I started writing a letter for the teacher that replaces me, but I think I should go ahead and share this with everyone:
1) You will never know what is going on and you will always be the last one told about EVERYTHING.
I came in one morning and was told (at 7:45am) that I was teaching the same class 0 period (7:40-8:30) and 1st period. I only had a 1 hour lesson planned. It was awful. But, I tried my hardest and my students and my co-teacher appreciated that, even if she had to take over.
This is something I became all too familiar with. If there was even a word of something, I readily prepared myself for the worst. It builds character. As frustrating as it is, you will learn to become very flexible. And you may even learn to plan in advance, so when it does happen, you aren’t standing in front of 30 students freaking out. Or you can always default to an hour of Hot Seat (a game where one student has to guess the word written on the board and all the other students must give verbal clues without saying the word itself).
2) Speak Slowly!
This is something that took me a while to grasp. You must talk slowly with students, teachers, and almost everyone else you will meet while abroad (unless English is their mother tongue).
I spent my first two weeks of lecture having my students (at the very end of the lecture) telling me: “Teacher, you talk too fast.” I had to spend a week re-teaching them that information. Despite the nods and smiles (suggesting understanding), you will inevitably talk too fast. Just slow it down a bit!
3) Everyone and everything is very vague.
Maybe it’s the language barrier, but when given my curriculum for the semester it said: “Nervous System” and “Digestive System.” I had 18 weeks and those 4 words was all I was given.
My co-teacher came into the class one day and asks, “what about different tissues?” I stood there in front of the class dumbfounded. I was given a book with 1 chapter (30 pages) on the digestive system, to teach in 9 weeks. I’m not even sure if my students understood the content I had taught thus far. Lying, I replied, “I was going to talk about that next week.” (Which I did).
4) Take everything with a grain of salt.
You will get criticised, and it may come across as rude. I’ll just say it’s the language barrier or cultural barrier. It will inevitably happen. The first few times, it may shock or offend you, but 99% of the time, they don’t mean to be rude.
5) Be open to trying things.
Whether it is food or an activity, don’t knock it till you try it. That pigs brain or frog curry someone brought in, before you get super grossed out, try it. This was hard for me as I am mostly a vegetarian, but how often can you say you ate bamboo worms? I was so put off by the look of mangosteens, I avoided trying them my first two months here. What a mistake!! Best fruit I have ever had! When I finally tried them, I was eating 3-4 kilo’s a week!
That stranger who invites you into their house to drink Lao Khao (Thai Whiskey) may teach you more about life and the Thai language in 2 hours, than you will learn in two months. *Obviously use your gut instinct if it seems shady…*
6) Last, but certainly not least, ENJOY IT!
Yes, you will get frustrated. Yes, you will have some crash-and-burn lectures. Yes, you will miss home. But you will learn to appreciate these feelings as much as the glorious, wonderful, adventurous, thrilling, and happy ones. It may take some time, but try to see what you have learned from the unpleasant experiences. I have on several occassions tried asking complete strangers for directions. Sometimes I will have to ask 4 or even 5 people. It gets frustrating. Especially when dealing with those who have absolutely no idea what you are saying, because you used the low tone instead of the high tone. Yeah, it get’s frustrating. But 9/10 times, I will find where I am trying to go, and if I don’t well, I have learned a new area of town. Learn from your mistakes. You can’t get to the good without going over a few rough patches (especially when driving on Thai roads).
Living abroad teaches you about who you are, what you want in life, things you really need to survive and to be happy, and what you are passionate about (or not). Treasure it!! Nothing in this world is permanent. ENJOY IT WHILE YOU CAN!!!!
rachfro 