Back to School, Will I Survive Isaan Thailand.

Well I am back at school, back to work sadly. This was the first year I really struggled to get motivated to go back to teaching. Even 1 week out before we started the term, I was seriously thinking of not going back.

I hadn’t stepped foot in the school since the day I went on holidays. Around 7 weeks of total peace and relaxation. I didn’t go in early as some teachers do and prepare for their classes. I used to do this, but holidays are my time and I am not giving the school anymore of my time, I decided a long time ago.

I don’t know why teachers are not back at school one week before students to prepare for classes, if the school organised the holidays properly this could happen easily. Instead they make us sign in at the school at the end of the school year for at least an extra week or two after all students have left.

Also this year I will not be marking exams in my own time. Each year exams are set on Thursdays and Fridays, and we are expected to hand in the grades or marks by the Monday or Tuesday and have all the paperwork completed. This means working Saturday and Sunday and won’t be happening anymore.

I have actually had a good 3 days back at the school, my two secondary classes, years 10 and 12 have been a breath of fresh air. It is so much more fun having students who can offer input into classes. Also they are much better behaved. They are at ages 15 – 18 where they know enough is enough.

I am still teaching 10 hours a week to primary 1, or 6 and 7 year olds and have been doing this for 3 years, but now it is mind numbing and just such a lot of work. You have to be so active and creative in these classes. I enjoyed teaching the young kids and last year I asked to be relieved of this task but was informed that I was the man for the job.

I have tried hard these first 5 days with primary 1 this year; these young learners are really mentally draining. It is hard to get and keep attention. Hard to get them to be interactive in the class. Hard to make them understand that this isn’t kindergarten anymore and they have rules to follow. Hard to do almost anything. It takes a lot of your energy.

My 10 hours with secondary classes, I have enjoyed, but the 10 hours with primary 1 has been a struggle and I really don’t see myself lasting much longer teaching them. I think it is time for another person to step up and take this role, I have done my time, and some other teachers need to have a go.

We also have a new director at the school, Brother Fern (nickname as his full name is long), he takes over from Brother Sakda who was director for 6 years I believe.

Brother Fern is very different from Brother Sakda or so it seems at this time. Our new director is very strict, I like this and he has given the students a huge shake up in the first few days. There have been some unhappy students walking about the school as they have had it a little too good for too long but this seems to be changing.

Brother Fern’s speech on Monday morning, he was straight to the point and gave the students a good sight on what to expect. He looks to be a stickler for rules. He has clamped down on the kids like they haven’t seen for a long time.

He has also stopped any snacks being served in our school during the 15 minute breaks. So from 10am-10.15am and from 1.50pm-2.05pm, all students can buy are drinks. No more junk food for the kids is longer on sale. This is a great move and hopefully might make parents pack students a decent snack from home.

If they want to buy drinks they need to have their own cups or bottles. The school will not supply any throw away plastic cups anymore. Also food bought off the school grounds cannot be brought into the school. This is mainly for all the takeaway containers and plastic bags.

The students can only eat in the canteen now. This rule was always in place but never really enforced but now there are no exceptions. This will cut down on litter strewn about the school for sure.

Uniforms, the school has cracked down on students. Only white hair ties for the girls with long hair, correct shoes or they are taken off the student for the day and they walk around in their socks for the day. Colour contact lenses are out, make-up, long hair for the boys, long fingernails and the list goes on.

All these little changes that are being enforced very strictly now has upset a few, but I love seeing the students a little worried knowing that this new brother will not take any shit. We also know that he won’t tolerate students breaking rules continuously. Over the years serial offenders who drove teachers crazy will stand no chance now it seems.

I teach year 10 or Matayom 4 as it is known here. I have them 4 periods a week and this week I only taught them once. Thursday was a holiday, can’t help that. Monday they were in a meeting with their homeroom teacher. And then Friday I went to their class. It was empty. I was told they were in our hall. I venture there to see what is happening and walk in on a mass taking place.

I opened the door; all eyes ventured my way of students, teachers and the visiting brother taking the mass. I quickly exited again as I was having nothing to do with this. Why all students had to be at mass is bewildering to me! There are only a handful of students who are practicing Catholics, the rest are Buddhists. Yes, we are a Catholic school and so forth but why waste teaching time for students on something they have no interest in. That is my insight.

We had our first meeting of the year, to fill us in on everything that is expected of us. Most of the meeting was fairly normal with the same old stuff. But this year I have it in writing only 3 days into the school year on how I “must grade” my students.

In writing in a little book that we were all given it was written.

At least 80% of students must receive a grade 2 or higher. (We have a 4 grade system.)

Grade 4 is 80 – 100%, grade 3.5 is 75 – 79%, grade 3 is 70 – 74%, grade 2.5 is 65 – 69%, grade 2 is 60 – 64%, grade 1.5 is 55 – 59%, grade 1 is 50 – 54% and a grade 0 is 0 – 49%.

So in a class or 30 students, you must give 24 students a grade 2 or higher. Now this probably would happen anyway. But being told by a bunch of pen pushers who are only worried about figures and how forms look when they are sent away to government departments; this pisses me off, a lot.

I have sent a copy of this to the Ministry of Education to see if they frown upon this (don’t think they would care about anything) and also Brother’s of Saint Gabriel (BSG) head office to see if this is a school directive or a BSG directive.

I was also told my class averages must be;

For primary to lower secondary my class average grade should be 2.60

And for upper secondary, or years 10 - 12 my class average should be 2.30.

I am sure that grade averages would be around this but again being told, “your classes must” makes me so angry. The people who write that grades must be this and that, they don’t teach my classes, they don’t see who works hard and who doesn’t. They don’t know who hands in homework and who participates in class activities.

So for them to tell me to grade “my classes” in a certain way is deplorable. And I will state here that I will grade fairly and honestly as I always have. Students that make an effort and try hard will get grades they deserve. Students who do nothing and couldn’t care less will get grades they deserve. I will not inflate grades.

To the pen pushers, I will tell you know. Do not tell me how to grade my classes. If you want to teach my classes and grade them, then please do. Otherwise keep your big noses out of my classes and if you are game enough to tell me otherwise, expect a tongue lashing and a half.

Apart from that the first week of school went well. I am trying to be as ‘Thai’ as I can and just laugh everything off, ignore what is said to me and just get on with my job. This way I will hopefully make it to holidays without too much stress.

Brunty