The Shape of Life To Come?

Three days at Payap U. in Chiang Mai and my life to come is taking gradual shape. We arrived Saturday later in the day, moved into the relatively new International House residence halll that feels like a four star hotel nestled in the hills and mountains of northern Thailand. Sunday we spent with my former student Supattra, director of public diplomacy at the US Consulate here in Chiang Mai. She treated us to a full day of house hunting (for possible rental and living), smoothies in the late pm, and dinner at the wonderful Pasta Cafe. Dianne and I were bushed by nine and ready for bed.

My professional life was outlined by my supervisor Dr. Wattanakul, Chair of MA TESOL, yesterday. It will include some or all of the following:

Teach courses in MA TESOL program, courses like Literature and Language, which starts in a week


Visit student teachers in local elementary and secondary schools (Tues. and Wed. of this week took me to four elementary schools, already!!)

Teach undergraduate literatrure courses, sadly lacking now at Payap

Provide workshops for faculty in English and TESOL teaching methodology

Supervise masters theses



Give lectures on topics importance to Payap and its faculty

Enrich the evolving development of residential learning communities at Payap

Follow Dianne's lead into study of Burma/Thai border Hill Tribe People, their challenges and their fabric arts


Monday the university treated me to the expected day of endless meetings with Human Resources (when will I get my contract?), International Affairs (is my non immigrant passport in order and how do I renew my visa?), meeting deans and the university President Dr. Pradit, an Old Testament Scholar. Dr. Pearl Wattanakul, Chair of the MA TESOL Department, was an attentive host, dropping me off and picking me up, showing my the TESOL office, my desk and the five boxes of books I sent over. I'm sure that if you ever joined a large organization, you know what such a day is like.

But with Thais, their endless kindness, smiles and patience made all that bearable and made me feel like I had acted on a solid fantasy, life in a new and strange culture, absorbing whatever I can and giving my all to anyone who's interested.

Tuesday Dr. Pearl put me, and Dianne and me in the pm, through our first "real" experience of education in and around Chiang Mai. We visited two elementary schools, Sansailuang and Preeyathip School, observing Pearl's methods students teaching fourth and sixth grade classes. One of the first things we saw were long lines of students' shoes lining hallways, protocol for students -- and most of Thailand, while at the school teachers remain fully shoed. Students also got no treats...twice during the day, teachers brought us cocoa, cookies, sandwiches and tangerines to eat while we observed the student teachers teach. Supervisors also came and went into and out of classrooms as our students taught, doors open. At one point mid class, there were at least 75 blasts in the field outside one window; morning dovers flushed as the shooting went on. I thought it was the sight of horrible animal cruelty. Turns out it was firecrackers for a local wedding.

The first school classrooms were badly overcrowded, with over 40 children in each room and a din which is still ringing in my ears. Obviously, a 19 year old female student teacher will face control and noise problems from the get go. And add to that the challenge of teaching restless, hyperactive and mostly rural and poor seven and nine year olds English, when many don't have the basics of Thai..you begin to see that problem.


I had joined Dr. Pearl on Monday afternoon to watch (and of course intrude on) her undergraduate methods class. Sixteen of her students are teaching in and around CM, and these were some of the students we saw teach. We got to sit down with four of them (I wrote down two of their names...Nattaporn Ruanpang andPunyanuch Chanrittwrong) and, as gently as possible, Dianne, Pearl and I asked them what they were expecting of their students, what succeeded and where there were "challenges." Of course I had done this for many years at BGSU and I felt both the comfort and familiarity of asking hard questions, as well as the fears that I was pushing too hard and heading them in directions that were too much my own, and not those that would work in this so new part of the world.