriorated before the school was built. During the construction, number of trees have been planted and the school premises have been kept greenery since then. Currently, the atmosphere around the school is cool.
Establishing as a quality school of community cultivating moral, inheriting wisdom, and developing into ASEAN community.
Developing and promoting educational management to all students receives a quality education. The emphasis on students to enhance their academic knowledge, morals, ethics, ability to meet basic education standards and develop into ASEAN quality.
1. Developing quality and the standard of the Education following the curriculum.
2. Cultivating morals, ethics and ways of life according to the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy.
3. Managing quality foreign language teaching.
4. Developing teachers and educational personnel to provide quality teaching and learning.
5. Improving educational management, according to Good Governance, focuses on participation from all sectors and collaborating with the community, local administration to promote and support education.
6. Enhancing the ability of information technology as a tool for educational management and quality learning.
THE BASIC EDUCATION CORE CURRICULUM B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008)
GOALS
The Basic Education Core Curriculum is aimed at the full development of learners in all respects---morality, wisdom, happiness, and potentiality for further education and livelihood. The following goals have consequently been set for achievement upon completing basic education:
1. Morality, ethics, desirable values, self-esteem, self-discipline, observance of Buddhist teachings or those of one's faith and guiding principles of Sufficiency Economy;
2. Knowledge and skills for communication, thinking, problem-solving, technological know-how, and life skills;
3. Good physical and mental health, hygiene, and preference for physical exercise;
4. Patriotism, awareness of responsibilities and commitment as Thai citizens and members of the world community and adherence to a democratic way of life and form of government under constitutional monarchy;
5. Awareness of the need to preserve all aspects of Thai culture and Thai wisdom, protection and conservation of the environment, and public-mindedness with dedication to public service for peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
LEARNERS' KEY COMPETENCIES
The Basic Education Core Curriculum is aimed at inculcating among learners the following five key competencies:
1. Communication Capacity - a capacity to receive and transmit information; linguistic ability and skills in expressing one's thoughts, knowledge, and understanding, feelings and opinions for exchanging information and experience, which will be beneficial to oneself and the society; negotiation for solving or reducing problems and conflicts; ability to distinguish and choose whether to receive or avoid information through proper reasoning and sound judgement; and ability to choose efficient methods of communication, bearing in mind the possible negative effects on oneself and society.
2. Thinking Capacity - a capacity for analytical, synthetic, constructive, critical and systematic thinking, leading to creation of bodies of knowledge or information for judicious decision-making regarding oneself and society.
3. Problem-Solving Capacity - a capacity to properly eliminate problems and obstacles, based on sound reasoning, moral principles and accurate information; appreciation of relationships and changes in various social situations; ability to seek and apply knowledge to prevent and solve problems; and ability for judicious decision-making, bearing in mind the possible negative effects on oneself, society and environment.
4. Applying Life Skills Capacity - a capacity for applying various processes in daily life; self-learning; continuous learning; working; and social harmony through strengthening of happy interpersonal relationships; elimination of problems and conflicts through proper means; ability for self-adjustment to keep pace with social and environmental change; and capacity for avoiding undesirable behavior with adverse effects on oneself and others.
5. Technological Application Capacity - an ability to choose and apply different technologies; skills in application of technological processes for development of oneself and society in regard to learning, communication, working, and problem-solving through constructive, proper, appropriate and ethical means.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
The learning area for foreign languages is aimed at enabling learners to acquire a favorable attitude towards foreign languages, the ability to use foreign languages for communicating in various situations, seeking knowledge, engaging in a livelihood and pursuing further education at higher levels. Learners will thus have knowledge and understanding of stories and cultural diversity of the world community, and will be able to creatively convey Thai concepts and culture to the global society. The main contents include:
Language for Communications - use of foreign languages for listening, speaking, reading and writing, exchanging data and information, expressing feelings and opinions, interpreting, presenting data, concepts and views on various matters, and creating interpersonal relationships appropriately.
Language and Culture - use of foreign languages harmonious with culture of native speakers; relationships, similarities and differences between languages and cultures of native speakers; languages and cultures of native speakers and Thai culture; and appropriate application.
Language and Relationship with Other Learning Areas - use of foreign languages to link knowledge with other learning areas, forming the basis for further development, seeking knowledge and broadening learners' world views.
Language and Relationship with Community and the World - use of foreign languages in various situations, both in the classroom and the outside community and the global society, forming a basic tool for further education, livelihood and exchange of learning with the global society.
STUDENTS POPULATION
FACILITY
There are three (3) main buildings, one (1) multi-purpose building, two (2) workshops, one (1) canteen, one (1) auditorium, one (1) library, one (1) guard house, five (5) teacher's houses, two (2) janitor's houses, five (5) water closets, five (5) sports fields, and one (1) students' garage. Also, there are one hundred seventy (170) computers, one (1) external telephone, one (1) fax machine, fifty (50) televisions, twenty-five (25) VCDs, twenty-one (21) printers, seven (7) overhead projectors and four (4) cars.
TEACHING PLAN
Note: This is just the first page of one of the lesson or teaching plans (based on our major, English) used by one of Okameflesym's cooperating teachers. The other pages will be shown on the pedagogical contents.
II. PEDAGOGICAL CONTENTS
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." (Einstein, A.; xxxx)
There are so many different methods and theories that can be tailored to suit the teachers and the needs of the students. In this profession that Okameflesym chose, she experienced an important change in her beliefs about teaching.
Based on Okameflesym's observation to her cooperating teachers ways of teaching, she can say that her cooperating teachers are using different teaching methods, which are rooted in theory of different teaching styles, that helps them reach their full potential, but more importantly engage, motivate and reach the students in their classes. She remembered the theorists' Skinner, Vygotsky, Gardner, Piaget and Bloom out of the blue through them. Her three (3) cooperating teachers uses these learning theories-- Behaviorism Theory, Constructivism Theory and Multiple Intelligences Theory.
First, the Behaviorism Theory functions when teachers reward or punish his or her class or certain students judging by their attitude and emotions during the class. Okameflesym can hear her cooperating teachers, Kru Am, Kru Took and Kru Sunny, compliment their students whenever they'd answer their questions regarding their lesson every day like "Very good!" "Excellent!" and many more.
Second, the Constructivism Theory functions when teachers focus on how their students learn through experiences. Just like how Kru Am, Kru Took and Kru Sunny let each of their student shine by letting them participate on their activities.
Last but not the least, the Multiple Intelligences Theory functions when students can do anything that doesn't literally need a brilliant mind through their talents and skills. A matter of finding and knowing oneself, one's limits, and their inner selves that can handle a variety of challenges in life without conflict or knowing how to resolve it, just by for example-- using the common sense or gut feeling.
According to Dr. Kris MacDonald, figuring out the best ways that a teacher can deliver information to students can sometimes be even harder than what students go through in discovering how they learn best. One of the reasons is because of how every single teacher needs a variety of different teaching methods in their theoretical teaching bag to pull from depending on the lesson, the students and things as seemingly minute as the time the class is and the subject.
Okameflesym's cooperating teachers mainly use a power point presentation through the projector and projector screen, handwritten white board, activity handouts or books and psychomotor activities.
III. TEACHING PLAN
"Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning." (anonymous; xxxx)
(This is the curriculum used by Okameflesym in her teaching demonstrations, too. Link of the said curriculum guide can be seen here: https://depedkto12.blogspot.com/2014/04/english-curriculum-guide-grades-1-10.html. If you want to ask for the copy of this, just mail her at emeraude.chan@gmail.com.)
IV. TEACHING PRACTICE
"Teaching is the act of sharing the knowledge we have been given by others with hope that someday, in some way, it again will be passed on." (anonymous; xxxx)
Teaching procedures help students know what to do when the bell rings, when their pencil breaks or ball point pen's ink fades away, when they finish their work early, or when they need to use the restroom.
One of Okameflesym's teachers back then said that a smooth running classroom is the result of the teacher's ability to effectively teach procedures for just about everything in the classroom. When Okameflesym applied what her teacher had told her, she didn't have a hard time in teaching her lesson every day.
Okameflesym managed and organized her every day teaching through an opening prayer or opening greeting, showing her students the classroom rules, one (1) motivational activity, interactive discussion with affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domain activities and closing prayer or greeting.
The secret to warding off at least some behavior problems of your students is establishing positive procedures for daily activities and tasks. Students will really appreciate the consistency, and once they have internalized the procedures, the day will run that much more smoothly. Just like when students enter the room, line up, leave the room, begin the day, end the day, take out the school supplies needed for the lesson, participate in group activities, hand in finished homework, what to do with the unfinished work, when and how to go to the school restroom, and many more. Both teacher and students investigate about what to learn from each other with evaluating different strategies.
V. SUMMARY AND SUGGESTIONS
(TO BE UPDATED)