Wai Kru

Kim Kim

Each day after the flag ceremony, I sit before my morning class, just observing them as they have their morning milk. It's a peaceful and relaxing moment for me.  I have a special place for the devious ones, they are innocent in their own ways. The happy ones make me love life that much more. And the upset/sad, timid/shy one give me just the right amount of challenges.  I look at them and they make me smile (yes, I smile a lot here).  I'm always taken back by the position I have here, all these little hands and minds eager and ready to explore whatever is set before them.

The interesting piece of teaching is how creative, constructive, or reactive the students can be when presented with anything.  Teaching and learning to me, is never ending puzzle. Unlike most puzzles, this puzzle always has at least one missing piece or so it seems.  Last week I felt like I was putting together a 100,000 piece puzzle, the theme: "Iowa landscape in July"- giant corn field of green. Yep, I totally boxed that up and threw it under the bed.  I'll save that for an Easter with my in-laws, I think that's the only way I could tackle Iowan backdrop and still enjoy my company.
This week it felt more like piecing together a 500 piece puzzle to reveal and exciting weekend.  It is as complicated or as simple as you want to make it.  I guess overall, this whole teaching experience has made me think about my own teachers, especially when I was younger. I remember all of them. Most of them left an impression that I still carry with me. No matter how old I get, I think I still carry a certain amount of respect for each of them.

From my experience thus far in Southern Thailand, I see teaching in a new light.  I am not sure if I am more respected because I am foreign or because I am a teacher, or both.  And yes, there's the likelihood that I am not appreciated by some.  I may not have the teaching experience of some, but I do feel that I at least have the compassion to educate and the desire to be educated.

On Thursday I arrived to school earlier than planned.  I was one of the only teachers in the front area of the school. I was taking in the cool air and thinking about my day when I saw a mother walking towards me holding a backpack. I then heard quick beats of small feet trailing her. I looked around her and saw "Ruj," one of my students in my afternoon class. Bam! I was 'kid-bombed.' He went right for my legs. I think he made up for his vertical challenges by using every muscle in his body to hug me. I looked down and all I could see is his giant brown eyes and big white teeth beaming at me. I started laughing and smiling before impact. His mom seemed a bit taken back by it, but when she saw me smiling she just laughed and smiled at Ruj.  I wont be forgetting that moment anytime soon.


Thursday continued to be an extra special day for me.  I was able to get a little more insight on appreciation in Thai culture.  I shall explain.  In many Thai schools, after about a month of school, a ceremony is held for teacher appreciation.  The occasion is typically held on a Thursday in June.  To many Buddist Thai's, Thursdays are considered auspicious.  The day is called "Wai Kru" ('Kru' meaning teacher, 'Wai' meaning bow with prayer hands). Joy School observed this holiday last Thursday 13 June for the upper classes and this past Thursday 20 June for the younger students.

Needle Flower

Wai Kru, or Teacher Appreciation Day is honored in many parts of Thailand.  The day dedicated to teachers. Students do their part in respecting and thanking the teachers in a school-wide ceremony.  Typically, at the start of the school day, Teachers sit before their students in a ceremony.  Buddhist chants and music is sung or played.  At Joy a boy and girl from each class is selected to present his or her teacher with a large and beautiful bouquet.  The selected children take hold of the big vased-bouquets and bow towards all of the teachers. The students then walk on their knees to their designated teachers and hand them the bouquet.  After the teacher receives the bouquet the child would bow to the floor. The teacher (I) would then place my hand on the child's head (very sacred part of the body) and bless them and wish them well in their academic future. Many of the flowers, as pictures are of the Thai 'needle flower,' this is the traditional flower of Wai Kru day, as it signifies that children having minds that are 'sharp as needles.'  The Thais have their needle flowers and we have our apples.

Students waiting during the Wai Kru ceremony - 20 June 2013

Following the designated large bouquets, the rest of the children (hundreds) would then bring their individual bouquets to a teacher of choice.  As a teacher I would bless each of them and wish them well.  Honestly, it seemed almost too much to be given such a grand gesture by all the students. However, I was in turn expected to grant them success and a bright future.  A beautiful tradition.

Otto and Nadea presenting K1 bouquets

Nadea honoring me with a bouquet

Teacher bouquets

Cris

Meet Cris. She is not a fan of pink carnations nor her left shoe. She's is the cutest, sweetest, devious little Thai girl I know. And I love her. That afternoon she misbehaved in class, repeatedly. The last straw, she was yanking another girl's hair. She loves to just grip and hold an object, white-nuckle champ. I took her aside, ..well I picked her up because she has a condition where she "suddenly goes limp when you ask or help her stand up." I carried her to the corner (meanwhile I was laughing inside as I carried her because she just froze and was chilling under my arm as I looked fore my misplaced permanent marker). Had her stand there and told her that we need to treat our friends nice. Meanwhile the rest of the class is SILENT, observing me.  Anyways, she nodded (not sure if she understood) after I acknowledged her behavior. I then put an X on her hand. She began to cry to herself.  I later included her back into the class activity and she was fine.  As the end of class I began to gather my things. This is when I get my 'good-bye teach-uh's'. Just as I was about to leave, Cris looked up at me and said goodbye in a sweet voice three or four times, waving at me. She said it once more and then blew me a kiss. It was the sweetest thing.  I'm not sure why she enjoys testing the waters so much, but it keeps me curious ..and secretly laughing inside.