Teachers Trip (Uthai Thani)

We left from Rajabhat University (old campus) at 7:30 in the morning, a bit cool and hazy morning it was. Teachers and staff of the faculty were already there when i arrived. They were all excited while having conversation. Smiles were everywhere and greetings were overflowing. Me and some of my close friends bought sticky rice with fried pork at the canteen nearby.

We arrived in Nakon Sawan, a province of Thailand south of Phitsanulok. Then, we went to a temple on top of the mountain. The temple as we were told, was a miniature of an Indian Temple. It was such a beautiful architecture with lots of designs, totally different from the Thai temples (though Thai temples have many designs too). The view was amazing as well, however it was kinda humid that time so we were sweating, but then again we enjoyed it.

A little later.....

People started to complain about being hungry lol, so we had lunch in a restaurant somewhere on the highway. Actually, I am really having a great time eating anywhere in Thailand because food is delicious and very affordable. After the tasty lunch, i slept on the bus (How lazy am i..). I am not sure why the trip took longer than expected. Was I totally lost in the real world that made me oblivious of the stops we made? As far as i know, i was always wide awake in every detour or stops we were making. The trip going there was like forever..


At last we arrived. The mountain resort wasn't that beautiful and needs a lot of renovation. Honestly, i was a bit unhappy when we arrived. I was under the impression that the place was beautiful, but it wasn't... so i thought that our room won't be that good too, but to my surprise, it was really, really good. Ajarn Lloyd, Ajarn Siri and I made a few drinks near the pool. It was such a lovely night where stars were twinkling--giving a sense of peace. The conversation we had was informative too. I learned a lot from them. Their experiences says it all and their advices were wonderful. I was youngest in the office so i am taking advantage of it hehe. We were also told that the place was new and it was indeed under renovation.

Couple hours later....

We went back to our room. It was really a nice room and the air-condition wasn't malfunctioning lol. I had a very good sleep that i felt of spending more time on bed. When i woke up, i was surprised to see that the place was covered with fog. The place was getting colder and colder too. As much as i would like to stay few minutes more on the bed, I know I can't.. I can't be there alone nor want to be left alone hehe (some people were packing their bags already). Breakfast was served---sausages and eggs, coffee and porridge. Not my favorite but let's just eat OK?


On the way back, we visited a different temple near the foot of the hill. It was again very different because it had a touch of native Asian architecture, not to mention that the temple was made of mostly wood. The place was lovely so we didn't let the day or the time passed without taking pictures.

The trip was really tiring and we arrived back in Phitsanulok around 6 p.m. I had fun and it was really an experience. Looking forward for another trip next year. Teachers trip is done annually honoring the retirees. I love going to trips really, it's like an escape and a rest at the same time hehe...

Visit my other blog about South East Asia. Click here.

Life as a Teacher

It felt good writing this blog. My very first actually so it's kinda thrilling at the same time. I didn't have any topic to write so I decided to start by writing about what I do.

Well....

Teaching is indeed a noble profession, that one must be thankful of. It is a gift given in shaping the young minds of the youth and in helping them achieve their full potential, guiding them and being with them. The great minds of the past and the great people of the present, were once students who learned under the guidance of a teacher. As the saying goes "we don't have doctors, engineers, politicians (you name it) if not for the teacher".

One cannot say that being a teacher is easy. Just like everyone else, we feel tired and helpless sometimes. As a teacher, you have to have lots of fun stuff and prepared lessons for your students. You have to be energetic especially for the not so good ones, because their attention span is really short, hence, being energetic is a must if you like to get their 100% attention; computing of grades, checking of homework, dealing with the hard-headed students, bullying, copying (endless list we have here) are also part that the teacher needs to deal with.

While for some, being a teacher means nothing but teaching the students the lessons; the actual work of a teacher is far beyond that. As William Arthur Ward quotes “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” It's not just about lessons and all that. It's about helping them achieve their dreams to be the best that they can be. This quotation inspired me and made me feel proud of being one.

I have read an article written by a teacher who taught (ESL) English as a Second Language in Korea. As a teacher myself, the story moved me. He said on the article that he had a student who was very shy and didn't speak much. One day after the class when students prepared to leave, the shy student just stared into nothingness, oblivious of her environment. He came near and ask her if there was something wrong. Tears started to fall from her eyes and said she can't learn English and she wanted to stop studying. Being a good teacher himself, he encouraged her that learning new things isn't always easy, that people may stumble and fall. Of course, it won't happen overnight, will it? I think she internalized the advice given to her because before the term ends, he noticed a change and soon seen progress from the student. That is one big of an achievement and I agree with him when he said "touch their hearts, and their minds will follow".