Readme before you journey
This year (academic year 2015), 12 fourth-year students from the Faculty of Education at Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University were sent to observe teaching abroad. These students represented 9 different programs: English, Physical Education, General Science, Mathematics, Computer and Educational Technology, Special Education and Computer, Primary Education, Early Childhood Education, and Social Studies. I, Natthawadi, a student from the General Science program, had the opportunity to experience life as a student teacher (teaching observation) at Pakse Teacher's College in Champasak Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic, from September 21 to October 24, 2015.
Since the General Science program had four student representatives, and Pakse Teacher's College, which offers higher education in natural sciences, divides its programs into Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and ICT, I was given the opportunity to observe teaching in the Biology program, a subject that I particularly enjoy and excel in. Throughout the past month, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Sincerely,
Natthawadi
Upon setting foot in the fragrant land of Champasak, I must admit to a sense of disorientation. While many aspects of this place resembled my home, they were merely echoes, leaving me with more apprehension than I had anticipated. Despite being an avid traveler, this journey differed from previous ones in that I was accompanied by a group of 12 companions, with whom I would be living for a month. Though initially, this seemed like a considerable amount of time, it ultimately felt fleeting. While my first impression was one of anxiety, it soon transformed into affection. Pakse is a city with a distinct personality. If it were a woman, she would be beautiful, headstrong, and captivatingly enigmatic. Many people come here to sightsee and delve into history, but our purpose was to gain teaching experience (through observation).
Chubasri
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The plan for the teaching observation experience at Pakse Teacher's College is:
Week 1: Observe classroom teaching.
Week 2: Participate in classroom teaching.
Week 3: Write a lesson plan.
Week 4: Conduct a teaching trial.
Week 5: Develop a project and evaluate its results.
Each student will be assigned to a specific field of study based on their individual interests. English majors will focus on language studies, physical education majors will observe health-related subjects, social studies majors will explore geography and history, science majors will delve into four branches: biology, chemistry, physics, and bioscience, mathematics majors will practice observing mathematical concepts, early childhood education majors will focus on kindergarten studies, and computer and educational technology majors, along with special education and computer majors, will observe ICT subjects. Finally, primary education majors will observe the primary level at the Pakse Teacher Training College demonstration school.
Week 1
Week 1
September 21, 2015
The first week of my arrival at Pakse Teacher's College. After the faculty bus departed from the university in the morning with the faculty and 12 of us, it took about two hours to reach the Chong Mek border, the Thai-Lao border. We went through the border process using our passports and filled out the departure form. We then went to get our passports stamped again at the Vang Tao checkpoint on the Lao side (costing 40 baht per person). We then headed to Pakse Teacher's College.
At the Thai-Lao border crossing in Sirindhorn district, the 12 students embarked on a new chapter in their lives, venturing into unfamiliar territory. Aboard a university bus, laden with their belongings, they set off for a month-long educational sojourn in neighboring Laos.
Upon arrival, they were warmly welcomed by faculty members from Pakse Teacher Training College. After settling into their accommodations at the Teacher Training Center, a facility designed to host guests and serve as a meeting space, they gathered in the familiar conference room.
Despite the initial comfort of having their university professors present, a sense of anticipation hung in the air. The welcoming ceremony commenced with an address by Deputy Director Somchai Mekสมบัติ, who stood in for the Director, who was occupied with other commitments. Introductions followed, with faculty members from both institutions participating in the exchange.
After the formalities, a delightful welcome dinner was hosted by Pakse Teacher Training College at the Grand Hotel. As the students savored the delicious meal, their university professors prepared to depart, leaving the fledgling group to navigate their new surroundings for the next month.
With a mix of excitement and trepidation, the students embarked on their初めての経験, eager to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.
A buffet lunch was held at Champasak Grand Hotel with faculty members from Pakse Teacher's College and Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University.
After that, the professors returned to the university, leaving the 12 of us to face the challenges of living in a foreign land. On the first day of our arrival, there was no internet access. The only available Wi-Fi was located at the college, hundreds of meters away, and was extremely difficult to connect to. This resulted in a complete disconnect from social media on the first day, and it was the earliest we had ever gone to bed in our lives, around 7 pm, as we felt like it was already midnight.
September 22, 2015
It's time to explore Pakse city. Since we didn't have a car and didn't know anyone, we decided to walk to the market to buy food. We walked from Pakse Teacher's College to Daoreuang Market, a distance of about 1.5 km. Along the way, we saw many things, including Lao lottery vendors selling their wares at tables along the roadside.
There is no text to translate. Please provide the text you would like me to translate.
Lao Lottery
Talat Dao Ruang is a market where you can buy ingredients for cooking.
He then returned to the college by taking a three-wheeled taxi.
Our dinner on the 2nd day.
September 23, 2015
Every Wednesday, the college undergoes general cleaning and maintenance, which is referred to as "sanitation" here.
Taking photos with friends and younger colleagues after completing the activity.
Driven by our restless spirits and a desire to explore, we consulted with students at the Teacher's College for recommendations on interesting destinations. They suggested Wat Phu Salao, a temple perched atop a mountain accessible by two routes: a challenging climb of over a kilometer via stairs or a scenic 5-kilometer drive. Eager to share their local knowledge, the students generously offered to guide us on this adventure.
Some rode motorbikes with their younger siblings, while others rented three-wheeled vehicles.
We have arrived at the entrance to Phusala Temple. There are hundreds of steps to climb!!!
Walking...
After climbing the concrete stairs to the top, continue walking to find the wooden stairs. Keep walking.
We have arrived at the first viewpoint.
Pray to the Buddha.
After that, I returned to the room for the daily meeting.
September 25, 2015
This week, as I am a computer science student, my professor assigned me and my special education friends to create a video for the college. A friend from the physical education department also helped with the filming.
Typical college buildings
On some days when I crave sticky rice, I have to light a charcoal stove to steam it, as the only appliances available here are an electric frying pan and a rice cooker.
However, three people are steaming in the same pot. 555
September 26, 2015
Today, Pakse Teachers' College held a graduation ceremony for the 2014 class. The ceremony was simple and understated compared to similar events in other countries. Students wore their regular school uniforms, and there were no elaborate photo shoots. Instead, there were booths offering instant photo services. Unlike other graduation ceremonies where younger students might organize booths or put on performances to celebrate the graduates, the atmosphere here was more subdued.
This is the first weekend since I arrived here. Of course, I couldn't stay still, so I had to go out and explore the community!
Our first stop was a tuk-tuk ride from the college to Wat Luang Muang Pakse, which cost around 7,000 kip per person.
The first Lao meal I had at the restaurant was at Laan Kham Noodle Shop.
After finishing their meal, the kind owner offered to drive them to the Star Coffee shop.
Continuing a short distance further, you will encounter the Lao-Japanese Bridge.
September 27, 2015
The customs here are similar to those in our home country. Today, there is a merit-making ceremony at the temple, a rice offering ceremony where people in the northeastern region bring rice parcels to the temple to dedicate merit to their deceased relatives. We woke up early today to participate in this ceremony and are now walking to the temple.
Offering alms to monks.
Being a holiday, of course I had to go out! Without a car and not wanting to pay for a rickshaw, I opted for the "hitchhiking" method. 555
*** End of Week 1 ***
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Week 2
Week 2
September 29, 2015
Classroom atmosphere
Preschool atmosphere
Translation:
October 1, 2015
The college is cleaned weekly, and vegetables are planted.
ICT students (the class I observed)
After that, he helped his friends in the mathematics department type math problems.
After finishing classes, there was nothing else to do, so we went for a walk around Pakse City. The distance was over 8 kilometers. Do we really like to travel that much? 555
Walking distance
Strolling along, I came across grilled bananas for 3,000 kip a stick.
Roti, if I remember correctly, should be around 8,000 kip.
Walking past temples, schools, and many other things, I took pictures of everything.
I also saw a nightclub on the way, hehe.
Translation:
October 2, 2015
Today, we didn't do much. We explored the community again. We walked from the college to Wat Phra Bat, which is about 2 kilometers away. (We really are diligent walkers!)
and walked on until reaching Red Square.
I woke up early today to go for a run, about 3 kilometers. But on the way back, I hitched a ride back to college. 555
*** End of Week 2 ***
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Translation:
Week 3
Week 3
This week is dedicated to preparing lesson plans for trial teaching at this teacher's college.
October 6, 2021
As tomorrow (October 7) is National Teacher's Day in Laos, the college will hold a teacher's worship ceremony similar to ours.
In the teacher's day ceremony, the practice differs from our country. In our country, we have a tray of offerings for the teacher or a cone of flowers for the teacher. But here, it is a bouquet of flowers, with one representative student from each class to present it to the teachers.
We are deeply honored to receive the bouquet from the students.
On Teacher's Day, we presented the college administrators with bouquets of flowers.
Take a photo with the teacher.
A teacher's day party will be held here tonight. Teachers and staff of the college will attend the party. It will be a Chinese table dinner party with activities such as singing, playing, dancing, and lucky draw.
Our members are ready to dig into the Chinese banquet!
Opening ceremony and award presentation by the Director
The event then proceeded with a lucky draw for prizes, which included a variety of items such as electrical appliances, food, and personal care products.
My friend was lucky enough to take home an iron.
They then joined in a lively dance, including the "Buddhist slow dance" and the "Ramwong" (the atmosphere was reminiscent of the movie "The Beach").
The children who attended the event were adorable.
A photo with my mentor teachers (the first week's mentor in a blue shirt, the current mentor in a green shirt).
Photo with the professor (Professor in brown shirt, supervising teacher)
Note: I have many mentor teachers. 555
October 7, 2015
This temple houses a large Buddha statue.
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
On the way back, we also visited Pakse International Airport.
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
October 8, 2015
In celebration of Teacher's Day, a retrospective event was held, divided into different branches and streams. The picture depicts the science and mathematics stream. The traditional way of paying respect to teachers involved offering flowers.
October 9, 2015
Today, my friends and I had the opportunity to teach a computer class using
After school, the college students took us on a tour of the city (again!!). Today, they took us to Champasak University, which is about 8-9 kilometers (I think) from Pakse.
The area is surrounded by mountains and trees, with fresh air and stunning scenery.
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
The students then took me to eat "Som Sook Som Dip," which is similar to papaya salad but without the papaya. It's like a "Yum" salad that includes both blanched vegetables and various noodles. (It was delicious!)
Upon reaching the newly concreted entrance to the hill, we had to walk to the temple.
We have arrived at Wat Sai Cheen (I may be wrong about the name of the temple).
October 10, 2015
Hooray! Today is Saturday. Guess what we are doing? The answer is traveling!!! 555
We rented a van to go to the Wat Phu temple. I don't remember how much we rented it for.
This one (advertisement included).
Let's go!
The entrance fee to Wat Phu is 50,000 kip for foreigners and 20,000 kip for Laotians.
The group then took a golf cart to the temple of Wat Phu.
The castle below.
The walk was quite long, but manageable.
We have arrived at Wat Phu, the second UNESCO World Heritage Site in Laos.
Soon after, it started raining heavily, so I had to rush back.
On the way back to college
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
Palace, royal residence, or something similar from that era.
Mrs. Daoreuang's house
October 11, 2015
Today is still a holiday, so the students took us to Tad Sida Waterfall (another trip). We rode a motorcycle and saw beautiful natural scenery along the way.
However, just before reaching the destination, the car's tire got punctured. Fortunately, there was a repair shop nearby.
We have arrived at Tat Si Da Waterfall.
This waterfall features huts for relaxation and food orders, with no rental fees (presumably) and only food costs incurred.
Then they returned.
Adorable little goats
Week 3 Complete
Week 4
This week is a week of teaching experiments.
October 12, 2015
Today, we observed teaching at Pakse Complete Secondary School (MS. Pakse) for only one day. We only observed secondary education here. Secondary schools range from Grade 1 to Grade 7 (Grade 1 is equivalent to Grade 6 and Grade 7 is equivalent to Grade 6 in our country).
We will wait to meet the teacher to inform them of the purpose of our visit today.
General buildings of the Pakse MS School
Lush surroundings and a fantastic atmosphere.
Cafeterias and shops
Taking photos with students.
Subsequently, I observed teaching practices in my respective subject area, such as computer science in my case.
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
Is there anything else I can help you with?
Subsequently, summarize and reflect on the results.
and took photos with the teachers and students before departing.
This time, I took my little brother to the Mekong River to eat fried meatballs and papaya salad. It was so delicious!
October 13, 2015
Teaching experience in each field
Physical Education
Science
English
Cooking instructions in English:
October 14, 2015
Science
Mathematics
And today we returned to Thailand to get our passports stamped.
As we have been in Laos for 30 days, but we will stay for 34 days, we need to return to the Thai side to extend our stay. (Confused?)
October 16, 2015
Computer
Science
October 17, 2015
Today, the college took all 12 of us, along with our teachers and staff, on a trip to a waterfall in Pak Song (another trip, yay!).
The car is ready, let's go!
The first stop was at PTT and Cafe Amazon Pakse.
Next stop, Sabai Dee Valley.
We then continued on to Tad Yeuang Waterfall (the most beautiful waterfall of all the ones we visited).
Foreigners' entrance fee is 10,000 kip per person.
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
Next, continue to Tad Tham Champi Waterfall, another equally beautiful waterfall. This waterfall is suitable for swimming, but the water is very, very cold.
Admission fee is approximately 5,000 kip per person.
Next, visit Tad Pha Suam Waterfall, where you can photograph various ethnic groups and purchase local goods.
The trip for today has ended. Goodbye, and head back to the teachers' college.
*** End of Week 4 ***
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Week 5
Week 5
The last week has flown by.
This week is a week to do at least 1 project for the college.
October 19-21, 2015
The students invited me to join them for lunch (we usually go back to our accommodation and cook our own meals) and took a group photo as a souvenir (missing you).
This is our workspace, our living quarters, or what we often call our "secret room".
October 21, 2015
As part of a field trip to collect plant specimens for biological study, I had the opportunity to visit Tad Sida Waterfall in Phu Ba Jeang.
Upon arrival, they embarked on a hike up the mountain.
Reached an altitude of approximately 269 meters.
Plant variety examples
A group photo before returning to college.
We are rehearsing and preparing for our project and activities at the auditorium, as we have an event tomorrow.
The project we are undertaking is a learning exchange activity between Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University and Pakse Teacher's College.
Register
Prepare before starting the activity
Small-scale ice-breaking activities
Translation:
The students will then be divided into groups. Each group will be asked to come up with a name and a signature pose for their group. They will then present their group name and pose to the class.
Translation:
We then exchanged experiences, sharing the activities we do at our university with the Pakse Teachers' College.
Translation:
The Pakse Teacher's College exchange activity taught us how to dance the "Budsab" dance.
The afternoon will be dedicated to a Walk Rally, with participants engaging in various activities at each station.
Translation:
This sentence is already in English and does not require translation.
Mathematics and Science
English
Play golf
Computer
Provide computer knowledge.
The final activity was tying a string on the wrist, expressing feelings and impressions.
The professor closed the event.
And took photos together. The event today was a great success and very impressive.
Today, the students had a college sports competition, so I went to cheer them on and take photos with them (the ICT students in the class where I observed the teaching).
Commemorative photo with friends and students from Pakse Teacher's College (missing them so much)
Translation:
In the evening, there was a farewell party at the Khamfong floating restaurant on the banks of the Mekong River.
October 24, 2015
My friends and I woke up early to visit Wat Phou Salao. We walked for about 3-4 kilometers to get there.
Farewell, Wat Phou Salao. Until we meet again.
It's time to pack our own bedrooms. 555.
The college van then dropped us off at the Chong Mek checkpoint.
We also had a small gift for the officer who was staying with us.
*** End of Week 5 ***
The observation teaching experience has ended.
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After returning to Thailand, I returned to Pakse twice.
Round 1
October 27-30, 2015
To attend the annual Buddhist Rains Retreat festival here.
There are also Loy Krathong and long-tail boat races.
November 30 - December 3, 2015
Thank you for reading.
Khunjao Backpacker
Friday, September 27, 2024 10:40 AM
