Just call me Kru Amber

Dara Academy: The school where I teach is the oldest and largest Christian private school in Thailand. Seven thousand students attend the school. I teach in a program called the NP program (Native Speaker Program--terrible acronym). the school is divided into primary/kindergarten (Anuban), elementary (Pratom) and high school (Mattayom). I was hired to teach in Mattayom, but a few days before I was set to come to Thailand the school informed me of their need for me to substitute for the kindergarten/preschool teacher for a month. I couldn't really say "no" so I decided to be flexible and I said "yes".I am currently substituting for Anuban. Yes, the teacher who has a Masters in Second Language Teaching to adults is teaching three and five year olds. It is a challenge, but perhaps it is a good one. It is all oral and I must be animated and silly and I probably need a bit of that. There are also never any grammar questions which is always nice. We sing and repeat words and they always make me laugh and smile. Its nice to be able to say that I smile every day.

The students you see in the pictures are the three years actually enrolled in the NP program. They pay more and receive two 30 minute sessions of English every day. They are quick learners and often are more atttentive than my college students. They are wearing headbands so that I can learn their names (examples of names that are written phonetically so that I can pronounce them: Frame, Unda, Pawin, Yok, Pixie, Pai, Friend, In, and Phang ("ph" makes the "f" sound).

And my name...my name is Kru Amber. ("kru" means teacher and is pronounced "croo"). Its lovely to hear them yell to me on campus: Kru Amber.....