ASSIGNMENT 1: INTRODUCTION

[Rebecca Pachonick]

Hi Wendy, I am also from South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) – I look forward to meeting you at the end of the month!

[Mthethomusha Mbatha]

Hi Wendy,

We look foward to seeing you. Safe travels

[Joanne Barry]

Hi everyone,
Excited to meet you all. My name is Joanne Barry, I am a 57 year old woman from the North East of England. I retired earlier this month after working as a social worker for the past 30 years. Prior to working in Social Work, I worked as a Registered General Nurse. I have worked as a Social Worker within an Emergency Duty Team for the past 21 years, predominantly undertaking work within the child protection arena, supporting people with mental health issues, working with homeless people, and offering support in crisis situations.
I am looking forward to new challenges and adventures. I have no teaching experience so am a little apprehensive about this, but I am open to learning . IT skills and social media are not my strong point, so I am hoping you can help me out with this .
I am a married mother of 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren. Family commitments have previously restricted my ability to travel and now that my children have flown the nest, I am ready to follow my passion for travel and meeting new people. My hobbies include visiting the gym and keeping fit.
Thailand has always been a place I have wanted to visit. I am fascinated by the culture and the people. I am hoping to gain a lot from this experience and give a little back.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
Joanne

[Joanne Barry]

Hi Lanae,
Sounds like we are on a similar journey having raised our families and now ready for new adventures.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Joanne

[Richard Elicier]

Hello everyone! My name is Richard Elicier, and I am very excited to embark on this new journey to Thailand. I was born and raised in Queens, New York after my family emigrated from Haiti in the late 1970’s. I spent my entire life, from kindergarten to the age of 26 in school and always admired the art of teaching, as I watched my teachers display their talents in the profession. After years of primary and secondary education, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Plattsburgh State University, New York, 2005, a Master of Science degree in Biology from New Mexico State University, 2009; as well as a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Biology 2010 (also from New Mexico State University). Although my experience has been in research, I gained my first teaching opportunity as a graduate student, teaching an entry-level Biology course to undergraduates and fell completely in love with the art of teaching. I have a lifelong dedication to learning, teaching, and thriving in an educational setting. In high school I was awarded a Math Achievement award; moreover, as an undergraduate at Plattsburgh State University, I made the Dean’s List, was inducted into Who’s Who Among American Colleges & Universities, and Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Organization); the oldest and most prestigious leadership honor society. Former United States presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush are all members of this society, as I was inducted into this society in 2004 during my junior year at Plattsburgh State. I was the president of the Gospel Choir, president of the Step Team, a resident assistant, as well as a summer recruiter for new undergraduate students coming into the university. I am a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, and have a strong dedication to community service in whatever community I reside. As mentioned prior, I was a teaching assistant at New Mexico State University while working on my doctorate, and after leaving New Mexico, I taught middle and high school students in the state of Florida. In this experience, I was able to help students successfully pass end of course exams, required for graduation with a minimum of an 81% pass rate. As mentioned before, I always marveled at my teachers in high school, as well as professors in college with amazement in the profession, always in my heart knowing that someday I would be in front of a classroom also. Teaching is a great passion of mine and not only do I love to learn and lead, but I also love helping students learn new skills and new knowledge. Furthermore, I am deciding to move to Thailand because I have learned about the rich culture, happy people, students’ need to learn English, and for the high respect that children in Thailand have for teachers. The challenge I expect to face along the way is the prospect of learning the Thai language and written characters. As a foreigner, this seems very challenging to me; however, I intend to learn from the locals and also study the language on my own as intensely as time allows. In terms of what I expect to get out of my experience, I would like to become completely fluent in Thai, I hope to become a permanent resident of Thailand, and I would like for my students to gain a skill set that they can use in this globalized economy for the rest of their lives. I want my students to gain language proficiency, cultural understanding of the western world, personal growth & confidence, and lastly a long-term impact from my interactions with them. I am grateful and thankful for this opportunity, and I thank you for your time!

[Wanga Maseboa]

Hi, My name is Wanga. I am 29 years old. I am a South African. I am a Bachelor of Science graduate, specialized in Botany and Zoology. I have decided to travel to Thailand because the country is known to be rich in nature, and i would love to experience that beauty. The challenges i expect to face are language barrier, and religious clashes since im a Christian and Thailand is follows Bhudaism. I have started learning basic Thai language, this is my way of overcoming the language barrier challenge. With the religion i am going to respect the religion just like i am going to respect their culture.
I am hoping to explore the nature, culture and everything with open mind. I am also hoping to gain the teaching experience and enjoy the journey.

[Rawinia Mihaka]

Kia ora My name is Rawinia I am 23 I live in Dunedin, New Zealand and I am currently an early childhood teacher. I am Māori and my culture is really important to me both personally and within my career.
I have chosen to go to Thailand as a way to step out of my comfort zone. I have always lived in Dunedin, I was born here and I haven’t done much travel in my life. Going to Thailand is not only a way for me to learn about the world but also for me to grow as a person and learn more about myself.
Some big challenges I will face would be leaving my friends, family, partner and dog behind. This will be a big challenge for me to be in a new country without my support people. A way I can over come this is from new relationships with others on the trip and make sure I keep in touch with everyone back home, but not so much that i’m putting more effort into people back home rather than being present in the moment.
The biggest thing I want out of my experience is to learn. I am eager to learn more about teaching and how this differs from country to country, I want to learn more about myself as a person and I am excited to learn more about Thailand and it’s culture.
Ngā Mihi, Rawinia.

[Michaela Mahoney]

Hello, it’s nice to meet everyone. My name is Michaela and I am from Ohio in the United States. I have always wanted to travel and experience new cultures and ways of life. Thailand seemed like an easy option with rich culture, food, and experiences.

The language barrier will be an obvious struggle to overcome. I intend to do my best to immerse myself in the language and use any available translating technology.

I hope to gain new memory’s and skills both in teaching and professionalism as well as learn about Thailand and their culture and history.

[Selorm Kakrada]

Hello,
My name is Selorm Kakrada and I live in the United States. This is my 6th year working as a teacher. I decided to travel to Thailand because I was looking to experience a different culture and also learn and experience new things. I know language will be a barrier while there and could prove to be a challenging experience. I plan to use technology to help lift this barrier as much as possible and learn what I can. I hope to meet new people to share this experience with and learn from each other.

[Selorm Kakrada]

Hello everyone,
My name is Selorm Kakrada. I live in the United States and work as a teacher. I am looking forward to this new adventure in this period of my life. I know that the language will be a barrier but all I can do is my best to learn what I can while I am there. I look forward to meeting and learning from others as well.

[Salia Warren]

Greetings,

My name is Salia Warren. I am 43 years old. The mother of 2 adult children. American born and raised. My family is of Trinidadian Heritage. Currently residing in Maryland. I have lived in 26 of the US states and 2 countries. I am looking forward to Thailand being the 3rd country of residence. With an accounting and human resources background I enjoy connecting with people, seeing new places and absorbing new cultures.

With my children out of the house I am looking forward to embarking on a new chapter in my life. I have a passion for teaching, learning, helping others as well as traveling. Embarking on a teaching career in Thailand will allow me to purse my passion. In addition I do believe my purpose in life is to help and assist others. The idea of teaching especially subjects like English and Math which i believe are necessary skills for life is a great way to fulfil my purpose and passion.

The biggest challenge that I believe I will face will be culturally. Even though I see this as a big challenge its one I am looking forward too. Immersion is the best way for me to learn a new language as well as culture. I am looking forward to the immersive experience in Thailand. I hope that my first year teaching is wonderful and beyond amazing. I look forward to being apart of this program for many years to come.

[Erin Roberts]

Hi, my name is Erin, originally from Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales but I’m currently residing in York completing my undergraduate degree in Physiotherapy. I have been lucky to have a lot of experience travelling due to competing internationally in acrobatic gymnastics, however, was mainly across countries in Europe. Most of my family is from Wales, however, my grandmother and her family are Maltese. My mother travelled abroad after completing her degree and always highlighted that it was a valuable experience for her. Following her recent passing, I decided there is no time like the present to volunteer abroad, before starting my career in September.
I have decided to take part in this programme as I feel it is a great way to travel outside of Europe and gain insight into Thai culture. Travelling to Thailand has always been a dream of mine and so I am very excited for this experience.
I think the main challenge I will face will be the language barrier and settling into a new environment and culture. I plan on overcoming this by remaining openminded, immersing myself into new experiences and getting to know new people. By completing this course, it will help me to better understand the differences in culture so that I am better equipped for when I start teaching.
I am looking forward to this experience, meeting new people and exploring new places.

[Christopher Lassota]

Hello, my name is Christopher. I am 23 years old and a recent graduate from Mount Royal University in Calgary Alberta Canada. I decided that before I begin working towards a career in my field I will take this opportunity to explore the world and see how other people’s lives are different from mine! Living and working in another country is the best way to do that and by teaching English I can also leave a positive impact. Thailand was a no-brainer for me as I love Thai culture; I am a huge muay Thai fan, I love Thai cuisine and a break from the cold climate is welcomed. I expect the main challenges I will face while living abroad is (1) Culture shock. I know absolutely nothing about Thai customs or any of the language but I am very excited to learn. And (2) Homesickness, I wish I could bring my family and friends but alas, they have their own lives to live. My plan to overcome these obstacles is to (1) completely immerse myself in the culture and learn as much as I can as fast as I can and (2) join or create a community for social support. I hope that from this experience I gain a better understanding of this world we all share and to travel all over Thailand.

[Sandeepa Bevli]

Hello Everyone! I am Sandeepa (Deepa) if it is easier. I was born and raised in the U.S.A. I am a mix of American and Indian (the country) cultures. I have traveled extensively since I was a child. I am currently a professor at one of the California State Universities. I teach Criminal Justice courses, and have a PhD. in Criminal Justice I have many years of working with k-12 grades too. I have always wanted to live and teach abroad. Traveling is different than living in a country, I am very excited. As many of you stated, I too want to immerse myself in the Thai culture. However, language may be a barrier. I am also looking forward to meeting the children I teach English to! I love kids and love teaching, and kids are universal. They want to have fun, and I agree. I want to make the classes fun, but yet they learn! We all can never stop learning. For me, teaching in Thailand will be a new experience. I am sure I will learn as I take the journey to Thailand! I look forward to meeting all of you!

[Kenneth Palmer]

Hello everyone,

My name is Kenneth Palmer and I am from Baltimore, Maryland USA. I studied History at the University of Maryland and joined the United States Coast Guard shortly thereafter. I have visited many countries both for work and for leisure outside of the United States, but have never lived in a different country before.
I wanted to teach in Thailand because I have a passion for World Language, travel, and teaching, and I always wanted to teach abroad. I also picked Thailand for its food, culture, and amazing people, and an interest in Asian culture.
Some of the challenges that I expect to face are the language barrier as well as different culture norms in Thailand vs. the United States. I plan to overcome these by doing more research into Thai culture and by learning as much Thai as I can. I expect to get out of this experience a greater understanding of different cultures other than mine as well as a rewarding experience teaching English to Thai students, and meeting great people along the way!

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