Yesterday some of our Grade 1 little girls came in after classes to bring me some decorations: a handful of weeds flowers and a weed flower crown. This particular plant looks a bit like a mini-daisy crossed with a dandelion: cute, sweet, a little bit fuzzy, and stinky. Regardless, they were thrilled when I got a glass of water to be the new home for their gifts.
Today we were planning to go to immigration to check on the status of our visa, after which we needed to go to City Hall to do something with our Work Permit. When we got to immigration, the powers that be in Bangkok hadn't sent our papers back, so we drove back to school to wait to call them until this afternoon. They hadn't arrived this afternoon, so we'll go in tomorrow.
During Grade 3, two of our boys disappeared during their 5-minute break at the half-way point of class. Gabe went to the boy's bathroom to see if they were hiding in there. Toilet paper is not traditionally used in bathrooms here, so the kids just have the ceramic throne in each stall, plus a small hose with a sprayer (kind of like what my mom uses to water her plants) to clean themselves with. Gabe heard giggling and saw water shooting over the top of the stalls.
(Do you know where this is going?!)
One door was open, and our student Happy froze when he saw Gabe. Then he started fumbling to put away the hose.
The other student, Luke, didn't realize Gabe was there, so when Gabe tried to open his door, he held it closed, thinking it was Happy. Gabe leaned around the door and said very sarcastically: "Are you having fun?" At which point, Luke's face also froze into this pained/scared/I'm-in-trouble/What's-he-going-to-do? look.
They started plodding meekly back toward class, and Gabe hollered after them, "I want to see some hustle!" At which point the rocket fuel in their behinds lit and away they went, bursting a few seconds later through my door and speed-mumbling, "I'm sorry I'm late!"
Fortunately, Gabe had already talked to their homeroom teacher - since all the students have been unruly the last 2 days in that class - and arranged some extra-boring writing assignments to complete in her classroom under her supervision for any troublemakers. Gabe marched them into Krue Ratt's classroom, gave Ratt a meaning-loaded nod, and walked out.
We'd like to think the students believe we've developed superpowers of communicating with our fellow teachers through nods and sign language, without having to use words! Hopefully this event supported that belief.
Once they were out of the classroom, things turned around a little and we were able to finish the class without going completely bonkers!
Today we were planning to go to immigration to check on the status of our visa, after which we needed to go to City Hall to do something with our Work Permit. When we got to immigration, the powers that be in Bangkok hadn't sent our papers back, so we drove back to school to wait to call them until this afternoon. They hadn't arrived this afternoon, so we'll go in tomorrow.
During Grade 3, two of our boys disappeared during their 5-minute break at the half-way point of class. Gabe went to the boy's bathroom to see if they were hiding in there. Toilet paper is not traditionally used in bathrooms here, so the kids just have the ceramic throne in each stall, plus a small hose with a sprayer (kind of like what my mom uses to water her plants) to clean themselves with. Gabe heard giggling and saw water shooting over the top of the stalls.
(Do you know where this is going?!)
One door was open, and our student Happy froze when he saw Gabe. Then he started fumbling to put away the hose.
The other student, Luke, didn't realize Gabe was there, so when Gabe tried to open his door, he held it closed, thinking it was Happy. Gabe leaned around the door and said very sarcastically: "Are you having fun?" At which point, Luke's face also froze into this pained/scared/I'm-in-trouble/What's-he-going-to-do? look.
They started plodding meekly back toward class, and Gabe hollered after them, "I want to see some hustle!" At which point the rocket fuel in their behinds lit and away they went, bursting a few seconds later through my door and speed-mumbling, "I'm sorry I'm late!"
Fortunately, Gabe had already talked to their homeroom teacher - since all the students have been unruly the last 2 days in that class - and arranged some extra-boring writing assignments to complete in her classroom under her supervision for any troublemakers. Gabe marched them into Krue Ratt's classroom, gave Ratt a meaning-loaded nod, and walked out.
We'd like to think the students believe we've developed superpowers of communicating with our fellow teachers through nods and sign language, without having to use words! Hopefully this event supported that belief.
Once they were out of the classroom, things turned around a little and we were able to finish the class without going completely bonkers!
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