Preparation: Teaching in Thailand can be very stressful, especially when Kindergarten is being evaluated. As is turns out the kindergarten of my school was nominated for the prestigious King's Award in Isan, Thailand. We were first evaluated in November but I not involved and hardly aware of it happening. We made it into the final three schools.
A month ago was the second evaluation which I have been highly involved in. Making poster's about the English Program, preparing documents, making slide shows and taking lots of pictures. Everything had to be beautiful and perfect and this past week hours were put into doing just that. I myself was only stressed as all the teachers were freaking out and would yell if something didn't look perfect. While cutting photos with a box cutter I sliced a small chunk of the tip of my finger off.
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| Kids dressed up for the performance in front of the judges |
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| Ready to Perform |
I stayed late many days and spent my entire day off for Teacher's Day working to prepare for the evaluation. The school was repainted, flowers placed everywhere, blue and pink garland around all railings, the students work displayed through the hallways, fountains turned on, kids practiced performances for weeks. It was a crazy month and I'm glad the evaluation is all over now.
I planned an amazing and elaborate lesson for the day to be observed. I was really excited about the lesson too. The students would be put into groups to make a weather collage. They had to glue on a sun, snowflake, rainbow, clouds and lightening and then label them in English. The rain was then pained on using cotton balls. | ||
| Our kindergarten even has its own band which played on evaluation day |
Evaluation Day: I am told I must look extra beautiful. I must wear earrings, must put my hair up, and must wear lipstick and high heels. All the teachers wear matching shirts. At 7:30 all the kindergarten classes gather by the entrance gate and wait for the evaluators to arrive. We had to wait over an hour because of course they were late.
My kids were getting pretty bored so I started taking photos of them making funny faces.
Once the visitors arrived students wrapped them in traditional Isan fabric and they made their way to the auditorium for a speech by the director and a video presentation. We had a very special lunch to impress the judges.
I stood in the conference room all day ready to present our English Program Board. There are over 30 tripod board presentations throughout the room. Not only where there tripod boards but also piles of paperwork of lesson plans, case studies, certifications, student work.Needless to say they never made it to the back corner to talk to me. A whole day wasted.
In conclusion, we did not win the award, a school in Korat won. After this evaluation craziness I was definitely ready for the school year to be over. Since then life has been rather smooth and uneventful.
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