My Diary of Teaching in Thailand

In August 2022, I went to Thailand as a volunteer Chinese language teacher and spent seven months with a group of naughty and lovely students in the foreign country. With my return schedule approaching, I suddenly realize that I have really fallen in love with this place, where the summer never ends, and I will always love it.

Me & My Students

My students were mainly from Grade One to Grade Three, and they were very good at making things and liked playing games. If there was still some time left, I would give the students rewards, such as watching videos, listening to Chinese songs, and learning gesture dance. If some students didn't learn lessons well, I would guide good students to explain to them so that they can help each other to improve together. Some students did not have a textbook, so I had them use drawings to remember the vocabulary and sentences and review them timely.

The students were very innocent and lovely. After class, they often came to pull my hand and hug me, and introduced me to the latest stickers and picture books. The next class, I always found many gifts on my desk, like stickers, candies, cakes, and portraits drawn for me by my students, all of which made me feel warm and happy.

Harvesting Happiness

During these months, we held many activities, including going to the zoo, making crafts for the Water Lantern Festival, taking students to Chinese proficiency competitions, organizing school sports meeting. As for these activities, I incorporate as much Chinese vocabulary and daily sentence patterns as possible to encourage students to use and communicate confidently.

Many teachers and students wore cheongsam during the Spring Festival event. I chose Hanfu (Han Chinese Costume), introduced it to teachers and students and told them how it differs from a cheongsam. The students talked about Chinese costume dramas and expressed their desire to learn more about traditional Chinese culture.

Growth and Change

At the beginning of my appointment, I was always hesitant and timid, unable to let go in front of students and shy to express myself in public. As time went on, I found myself becoming more confident and comfortable with teaching as I spent time with my colleagues and students. Now, I have become more proactive, taking part in various training seriously and insisting on learning the local language every day to improve myself while experiencing the different customs of Northeast Thailand.

I am grateful for this opportunity to be a part of volunteer Chinese language teacher team and to grow up to be the one I like. I will also continue to work hard to contribute to the cause of international Chinese language education.

May all our dreams come true and may our life's journey be paved with flowers.