Experiencing the prettiest mountain in Phetchabun, Thailand…

January 27, 2019

        Khao Kho, here we go!

        Today, Teacher Da and Teacher Phet invited us to go to Khao Kho. It was my first time hearing the name of the place so I was soooooo excited. Teacher Adel told us that the place is really cold so I wore a knitted jacket and brought a scarf so I could handle the wintry temperature. 

        Khao Kho is located in the lower north of Thailand. It is one of the must- visit places in Thailand because of its soaring mountains, lush valleys, cascading waterfalls, extravagant and gushing rivers and historical places. It is a good place to visit most especially for people who seek for adventure and nature hopping. 

 

We travelled from Phitsanulok at 5:30 o’clock in the morning via Teacher Phet’s car. We arrived to Phetchabun at 7:00 am so I guess it was quite a long travel. Upon going there, I felt the wintry temperature and I smelled the scent of nature with so many trees and beautiful sceneries. We first went to a mini restaurant to have our breakfast. I ordered noodles and coffee and they were really good. After eating, we walked around the place and took some photos. There are so many windmills as the power source of the province. There were also strawberry lawns everywhere. We asked the strawberry vendor if we could be allowed to gather the strawberries that we would buy and luckily, she allowed us and gave us a basket that we could use for gathering. (soooooo, strawberry gathering!! yeahh!)

 

       After going to the strawberry farm, we went to an old camp. It is called Itti Military Base or Weapon Museum. According to Teacher Phet, this place used to be the base of Thailand soldiers during the war that happened between their country and Myanmar.

Disclaimer: The image was not mine. I just used it to make a clear view for the readers. The image was from Sarah J. 

       In this place, we played as soldiers and ran around. It was a fun and a great experience for me and for the rest of the SEA Teachers. After that, we took some photos that would serve as our souvenir.

At the military base: A moment to treasure

 

1. PURPOSES OF PRACTICUM

            As one of the privileged students to be part of the SEA- Teacher Project batch 7, my way of thinking and the way I see teaching as a profession are widened. This leaping experience of mine is really a great opportunity for me to be a more effective and efficient global teacher in the near future.

          I can say that participating in this project allows me to widen my understanding of the diverse culture of the world; make more practice of my communication skills through maximizing the use of the English language; be flexible and adaptive as an educator; and acquire more pedagogical skills which I can consider as a stepping stone for me to confidently teach my students in the future.

       Therefore, with all of the experiences that I have, I can say that my expectations were met and the goals of SEAMEO in providing this excellent project were satisfactorily achieved.

2. PROCEDURES OF PRACTICUM

     The procedures of practicum as given by the SEAMEO were followed. We were oriented prior to the teaching practice, we were also given an opportunity to observe classes in the first week. On second week, we experienced to make lesson plans and to be teaching assistants to prepare us for the teaching practice. On the third and fourth week, we were on our teaching practice and evaluation.

3. OUTCOMES OF PRACTICUM

          Upon joining the SEA Teacher Project, I have realized a lot that really made me love the teaching profession even more. As a pre- service teacher, practice is always a must enable to gain experiences and develop skills. This is an avenue for me to take care of my strengths and compensate for my weaknesses by being a reflective individual. As I accomplished this internship, I have realized that teaching is really a challenging task for I encountered diverse learners. The internship allowed me to develop my soft skills, communication skills, creativity, classroom management skills as well as my passion and dedication in teaching. These are the outcomes that I can bring when I am in the real teaching field.

4. THE CHALLENGES OF PRACTICUM

       Going abroad was such a huge challenge for me since this was my first time. I studied Thai culture beforehand for me to easily adapt with whatever situation that I am in. However, I have realized that it was not enough. When I was in Thailand, I encountered so many problems with communication just like the time when I had a headache, I didn’t know what and how to buy so I ended up using my body language and tried to search for other ways to communicate. In terms of food, most  that I encountered were so spicy. It was a challenge for me since the food that I am eating in the Philippines is not that spicy. 

         As an English major, one of the challenges that I encountered was the use of British English. It was not a big problem but it was something that I tried to adapt because in the Philippines the type of English that we are using is American. 

4. OVER- ALL IMPRESSION

The SEA Teacher Project is really a great and leaping experience for future educators. This program does not only develop the pedagogical and communication skills but also the socialization and ability to adapt of the student teachers. This project became a great pathway for turning student teachers into real global teachers. This also became a stepping stone for embracing more opportunities and an avenue for inspiring other education students.

4. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENT

This program must continue to provide a good avenue for student teachers to develop themselves and to manifest the teacher- like aptitude within them. I hope that this program will be  informed with all the universities and colleges in Southeast Asia to have more participants and to provide a greater opportunity for them to grow and develop. 

1. Procedures of Teaching

             In every class that I handled, I used the Whole- Brain Teaching Approach. This approach is an excellent pathway for me to catch the attention of the students and to make them on- tasked in every activity that I provided for them.  The first thing that I did was to establish rules for the students to follow. In every rule, there was an action to be done. The actions described the rules which made the students internalize them. The rules that I made were:

1.                                 LISTEN!
2.                                 FOLLOW DIRECTIONS QUICKLY
3.                                 RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ASKING PERMISSION TO SPEAK

          Every time I say Rule no. 1, the students were conditioned to say and act “LISTEN” and for Rule no. 2, the students act out and say “FOLLOW DIRECTIONS QUICKLY”, and Rule No. 3, “RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ASKING PERMISSION TO SPEAK”. In this strategy, I didn’t have any problems in maintain the students’ attention and participation.

       After establishing rules, I followed the lesson plan that I prepared for them.

2. Time Management and Organizing Activities

         During my teaching practice, I didn’t have any problems in terms of time management and organizing activities. Though I provided so many activities for my students, I always see to it that I monitored the time properly. I was somewhat strict with my students about time because I wanted to finish every activity. When I told them to do the task in 5 minutes, they must be finished. The key to success in time management is to plan and plan and plan then allocate appropriate time for each activity to be done.

         This strict-teacher-like-attitude that I have made me made me look like a soldier. One of my evaluators gave me an advice not to be too strict with my students because it could make them stressed inside the classroom.

3. Problem- Solving

    One of the problems that I encountered upon teaching was students’ lack of vocabulary and flexibility in the use of words. When I was teaching one of the subject- verb agreement rules: when you encounter neither..nor, either…or, the verb must agree with the CLOSEST or the NEAREST subject. The students’ grasp of the word CLOSE was isolated to its one definition. The word close for them was the opposite of open. They didn’t know the other use of that word so because of that instance, before I speak or say something, I always explain vocabulary words or sometimes, I let them search for it in the dictionary.

4. Classroom Management

          As a teacher, classroom management must always be in the front line. the rules that I established for my students were successful because before we started the class, we always practiced the rules. When some students were not listening, I just walked and stopped near the inattentive students however, I still continued discussing my lesson. In this strategy, I could make my students feel my presence and listen attentively in the classroom discussion. Another strategy that I applied was lightly tapping students’ shoulder to get their attention. In this regard, I didn’t have to interrupt the discussion while getting rid of the off- tasked students.

            In Mattayom 2 students, there were students who liked to play hand fight or finger fight during the discussion. What I did was to make them present in class about the activity that I gave them. So, at the end of the day, they were able to listen and they no longer play and do some unnecessary activities.

CURRICULUM

               Since I am an English Major, my focus during the exchange program is following the English Curriculum implemented in the school. This is my guiding tool to make my preparations and instructions valid and reliable. 

            Teeratada Phitsanulok School uses the British Curriculum in teaching the English language. This is a type of curriculum wherein the structure is used by schools to make sure teaching and learning are balanced and consistent. The British English Curriculum mainly defines the subjects to be taught; the skills and knowledge required in every subject taught; the level of ability of the students as assessed and reported after every lesson. Within this structure, Teeratada English Teachers are free to plan and organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of the students.

        Additionally, the school always prepares the students to take the IELTS (International English Language Test System) Examination. The lessons that they prepare for their students are mainly focused on the students’ needs for passing the IELTS.

TEACHING PLAN (ENGLISH)

In lined with the British English Curriculum, I made a lesson plan which consists of contents and contexts of British English.

TEERATADA PHITSANULOK SCHOOL

SEA Teacher Batch 7

Lesson Plan

Subject: English          Topic: Conditional Sentences Types 1, 2, and 3     Class: Matthayom 2 Teacher: Shena Mae D. Opeda (CNSC- Philippines)       

Week No.:          Date: February 5, 2019

1. Concept

This lesson will further enhance and advance the students’ understanding on the uses of Conditional Sentences Types 1, 2 and 3 and their proper word patterns in constructing sentences. This will also promote an excellent pathway for them to practice an error free English language use.

2. Learning Objectives

At the end of the discussion, the students will be able to identify the different types of Conditional sentences and make use of them in constructing their sentences.

3. Learning Content

• Highlight the key points in understanding conditional sentences.
• Explain the different types of Conditional Sentences and their uses through providing examples.
• Differentiate the patterns use in constructing Type 1, 2, and 3 Conditional Sentences.
• Construct sentences through the aid of the three types of conditional sentences.

4. Learning Activities Presentation

• “PASS THE BALL”- the task for the students is to pass the ball while there is a music playing. Once the music stops, the student who is holding the ball will get a strip of paper and complete the sentence that he/ she picked (e.g. If I had a billion baht, I would…). In this activity, two to three students will be given a chance to answer.
• Presentation of the topic- the students will be asked about the sentences made. They will try to guess the topic to be discussed.
• Introduce the topic- after the students guess, the teacher will present and introduce the topic.
• Review and discuss the key points in understanding Conditional Sentences like the use of comma, the two important parts of conditional sentences such as if clause and main clause.
• Discuss the different Conditional Sentences Types.
• Provide examples of sentences that follow the patterns of Conditional Sentences Types 1, 2, and 3.
• Engage in individual and group activities that will provide an avenue to have an in- depth understanding of the topic.
• Test the students’ comprehension through worksheets and board work.
• Generalize the discussion and highlight the most important concepts.
• Give homework to obtain more practice.

5. Teaching Materials, Supplementary Materials and Resources
   • Textbook
     • Seidl, J. (2011). Grammar Three. Published by Oxford University Press. Pp 108
   • Powerpoint Presentation
   • Worksheets
   • Individual Activity Sheets
   • Conditional Bingo

6. Lesson Evaluation

• Formative Assessment (Class Participation, Recitation, Oral Assessment)
• Worksheets to check the students’ grasp of the lesson discussed.
• Behavior and participation in class

7. Test/ Pass

• 60% of post test marks
• Accuracy of students’ answers and responses during the lesson

8. Lesson Plan Evaluation

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prepared by:

 

SHENAMAE D. OPEDA

SEA- Teacher Batch 7 Intern

Approved by:

 

ADELAIDA TABBU- VELASCO

English Department Head/

Mentor

 

February 3, 2019 (Sunday)

           Today, I just continued making my preparations in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, Teacher Adel invited us to go to BIG- C. We ate lunch in Yayoi, a Japanese Restaurant inside BIG- C. Then, we walked around the mall and bought some souvenirs. After that, we rode on a toktok and went to Teacher Adel’s house. Then, we spent our time watching Showtime, a Filipino noon time show.

February 4, 2019 (Monday)

             Today, I was assigned to teach Mattayom 3- Zoom students. First, I just asked them about their rules at home and in the school. They gave me some examples then it was about time for me to introduce the lesson. I used 4 pics 1 word game for them to guess the lesson. There were three students who were given additional points because of their correct answers. Because of the game, they were able to guess the topic to be discussed then; I gave them worksheets to answer.

         After the given time, we checked their answers together and discussed the rules that applied to the sentences. We discussed most of the important rules and then I gave them a group activity which was to construct sentences and let the other group guess the rules.

February 5, 2019 (Tuesday)

        Today was the celebration of Chinese New Year. In the morning, all of the teachers and students were wearing a Chinese suit. The students sang some Chinese songs and had some Chinese traditional dances. Everyone was so happy about the performance of the students.

        In the afternoon, Dr. Buncha came to Teeratada to evaluate our teaching. Eric was assigned to Mattayom 1 at 1pm and I was assigned to teach in Mattayom 2 at 2:00 pm. After our teaching, we were invited to the meeting room for our mentor’s comments and suggestions. I am so glad that all of the efforts that we exerted were paid off by their comments.

February 6, 2019 (Wednesday)

        Today, I taught Mattayom 3 students the different types of modifiers and sentences errors then after class, Teacher Adel asked me to check the English for life workbooks of the students. I didn’t have a lot of activities today.

February 7, 2019 (Thursday)

        This was my last day of teaching Mattayom 2 students so I exerted a lot of effort. I prepared a Subject- Verb Agreement Quiz Bee for them to test whether they really understood the lesson that we had in the previous meetings. I was so glad that the students managed to answer correctly and were able to remember the rules.

        After my final discussion, I asked the students to give me some feedbacks about my teaching. They also wrote letters for me that I would treasure the most.

February 8, 2019 (Friday)

    I didn’t have classes today because the students were so busy preparing for the Academic day to be held on the 10^th of February. So, I just helped them for their preparations.

February 9, 2019 (Saturday)

       Today was our last day in Teeratada. I went to see the teachers to say goodbye to them. I thanked them for accommodating us and helping us with our internship. I also went to see some of the students and I was so sad having the thought that it was our last day.

       In the evening, we went to the walking street and bought something for our family and friends. Then, we stayed at Teacher Roxanne’s house so it would be easy to go to Teeratda to get our bags.

January 27, 2019 (Sunday)

          This was another excursion experience. Teacher Da and Teacher Phet invited us to go to Khao Kho. It was way too far in Phitsanulok so we had to wake early and prepare ourselves. I just waited in Eric and Amin’s dorm. At 5:00 in the morning, teacher Lek sent us to Teacher Phet’s house. Teacher Phet’s husband was the one who drove the car for us. We arrive to Khao Kho at around 7:30 am and had our lunch there. We ordered coffee and noodles for our breakfast then, we were given a chance to roam around and take some photos. The strawberry vendor allowed us to gather strawberries. Then, we bought the strawberries that we gathered. We also went to the old camp in Petchabun and took some photos there.

         After that, Teacher Phet and Teacher Da treated us lunch. We ate a chicken meal and sipped a milktea. The, we went to a dinosaur park and sunflower house. We have seen so many beautiful places in this day and we really enjoyed all of the activities that we had done.

January 28, 2019 (Monday)

         Today was just an ordinary day. I spent my time inside the office and prepare for my topics. I made a lesson plan for teaching and also thought of some activities that I would do for my students. Then, after planning, I communicated my lesson plan with Teacher Adel since she was my mentor. She approved it and gave me some advice to teach the students.

January 29, 2019 (Tuesday)

         In the Hoikong Activity, the Prathom students presented their work in Electricity. I was so glad that they were able to present and speak in English during the presentation.

          In the afternoon, I thought I would be teaching Mattayom 3 students. But, they were having their review for ONET so I wasn’t allowed to interrupt. So, I just observed their class while they were having their review.

       After that, I went to Matthayom 2 class. I was introduced by Teacher Adel and the students welcomed me. I provided a pre- test about subject- verb agreement rules. I gave15 minutes for the students to answer and then, we discussed the rules that applied to each of the sentences in the pre- test. I also let the students play a 4 pics 1 word game that I prepared for them. Then, I grouped them to write sentences following the rules that I gave them.

January 30, 2019 (Wednesday)

        Today was just an ordinary day. I spent my time inside the office and prepare for my topics. I made a lesson plan for teaching and also thought of some activities that I would do for my students. Then, after planning, I communicated my lesson plan with Teacher Adel since she was my mentor. She approved it and gave me some advice to teach the students.

January 31, 2019 (Thursday)

        Today was the scheduled date for us to meet the president of Pibulsongram Rajabhat University. Dr. Buncha picked us early in the morning. We went to PSRU main campus and went straight to the office of the president. She welcomed us and asked us about our experiences. She also asked about the learning that we got in Teeratada as well as our activities in Thailand. After our meeting with the president, she gave us some tokens and took some photos together.

     After that, Dr. Buncha sent us to the Public Health class and we met Ma’am King there. It was a huge class. Ma’am King asked us to introduce ourselves. Then, the class was divided into four for the activity. The SEA Teacher fellows were then separated and assigned to different groups. The group that was assigned to me was so kind and accommodating. However, it was so difficult to communicate with them because I am not good in speaking Thai and they don’t use English often. So, we just ended writing our thoughts to understand each other.

     They asked me about the environment in the Philippines and we also talked about pollution. The, after that, I taught them some Filipino words and Phrases and they taught me Thai as well. So I had a lot of learning in this class.

    After the activity, we took some photos together and ended up sharing Facebook accounts. Then, we had the chance to go around the university via Electronic car. In my observation, the school was so big and really conducive for learning because they have a lot of resources and excellent facilities.

       One of my favourite places in PSRU is their E- Library. Their library really looked like a mall for me because it was so big and had everything. When we enter the E- library, there was a need to have an ID to be scanned. We got the ID for guests. There was also an escalator inside. When we reached the second floor, I was shocked that there was a karaoke and cinema inside. There were also computer rooms. I was so excited walking around the library since it was my first time to see a library like that. There were so many books and many areas for doing group works.

     After going to the library, we went to the school cafeteria. Ma’am King treated us lunch. The cafeteria looked like a food park and we had so many options of foods. We enjoyed the lunch that we ordered. After that, Dr. Buncha picked us up to go to the Faculty of Education.

        We experienced to be a student in the Education department. We were sent to study-for-the-day with the English major students. We met so many students and had a chance to study with Teacher Forte. The topic for this day was context clues. To be part of the activities, we were invited to the line group of the students. In the group, teacher Forte sent the link of the activities to be done. We were all connected to the WIFI so we didn’t have any problem in the activity. After the three hours of studying with the English major students, we took some photos and said goodbye to our classmates. Before leaving, we had a small talk with Teacher Forte then, went back to Dr. Buncha.

        After all of the activities, the day concluded by going back to Teeratada.

February 1, 2019 (Friday)

       I spent my time inside the office and prepare for my topics. I made a lesson plan for teaching and also thought of some activities that I would do for my students. Then, after planning, I communicated my lesson plan with Teacher Adel since she was my mentor. Then, in the evening, Teacher Lek invited me to go with other Thai teachers to eat MOOKATA (Grilled Pork).

February 2, 2019 (Saturday)

    Today was quite saddening because our SEA Teacher Fellows from Indonesia left already. I didn’t have the chance to say goodbye to them personally because they left Teeratada early in the morning. So, I just messaged the two of them.

   Though I was too sad, I still have to prepare for the evaluation day. I made my instructional materials in the student dorm. I spent the whole day doing my preparations and making sure that everything that I need was ready.

      In the evening, Teacher Jonathan toured us in Phitsanulok. We went to a temple then to the mall and ate dinner. We had Mookata for dinner and we really enjoyed it.

January 20, 2019 (Sunday)

           Today, we ate breakfast in Dr. Buncha’s house. After eating, we prepared ourselves for our SUKHOTHAI TRIP. We packed our bags and put them in Dr. Buncha’s car. We took some photos before leaving and said goodbye to Ma’am King. Our travel to Sukhothai was about an hour. It was quite long so we had the time chitchatting and telling some stories together. Dr. Buncha told us that Sukhothai was the capital city of Thailand before Bangkok. So, I was so excited to go there since I knew that the place was really historical.

        We went to Sukhothai Historical Park. Dr. Buncha rented bikes for us because it would be so difficult to roam around the place in an hour. I got the pink bike and I loved it! I put my wallet and bottled water in a plastic bag and started biking. We took some photos of the Buddha statues there. We also met some foreigners who went there to have some fun. It was really a good place to visit because it was so big and full of historical sayings and postings.

         After going to Sukhothai Historical Park, Dr. Buncha treat us lunch in a noodle shop in Sukhothai. I, Dr. Buncha and Eric ordered pork noodles and Amin and Aye ordered seafood noodles. The noodles we ordered were so delicious and satisfying. However, it was quite spicy for me so I had a hard time eating it.

    After eating lunch, we went to Pibulsongkram Rajabahat University- Faculty of Education. We went to their museum and took some photos there. It was so beautiful and the paintings were so good. Then, we waited for Dr. Buncha. After all of the activities that we had for this day, Dr. Buncha sent us back to Teeratada. Then, there was Teacher Lek waiting for me.

January 21, 2019 (Monday)

      Today, we didn’t have so much activity. This day was just like the other days. I checked some English for life workbooks and then spent our time inside the office.

January 22, 2019 (Tuesday)

         Today was just an ordinary day. I spent my time inside the office and prepare for my topics. I made a lesson plan for teaching and also thought of some activities that I would do for my students. Then, after planning, I communicated my lesson plan with Teacher Adel since she was my mentor. She approved it and gave me some advice to teach the students.

January 23, 2019 (Wednesday)

     Today, I continued making my preparations for my teaching. I prepared some worksheets for my students and I also made a PowerPoint Presentation about my topic. I made examples of sentences for every rule of subject- verb agreement and then asked Teacher Adel to check my work. She let me print the worksheets and prepare for other materials that I would be using.

January 24, 2019 (Thursday)

         Today, I worked as a teaching assistant to Teacher Adel. She checked the test papers of the students and had an item analysis. In this regard, she would know which item was so difficult for the students. When she already analysed the most difficult items, she tried to teach again the lesson. The focus was on the subject- verb agreement. Some of the students were still confused about the rules so teacher Adel didn’t have a choice but to reteach and made sure that students really understood the lesson.

       While she was teaching, she was called in the meeting room to interview a student so she let me continued teaching the students. I wrote some examples on the whiteboard and then explain the rules that applied to the sentences written. The, after 20 minutes, teacher Adel was back for the class.

January 25, 2019 (Friday)

       Today, I got a chance to observe Matthayom 3 class. Teacher Adel did the same thing by having the test papers checked and analysing the wrong answers. She retaught some grammar rules which made the students arrived to the correct answer. Then, there was no class the followed and we spent our time inside the office to prepare for the following days.

   After the school hours, teacher Adel along with the other Filipino teachers accompanied us to BIG- C. one of the biggest malls in Phitsanulok. We had our dollars exchanged. Then, we went to KFC inside the mall to have our dinner. Then, we went back to Teeratada via Toktok (one of the local transportations in Thailand).

January 26, 2019 (Saturday)

      Today, teacher Lek and I went to school. I went to the school dorm to see my SEA Teacher fellows. We went to 7 Eleven for our breakfast and then went back to Teeratada. We prepared for our materials in teaching as well as the teaching plans. At night, we went to the walking street to buy some presents and souvenirs for our friends and Wat Chan Temple to observe and take some photos.

January 12, 2019 (Saturday)

          I felt so excited since this was the first time that I was travelling to other country.  Before our flight, we first travelled from from Daet, Camarines Norte to Manila (the capital city of the Philippines). It was a 10- hour travel. I was with Eric, my fellow SEA- Teacher and Sir, Bryan, our OSSD Chairperson and assigned faculty to send us to the airport.We arrived in Manila at 5:00 pm and ate our early dinner  at Chowking near Cubao terminal and then, spend some time in Star Mall Alabang. At 10:00 in the everning, Sir Bryan booked a Grab Taxi for us to go to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). When we arrived to the terminal 3, it was time to say goodbye to Sir Bryan. He gave us some advice and wished us good luck.

January 13, 2019 (Sunday)

          Since we were so early in the airport, we first took a nap. At 3:00 o’clock in the morning, we paid for the travel tax and checked our luggage in. We followed the airport procedures and then went straight to the immigration. We filled out some forms and were interviewed by the immigration officer. After that, we ate our breakfast and waited for our boarding time. At 5:00 o’clock in the morning, we queued and got ready for our boarding. We boarded via Cebu Pacific Airlines.

         After four hours, we finally arrived to Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Since we had a connecting flight to Don Muaeng International Airport via Air Asia Airlines, we took the free shuttle bus outside the airport arrivals. We took some photos and videos while we were on our ride. I was so amazed with the temples that we passed by.

         Our connecting flight was at 5:00pm so we still waited for two hours before we could check our luggage in. We followed the same procedures and boarded via Air Asia Airlines. We arrived at Phitsanulok Airport at around 6:00 in the evening.

          In the arrival gate, we were gladly welcomed by Ma’am King (the wife of Dr. Buncha, SEA Teacher Coordinator of PSRU). She was there to pick us up and send us to Teeratada Phitsanulok School, our cooperating school.

              That night, Eric was then sent to the school dorm along with Amin (SEA Teacher fellow) and I was picked up by Teacher Phet (English Teacher in Teeratada) and Aye (SEA Teacher fellow). I stayed in Teacher Phet’s house so we had spent an hour talking with each other.

January 14, 2019 (Monday)

            This was considered to be the day 1 of our SEA Teacher Internship in Teeratada Phitsanulok School. We went to school via Teacher Phet’s car from Wang Thong, the place where I spent my night. Teacher Phet bought a sticky rice with chicken for my breakfast.

              At 7:00 o’clock in the morning, we reached Teeratada, we were then introduced to some teachers and students. There were marching bands before the flag raising. The students were so good in playing the instruments and they were sooooo cute.

               After the flag raising, we went to the assembly hall of the school for the Hoikong Activities. The hall was huge enough to accommodate all of the students and teachers. We were invited to sit in the front couch and watch the routine of the students.

              The students sang the Teeratada song as the formal opening of the program. After that, the student assigned to be the emcee informed the attendees about the flow of the program. There were English sentences for the day wherein the students presented some basic, intermediate and advanced conversations in British English. This was followed by the Chinese for Survival segment wherein the students presented some Chinese words and conversations. There were also Maths and Science for today and discussion of life skills. I was so glad to see the students having the smooth flow of activities. They were the ones to prepare and present.

           After these, we were then called on stage. I and Eric went to stage together and introduced ourselves. The students and teachers gladly welcomed us. After the Hoikong Activity, we were given a table at Teacher Adel’s office.

Teacher Adel is a Filipino Teacher who is working as the English Department Head. She gave some advice and told us about the dos and don’ts in the school. We were so glad to be with a Filipino teacher to guide us in the program. Aside from Teacher Adel, we also met the other four Filipino teachers in Teeratada who are Teacher Jonathan, Teacher Michelle, Teacher Roxanne and Teacher Jobelle. They were working in Teeratada for five years so they know the school very well.

            Unfortunately, we weren’t able to observe a class because it was their examination day. So, we just spent our time in the office and Teacher Adel asked for help to check the English for Life Workbooks of the students.

     After a long day in school, I was then sent to Teacher Lek’s house. She is an elementary Thai teacher and is teaching Prathom 1-3 pupils. I met her husband and her daughter in her house.  So this was the first day that I am adopted by teacher Lek.

January 15, 2019 (Tuesday)

             This was another day to observe and walk around Teeratada to see their facilities and other learning resources. I went to see the school’s library, guidance room, and some classrooms. I also observed the bulletin boards and the school information boards to gather some data for my blog. i didn’t have a chance to observe a class today since the examination was not yet done. So I just spent my time observing the facilities and talking with some teachers about the school.

January 16, 2019 (Wednesday)

       This was the Teachers’ Day Celebration in Thailand. The teachers went to St. Nicholas to celebrate. There were no classes so I, along with Aye just went to Eric and Amin’s dorm. We watched a horror movie and ate snacks together. We didn’t do any activities this day.

          In the afternoon, teacher Lek invited me to go to her husband’s parents in Uttaradit. They were living far from the city so we had to travel for an hour before we could reach their house. When we arrived, I was welcomed by teacher Lek’s father- in- law. They didn’t speak in English but I know that they were so kind and accommodating. They prepared dinner for us too. We ate rice, fish, eggplant, and cucumber for our dinner.

January 17, 2019 (Thursday)

          This day, I was given a chance to observe a class though they were having their examination. I helped Teacher Om (Maths in Thai Teacher) to distribute the test papers and observe the students while they were having their test. After that, I studied the lesson plan done in the school as preparation for my teaching plan and practice.

          After the school hours, Teacher Lek invited me to eat dinner with her friends. We ate in a Thai restaurant and I got to try many dishes. I didn’t know how to use chopsticks but I got learn during that time so it was really a nice experience for me.

January 18, 2019 (Friday)

           This day was the scheduled day of our orientation. Dr. Buncha came to Teeratada to give us some instructions for the program. In the morning, I, Eric, Amin, and Aye, the four of us were called in the meeting room. Teacher Adel, the head of English Department and Teacher Da, the head of Academic Department were there together with Dr. Buncha, SEA Teacher Coordinator of Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University (PSRU).

        We were then oriented about the SEA Teacher Project Procedures and the list of things to comply enable to pass the project. I jotted down some notes for me to be guided in the program. In this day, we were also given timetable and ID.

         In the afternoon, there was a magic show in the assembly hall. We were invited to watch the show and take some photos and videos. The students were so amazed with the magic tricks. After the show, the magicians told the students some word of God. They gave some inspiring stories about Christ and distributed some pamphlets for the students.

          After all of the school activities, I went to near the talent show stage and talk with some Prathom students. They taught me how to write my name in Thai and speak some Thai words.

January 19, 2019 (Saturday)

           Teachers in Teeratada are required to go to school even on Saturdays. So, teacher Lek and I went to school today. I went to the school dorm to see Eric, Amin and Aye. I and Eric went to 7 Eleven near the school to buy food for our breakfast. After that, we walked back to Teeratada. On our way, we met a Thai vendor. We bought some Thai delicacies. It was quite hard to communicate since we didn’t know how to speak Thai. However, we still managed to buy and the Thai vendor gave us some free delicacies. We thanked her and wai at her. Then, we went back to Teeratada to prepare ourselves for our afternoon activity.

           In the afternoon, we prepared our Thai suit. Dr. Buncha asked us to bring our suit to wear in the show that we will be watching. He picked us up and sent us to Central Plaza Mall. He went back to the preparation of their show and gave us an instruction that her wife would pick us from the mall. We said goodbye to Dr. Buncha and spent our time together in the mall.

          At 5:00 o’clock, Ma’am King was outside the mall to pick us up. She asked some of her Public Health students in PSRU to be our buddies when we go to the show. In this afternoon, we were given a chance to see elephants and feed them. The four of us were given bananas to feed the elephant. It was such a nice experience because it was my first time getting that near to an elephant.

         After that, we went to the night market along with our buddies. We tried to eat some exotic foods like worms and crickets. At first, I was so afraid to eat but still, I tried. It tasted not that bad. After that, we ate strawberries and pineapples. I went to the shoe shop with Aye to help her buy shoes and then, walk around the night market.

    After our night-market-trip, we went back to the place where the show would be presented. We watched a Thai Boxing first and then went to our reserved seat in front. The show was about the anniversary of King Naresuan, the late king who was born in Phitsanulok and the struggles and victory of Thailand when they were having a war with Myanmar. I was so mesmerized with the lights and sounds that they present. The actors were sooooo good- looking and they were so in- character when they were acting.

   After the show, we were given a chance to take some photos with the actors and actresses. The, Dr. Buncha and her wife drove us to their house to sleep over.

I. TEACHING METHODS OF THE TEACHER

I was able to observe two classes which are Matthayom 2 and 3. Both of them were Teacher Adel’s classes.

A. Teaching the subject- matter

            During my observation in Mattayom 3, the topic that was discussed was Subject- Verb Agreement Rules. In this topic, the teacher used the combination of Inductive Method of Teaching (Specific to General Approach), and Discovery Approach wherein she presented some examples of sentences and let the students discover the different rules that apply to the sentences. Though she did not use a lot of methods in teaching, her approach matched the students’ needs. The students were able to reason out and use their critical thinking in analysing the sentences given. They were also able to find out some sentences errors.

           In my observation to class Mattayom 2- Zoom and Jet, Teacher Adel used the same approach to the same topic however; the students find it difficult to follow and grasp the information given to them. I think this is because their level of thinking is not the same with Mattayom 3.

B. Classroom management

         There are instances wherein the students are very unruly and noisy. The teacher gave some consequences for the students if they were off- tasked. Sometimes when the students were very noisy, she just paused and let the students realise that it was about time for them to be silent and listen. There were also times when the teacher allowed the students to talk for a while. I think she was just using a “reverse-psychology-thingy” to make catch the students’ attention in her class. Her approach to manage her classroom and students were good for she could make her students remain on- task.

C. Time management

         Since Teacher Adel had one and half hour to teach, she didn’t have any problem with time management. In my observation, she was able to provide activities in the time frame of the subject and able to finish everything after the allocated time.

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II. LEARNING MATERIALS AND INNOVATION

The moment you enter Teeratada is the moment you are connected to WIFI.

          Teeratada has a wifi connection in which every teacher has his/ her own username. So, in this school, it is better to use internet and other media in teaching because they can provide a greater avenue for the students to learn globally.

      Teacher Adel used educational media in teaching. She presented some videos for students’ review. She also used PowerPoint Presentations in her discussion and provided worksheets for her students. She also made her students answer their workbooks and checked them using her teacher’s guide.

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III. SOURCES OF LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY

         The school has many sources for educational purposes. Textbooks and internet were two of the major sources. In English class, the book that they were using was English for Life Workbooks as published by Cambridge. This book uses the British English which prepares the students to take their International English Language Test System (IELTS) Examination.

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IV. AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

          In every teaching and learning process, authentic assessment is a must since this can give an excellent pathway for exploring real life situations and looking for ways to embrace reality. In Teeratada, the teacher taught the students by using contexts based on real life situations. In terms of assessment, she provided a greater avenue for the students to make use of their learning in daily conversations. She let her students create writings that follow the subject- verb agreement rules; use their learning in the way they present on stage.

“A Great Future Starts at Teeratada”

SCHOOL GENERAL INFORMATION AND ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATION

Location: 458 M.3 Phitsanulok- Uttaraditr Rd. T. Samokhae A. Muang Phitsanulok, Thailand, 65000

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VISION

“Teeratada for Educational Quality towards Internalization”

MISSION

“To create personnel atmosphere and environment for the benefit of Teeratada”

MARCHING SONG

Teeratada school for new generation

With unity we seek wisdom

We begin at Teeratada today

To grow, to know, and to think wisely

Teeratada school for young wise persons

To be courageous and firm

We, young bright persons have discipline

Fame, and bring only good things to this land

We prepare ourselves for the future

This helps us to lead beautiful lives

We also preserve Thai identity

Embracing fellowship, love and oneness

Teeratada is small but beautiful

And great in dignity

We pledge to abide in our honesty

And to uphold the name of our Teeratada

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History and Background: Going Back in Time

           Discipline and Internalization are two of the things that would seem to mind upon hearing the name Teeratada Phitsanulok School. Before having this this trademark, the school was first established in the year 1996 and started to impart learning to the young ones in 1997. The name is a combination of two different words such as Teera which means wise and Tada which means wise maker. The founder has the desire to make the name into reality by molding young ones through a conducive learning where lifelong skills and global and local thinking take place.

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I. ACADEMIC SUPPORT SYSTEM

          Since Teeratada Phitsanulok School is a private school, the funds for supporting the students’  academic needs are coming from the tuition fees paid for each student annually. The inclusions of the school fees paid are for workbooks, taking care of facilities, equipment and other miscellaneous expenses. There are 18 classrooms in this school wherein 2 are allocated for each level. Aside from these, there are other rooms and facilities to support the students’ learning and to ensure the availability of materials for teachers’ effective work. (presented in the table below)

Academic support facilities	Facilities for school events and assemblies/ Meetings	Sports and Development Areas and Facilities	Refreshments area	Lodging
Library	Assembly Hall (Hoikong Activities)	Swimming pool	Canteen	Dorm for Girls
Computer Room	Meeting Room	Football Field	Mini Mart	Dorm for Boys
Private Classroom	Guidance Room	Basketball Field	Coffee Shop
Chinese Room
Music Room

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II. TEACHING SYSTEM

        Teeratada Phitsanulok School is considered to be one of the best schools in the province and known in different areas in Thailand. The school has established a good reputation in global and lifelong learning, English competency, and integrative approach to teaching.

        The system of teaching in this school is rounded on various education brackets: continuous practice of skills; content and context based integration of knowledge in different subject areas (e.g. having Maths in Thai and English); project- based approach wherein the students are required to submit outputs and comply with other project requirements to test their understanding of the lesson; intensive teaching and learning international and foreign languages such as English and Chinese, and imposing discipline and giving a sense of responsibility through character building and values formation.

        Furthermore, the school also imposed rules and regulations that each and every student has to follow.

1. Daily Timetable

         The school is also open for accepting boarding students. Some of the Prathom 4 to Matthayom 3 are sent by their parents to board inside the school. Boarding students are not allowed to go home every weekend. They are just allowed to go home every after two weeks and they should be fetched by their parents or guardians. The regular classes start from Monday to Friday. They also have private classes on weekdays and weekends.

Time	Student Activities
06:30- 07:00	Breakfast (Boarding students)
07:00- 07:30	Preparation for Flag Raising
07:30- 08:00	Flag Raising Ceremony
08:00- 08:30	Hoikong Activity (Assembly of the students wherein activities like singing of Teeratada Marching Song, Christians Songs, presenting English sentences for today, discussing Chinese for survival sentences, maths for today, interesting science and life skills)
08:30- 10:10	Classroom Teaching and Learning
10:10-10:20	Break time
10:20- 12:00	Classroom Teaching and Learning
12:00- 13:00	Lunch time
13:00- 14:30	Classroom Teaching and Learning
14:30- 14:40	Break time
14:40- 16:00	Classroom Teaching and Learning
16:30- 17:30	Exercise and Dinner (Boarding students)

2. Uniforms

DAY	REQUIRED UNIFORM
Monday	White and Blue
Tuesday	Sports Shirt (White)
Wednesday	Boy Scout
Thursday	Sports Shirt of each house
Friday	White and Blue

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III. MATERIALS AND OTHER LEARNING SOURCES

           The school uses various materials to achieve an effective and efficient teaching and learning process. The following are the materials that I observed:

1. Workbooks and Teacher’s Guide
2. Textbooks
3. Projector
4. Laptop
5. White board
6. Computer
7. Bulletin boards
8. Information corner boards

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IV. MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION SYSTEM

        The school follows the learning assessment as stated in the Basic Education Core Curriculum of 2008. The assessment is divided into four categories such as classroom assessment, school assessment, local assessment, and national test.

1. Classroom assessment- the assessment and evaluation is more on the class standing of the students. The teacher uses various methods to cater the students’ needs and assess and measure learning through various approaches like recitation, homework, quiz, project, portfolios, etc.

The ratio for grading and assessing the students’ performance in class

Criteria	Percentage
Test/ Assignment	20%
Midterm	20%
Test/ Assignment	20%
Conduct	10%
Final Examination	30%
Total	100%

This presents the grading system in Teeratada Phitsanulok School

Grade	Significant	Score range
4	Excellent	80-100
3.5	Very Good	75- 79
3	Good	70- 74
2.5	Fairly Good	65- 69
2	Satisfactory	60- 64
1.5	Rather Satisfactory	55- 59
1	Passed	50- 54
0	Poor/ Failed	0-49

2. School assessment- this is conducted to test whether the institutional vision, mission and goals are achieved or not based on the students’ performance. The assessment is done annually and includes analytical thinking and writing, desirable characteristics, and learner development activities.
3. Local assessment- this assessment aims to assess and evaluate the students’ quality of learning that adheres to obtaining basic information required by the local educational service area.
4. National test- the result of this evaluation and assessment is used for making decisions for the educational system in the national policy system. In this test, Grades 3, 6, 9, and 12 are required to take.

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V. CURRICULUM

         Teeratada Phitsanulok School adheres to the Basic Education Core Curriculum of 2008. This curriculum is merely focused on learner’s development and welfare  that allow them to acquire the desirable characteristics as Thai citizens and Global Citizens which enable them to enjoy a life of harmony among others.

      The following are the desirable characteristics in accordance with the Basic Education Core Curriculum of 2008 of the Ministry of Education:

1. Love of nation, religion, and king
2. Honesty and Integrity
3. Self- Discipline
4. Avidity of Learning
5. Observance of principles of Sufficiency Economy, Philosophy in one’s way of life
6. Dedication and commitment to work
7. Cherishing Thai- ness
8. Public Mindedness

        The following are the eight learning areas in Teeratada following the Basic Education Core Curriculum of 2008:

1. Thai Language
2. Mathematics
3. Science
4. Social Studies, Religion, and Culture
5. Health and Physical Education
6. Arts
7. Occupation and Technology
8. Foreign Languages

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VI. TEACHING PLAN

TEERATADA PHITSANULOK SCHOOL

SEA Teacher Batch 7

Subject: English          Class: Matthayom 3    Teacher: Shena Mae D. Opeda (CNSC- Philippines)

Term:                                       Week No.:                                                       Date:

1. Concept

This lesson will further enhance the students’ understanding on the basic Subject- Verb Agreement Rules. This will also provide an excellent pathway for them to practice an error free English language use.

2. Learning Objectives

At the end of the discussion, the students will be able to identify the appropriate verbs that agree with their preceding subjects; and correct sentences that have solecisms.

3. Learning Content

• Explain the different Subject- Verb Agreement Rules through providing examples.
• Identify errors or solecisms in sentences and spot verbs that correspond with their subjects.
• Construct sentences following the Subject- Verb Agreement Rules.

4. Learning Activities Presentation

• Conduct a pre- test to know the students’ prior knowledge.
• Introduce the topic.
• Review and discuss the general Subject- Verb Agreement Rule.
• Discuss the different Subject- verb Agreement Rules.
• Provide examples of sentences that follow the Subject- Verb Agreement Rules.
• Engage in individual and group differentiated activities that will provide an avenue to have an in- depth understanding of the rules.
• Test the students’ comprehension through worksheets and board works.
• Generalize the discussion and highlight the most important concepts.
• Give homework to obtain more practice.

5. Teaching Materials, Supplementary Materials and Resources

• Powerpoint Presentation
• Pre- test
• Worksheets
• Individual Activity Sheets
• Group Activity Sheets

6. Lesson Evaluation

• Formative Assessment (Class Participation, Recitation, Oral Assessment)
• Worksheets to check the students’ grasp of the lesson discussed.
• Behavior and participation in class

7. Test/ Pass

• 60% of post test marks
• Accuracy of students’ answers and responses during the lesson

8. Lesson Plan Evaluation

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Prepared by:

 SHENAMAE D. OPEDA

SEA Teacher Batch 7 Intern

Approved by:

ADELAIDA TABBU- VELASCO

Mentor