Oh we have been having so much fun! Each week gets more amazing! The children are soaking up everything I have given them with enthusiasm! I am currently heading into my fourth week at the school but, I am behind in my posts so here is what happened my second week…

I taught them “Wheels on the Bus” and they did an art activity with vocabulary. They absolutely loved acting out all the parts and laughed so hard when I did “the babies on the bus go wa-wa-wa”!

Whoever thought learning about Ducks and Turkeys could be so much fun?! Well… we had the greatest time! I taught them a song that goes:
“Gobble Gobble Gobble, Quack Quack Quack, Turkeys always Gobble, But, Ducks go Quack!” Every day since this lesson the kids come up to me Quacking and Gobbling with their arms! It is the funniest thing in the world!

Because of our previous lesson (and song about Ducks and Turkeys) I thought it only fitting to make up a new rendition of the classic game “Duck Duck Goose” and change it to “Duck, Duck, Turkey”! It is so much fun to watch their faces light up when they chase each other and they are constantly asking to play:

I am so grateful to my father for passing down some incredible lesson plans. “Whenever Rabbit” is a coloring activity and song that the children adored! They got to color and cut out Rabbit and his clothing items. This was a great way for them to learn 5 colors and 5 items: Shirt, Pants, Belt, Hat, and Shoes. Last week I made a fun game out of the clothing items and they ate it up! I will post those pics soon.

“Story Time with Gina” has become a staple for the babies. Thanks to my dear friend Jeffrey, I came equipped with Dr. Seuss and the children just love the artwork! This happens right before nap time and when I walk in the door they all rearrange their pillows and blankets to be closer. This is the only book I brought so they are getting familiar with it already and some of the boys know different pages by heart:

Most of them know the English Alphabet however, their pronunciation is an issue. They have difficulty recognizing individual letters without going through the entire thing in their head. So I reinforce the letters by getting them writing, speaking, and visualizing them properly. I can see the real advantage in having me here when I see that many of the teachers are basically taking my class with their students— they sit in the back of the class and take notes to familiarize themselves with the way things sound. On that note, many of the sounds that we use are not a part of Thai Language so their little mouths aren’t familiar with moving in ways the English language requires. I don’t always have time to fix it all but, I’ve been giving a lot of individual attention and trying my best to point out the things I feel will make a huge difference.

I came with stickers!!!! Because, duh… kids and stickers 🙂 and it has been a hit! After I correct their work I let them pick out a sticker and you should just see their faces! They are catching on and have recently been asking for “Sticks” – which took me the longest time to figure out was actually “stickers”.  Sometimes they hold this tiny sticker like it’s Gold and for me, I just think about how such a tiny thing can have such a big impact and it makes me smile.

Our in class time has been a mixture of education and straight up fun. But, after class or during lunch time, or when I am walking through the school is when I really gauge the connection I am making with these kids. In the morning when they see me walking down the road they are just so excited to see me- and that is the absolute best feeling about being here. Seeing these children WANT to be in my class and wanting to learn from me- that is the reason I am 7,000 miles away from home right now. And, it’s amazing.

Kru Non, is a teacher at the school and she has been extraordinarily kind to me. The first time I met her she couldn’t stop calling me beautiful and kept saying  “I’m like your mother”. For real though, this woman is totally the Thai version of my grandmother- Mary Rizzo. She wears heels and bright red lipstick everyday and one day she asked me to wear makeup to class because she wanted to see “how much more pretty” I could be (hahaha). The next day I put a little blush and lip gloss on and she grinned from ear to ear!

Even though I only know a little Thai, and she only knows a little English, we laugh so much together and her maternal instincts are so lovely. She brings me food every day, took me to the doctors when I got sick and is constantly checking in on me. I am extremely grateful for her kindness. One day…

In broken English she said: “Some naughty kids misbehave but, not with you. You a good teacher. All the kids want to learn English with you.”

No amount of money could buy this experience. As I approach the 2 month mark — I a have begun to face emotional and psychological challenges.  It is definitely much harder than I thought it would be and missing “home” is just one factor of many. With that said, it’s all about the kids for me. My time at the school brings all of this into perspective…

These kids are changing my life, and this experience is changing me.

I feel very blessed.