THAILAND Update!

*In addition to her usual awesomeness, Sarah Steadman is now head-teaching in Thailand. And blogging! In this post, she expounds on sweat-powder, pipe-smoking teddies, and general adorability.*

We started teaching on Wednesday morning. We practiced bowing and greeting the parents properly the night before. We met the parents and the kids before class and then we got to watch their opening. They sing the national anthem and then they do some chanting and meditation. Then they do traditional dances. After that, it was our turn.

The kids all came really late the first day so we only did three of our four rotations. It was an interesting experience. Thai children are very calm and reserved. Some of the older boys were more rambunctious but for the most part they were very well behaved. The big problem was getting them to respond! They are also very young, 1-5 years old. That is younger than children normally are in ILP. The two four year olds and the one five year old are great and I can tell that they are going to progress quickly through the program. The younger ones were more capable than I expected but it is going to be difficult. We will basically have to have three versions of each lesson we teach for each age group. So it might be more work for my teachers but they were troupers.

Great (Gray) and Prea (Pear) playing in the ball pin before class.

We found out on the first day that there was a whole page newspaper article about the teaching style and us in the local newspaper. We’re famous!

After the kids are with us for three hours they have lunch and then take showers and get covered in powder. The powder helps to keep them from getting rashes in the sticky heat but it is also supposed to make them smell good for the rest of their lives. I guess the smell from the powder sticks with them forever. Then they take their naps. They are adorable all the time but oh so very adorable when they are sleeping.

Today when I was in Laura’s class with the middle aged kids (2-3 year olds), Tiger sneakily reached his foot out and put one of his toes on top of my bright pink toenail. Then he felt my nail with his toe and then pulled his foot back. He was watching to see if I was paying attention. I was. I was trying not to laugh. I guess pink glitter toes seem very mysterious to three year old Thai boys.

This some of the older boys playing before class.

Here are some pictures of my teachers teaching their groups today.

And then, of course, the best way to learn your colors is from a bear smoking a pipe.