Teacher Gerry

Tuesday I finally embarked on my teaching career in Ratchaburi. I am teaching Science & Mathematics to Grade 5 & 6, broadly speaking children aged between 10 - 12. I have no doubt my late parents will be mildly amused by this latest twist. So it may be much longer than a year in Thailand. I have to say I enjoy my life here, Luna is happy here too and we are happy together here.

Now a veteran of three days on the chalk face I have to say it is challenging and exciting and I feel it is well within my capabilities to develop into a reasonably good teacher. I am starting to move beyond fear and confusion to good planning and delivery. The content is completely new to me, an arts graduate from over 25 years ago. However I am interested in learning the content. I did not know the human body has mere 50,000,000,000 cells or that chloroplasts enable plant cells to produce food for the plant.

In general the children are a delight though a number of them find it challenging to sit still for 50 minutes at a time and likewise struggle to curtail an incessant chat with those around them. However this is the electronic game playing generation who diet on junk; mix the two together and we have a combination likely to deliver hyper activity and obesity. So I am also learning rather a lot about class room management.

I am very pleased with initial progress and no doubt there will be more on Teacher Gerry's latest venture in this blog.