Candle Ceremony

Hello again, my dear Reader. 
I'm not sure if I've already told you that all schools in Thailand are affiliated with a neighbourhood temple. This stems from a time when monks were the teachers.  I think it is a lovely aspect of the Thai culture.
Friday will mark the beginning of Buddhist Lent here in Thailand. School will be closed on Thursday and Friday. In preparation for the holiday, community members have been preparing candles to present to the monks in the temples. At our school each class has had a turn adding wax to the candle mold. I also saw candle making outside the temple on our trip to Ayutthaya.
This morning I went to school earlier than normal so I could witness the candle ceremony celebrations. The children with special roles were dressed in traditional Thai clothing while the other students had on their school scout uniforms.  Some of my kindergarten cuties had the privilege of riding in the truck with the candle. There were a group of girls doing traditional Thai dance led by the school's dance teacher and a group of students providing the music and song for the march. I was not happy when I realised I had rushed out of the house without my phone to record all of this.  Pitsuda was great about allowing me to use her iPad to take a few photos. She's so kind!
There were also students carrying alms buckets and donation boxes.  Members of the community made donations in the boxes as we paraded through the neighbourhood. My heart raced a few times when some of the older students were playing around as we were walking on the main road. I had visions of preteens being hit by the crazy busy Bangkok traffic but it was all fine (sigh of relief).
We made our way back to the school yard and then in groups the children proceeded to the temple.  Carrying flowers and incense the students and teachers walked slowly around the main hall of the temple three times before going back to school.
It was a beautiful day and I am so grateful to have taken part in this special occasion.

The next class

After lunch I had another class with Joy. This time it was English for Pratom 5. They were also working on colours but in more variety including gold, bronze and sky blue - not to be confused with blue!
Joy said the students were having a hard time getting "sky blue" because they were pronouncing it sa-ky blue. For that I had a quick fix, ready to go! I freed my hands and had them clap with me as I said "Sky Blue". The students have previously covered syllables because Joy then made mention of sky being one syllable not two.  We practised that for a bit before moving on to our next activity. 
Joy had liked the cootie catchers so much that she wanted the older students to make them as well.  My dear Reader, I'll tell you right now that you cannot have an ounce of doubt in your teaching ability if you are about to instruct the largest class size you've ever had in a step by step activity without being sure that they understand what you are going to be saying.  No worries, I am a pro! 
I'm pleased to report that all students were able to follow along well enough to leave class with their own colour cootie catcher.  I was even able to get two students who finished to assist their peers as I continued to float around the group. 
Yes, the sweetness of success was in the air.  No need for any apples for this teacher, smiling students leaving a class is perfect for me.

Teacher Nahdeeahhh

Today was my first day of teaching at Wat Wetawan.  Respect is an important part of the Thai culture. As Pitsuda and I walked through the hallways the students smile and politely bowed as they passed us. 
I was introduced as Teacher Nadia which when spoken by a group of Thai students sounds a lot more like Teachah Nahdeeahhh. I'll take it.  My first class was a group of ridiculously cute grade ones.  In Thai grade is Pratom, so the class was Pratom 1/2 with Khun Joy.  The children were full of smiles and giggles.  I should note that attendance usually increases during periods of known English volunteers. Having a native speaking English teacher in your class is a big deal! 
The children were reviewing colours with Khun Joy when I arrived (note about Thai time later).  I jumped right in, showing the colours and saying the English name with the children repeating after me. I realised right away that there will be a group of Thai children speaking English with a hint of Bermudian accent by the time I'm finished out here!
After our review, Joy and I handed out the worksheets she had prepared.  The children had to colour in a box and trace the word for each colour. I walked around providing assistance and attempting to learn the children's names - a lot of work to do in that department!
When the children finished their sheets they read their answers to me and I provided the much coveted star sticker {insert gasp from all my Montessorian friends here}. A group of particularly giggly girls finished before the other students.  Having prepared the night before, I whipped out what my students at home call a "cootie catcher". If you're an 80s baby like me you probably will recognise it as a fortune teller.  Thanks to Pinterest  and Teachers Pay Teachers I had found the perfect one already created and ready to fold. 
I showed the girls how to play. It involved a minor review of numbers, letters and then naming the colour they revealed in the cootie catcher, finishing with a high 5 from Teacher Nahdeeahhh. Overall, it was a great start to my first day.