Experience of Being an English Teacher in Thailand
Going to Thailand was an extraordinary experience and the most beautiful birthday gift I have ever received. My name is Octana Puteri Pedrova, a student of the Social Welfare Study Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, UMJ. This time I want to share my experience as an English teacher in Thailand while participating in the International Community Service Program (KKN) at Muhammadiyah University , Jakarta ( UMJ ) last August 2023.
I am very grateful to have been chosen to take part in this International KKN because I have the opportunity to gain different experiences and the opportunity to implement the knowledge I have gained while studying at UMJ.
I realize that students play a role as agents of change where students need to contribute and have a good impact on the changes that occur in society. While in Thailand, I did community service in the form of teaching at a school called Darul Mujahideen which is located in a small town in Thailand, namely Padang Besar. The area is close to the border between Thailand and Malaysia.
This is not my first time doing teaching and being a teacher. As a student of the Social Welfare Study Program, I have often participated in community service and been involved directly in the community, especially in remote villages. However, the experience of community service in KKN this time felt very different because it faced a different community background, namely Thai society.
Before leaving, I felt anxious, doubtful, and nervous thinking about language barriers and different cultures. Apart from that, I am also afraid of flying. My aunt's death several years ago due to a plane crash traumatized me. However, this time I fought the trauma until I finally arrived safely at Don Mueang international airport, Bangkok.
Since arriving and living in Thailand for several days, it turns out that I didn't experience any culture shock at all . I felt like I was at home. The people there are very kind and do not hesitate to help, even without being asked. On my first day of teaching, I was asked to teach English because according to the teacher at Darul Mujahideen School, children in Thailand could not speak English enough, and they thought that Indonesians had better English skills than them. .
I was assigned to teach grades 4, 5 and 6 of elementary school where each class was separated between boys and girls. So there are 6 classes that I teach, each class has 35 students. My first experience teaching students at a Thai school made me nervous. However, beyond my expectations, it turned out that the students were very enthusiastic about getting to know each other and competed to get my attention by giving lots of stickers and candy while smiling shyly. Very excited.
Not only the students, the teachers there welcomed me warmly and taught me many things related to culture and also some Thai vocabulary, such as สวย (read: sway) meaning beautiful, น่ารัก (read: naraak) meaning excited, and several vocabulary related to colors that I still remember clearly to this day.
When assigned to be a teacher, I designed a teaching program based on interactive methods. This method positions the teacher as not the only provider of information related to learning, but the students themselves can also be providers of information, not just recipients. I am aware that the process of knowledge transfer occurs when both parties give and receive each other.
It is no longer the time to be a teacher who is feared by many students, especially as students are thought to be unable to do anything because they are still in the learning process. In fact, humans never stop learning until the end of their lives. The interactive methods that I usually use in teaching consist of memorizing material while singing and dancing, and also teaching through games technology .
I spent the days of one month happily with the students. They have a polite attitude and always greet each time they meet. The character and religious education imparted at the Darul Mujahideen school is extraordinary. This can be seen from the teachers' firmness when a child makes a mistake, the teachers immediately act to give sanctions and provide an understanding of why they are receiving sanctions.
Religious education there is also good. Every morning the students are obliged to recite the Koran, then when the Zuhr and Asr calls to prayer sound, the students immediately pray without delay. The use of the hijab and interactions with the opposite sex are very strictly regulated. The hijab worn must cover the chest. Boys' and girls' school buildings are also separated.
There is one habit that in my opinion needs to be implemented by schools in Indonesia, namely the habit of drinking milk every morning. The Thai government provides free milk to every school to distribute to students. This is aimed at reducing stunting rates . Based on a 2018 study, consuming 300 ml of milk every day can prevent stunting . Apart from that, milk can also provide many other benefits.
In Thailand, I also had the opportunity to explore various tourist attractions. Starting from the Hatyai Floating Market, ASEAN Market, Central Mosque of Songkhla Province, Hat Yai Municipal Park, Samila Beach, Thai Songkhla Folklore Museum, Wat Phra Non Laem Pho, to Kim Yong Market.
I highly recommend Thailand as a place to vacation. The food, tourist attractions, natural beauty, people, unique items and other things all felt extraordinary.
There was something unexpected that I experienced there. So three months before joining the KKN program to Thailand, I listened and was very happy with the song เรนิษรา– ผู้ถูกเลือกให้ผิดหวัง( ดอกไ ม้ฤดูหนาว) or when translated into English means Sad Flower sung by Reinisra.
Suddenly I heard the song playing while I was on my way home to where I live in Thailand. I felt that night was the most beautiful night because I did not expect the scenario that God had planned for me. Even though at first I only liked the song, God gave me the opportunity to listen to it directly in the country of origin where the song was written.
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