Teaching !!!!

I teach First graders at Grace International School, here in Chiang Mai. It is a wonderful place filled with teaching staff and students who come from all over the world. The staff raise their own funds to work here (our salary is in the difference we make each day in the lives of children and families). The first half of the year I taught both first grade classrooms combined in the afternoons, but now that the regular teacher has returned, I have just 10 students, pretty nice!!

Most of my students hold US passports, but they have been born and raised overseas. They are a delightful group of children that have grown up with airports, immigration, metric system and NO snow as their typical lifestyle !!

My favorite part of my school day is afterschool when I can use the HUGE beautiful pool to relax and enjoy! I know that's NOT very politically correct, but, just check out the photos and you will understand..... its nice!!

Actually, just walking into the classroom is a real joy. I have a late start up time, so the children are already in the room when I enter. As I open the door, they always greet me with "Its Ms. Thomas!!" I NEVER get tired of that!!!

Same: we teach in English, though English is NOT the first language of all my children. (English, Thai, Korean, German in my room). we teach reading, writing, language arts, math, social studies, science, P.E. art, music. And we do have christmas break!!

Different: the children remove their shoes in the hallway, before entering the classroom and put them back on, before going anywhere else on campus. Lunch is Thai food served in the cafeteria, every student has Thai class 3 days a week to learn language and culture, we celebrate the Thai holidays here (so we have shool on memorial day, labor day and thanksgiving) we start the day with everyone singing the Thai national anthem. the hallways are filled with a chorus of Other languages, as children speak to friends and family in their native language.

Well there you have a little information about wher I spend most of my days right now.