วันเสาร์ที่ 6 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2559

Kru Oat Chanukrit Thienkalaya: Teaching Changes Lives #oxford

Q1:  Introduce yourself.

SA-WAD-DEE KUB

My name is Chanukrit Thieknalaya, but everyone calls me “Kru Oat”.


Nine years ago, I made a really important decision that would affect for the rest of my life.   I decided to leave behind the suit-and-tie and follow my dream.   I didn’t know what it would be like at that time.  My family was a bit worried.  But for me, it was the beginning of the happiest time in my life.

I’ve been teaching English for four years now.  I teach all kinds of subjects within ESL, ranging from pronunciation to being a teacher trainer. 

My students are from grade 4 to grade 12, and all the way up to university level.  I also train English teachers in schools around Thailand.

As an English teacher / trainer, my day-to-day routine is quite fun.  Some months, in the high season, I teach English to high school students in grade 12, to prepare them for the national standardized test.  We called it in short ONET.  And other months, I have to fly to the South of Thailand to train elementary and secondary English teachers.  I also do other kinds of projects, such as the English through Drama project.  It is called “English Superfun”.  My team and I work with other schools and organisations throughout the country.  With this kind of dynamic schedule, it keeps me fresh and eager to teach, to encourage, and to inspire my students to be better every day.


I’ve worked with people one-on-one, all the way up to 750 students at a time in big halls.

With the small groups, I enjoy taking care of each individual, and making sure each person gets my individual attention.  And for a big group or large class, we also enjoy the energy and excitement that the students bring to the class.




Q2:  What’s your style of teacher?

Most of the time, my teaching style is fun, enthusiastic, and very, very participative.  I like to have conversations in my big classes.  And that’s important for Thai students.  Traditionally, in Thai culture, both students and teachers have been trained to stick to their societal roles quite rigidly.

(Teachers are supposed to stand in front of the classroom and transfer their knowledge to the best of their ability.  It’s not their fault; it’s just Thai culture.)

Teachers are supposed to be the experts, while the students are expected to just keep quiet, and have no say, even if sometimes they don’t understand, or the teacher misspeaks, or something is not clear.  It’s much more teacher-centered.  The result is that Thai students study English for years, and never achieve even basic fluency.


So I thought, ”What can I change?  How can I get my students to be more active, to be active learners?”  So, I decided to do things differently, to think differently.  So, I changed my teaching style to be more of an “Edutainer”. I like to see my students smiling, laughing, and learning at the same time.  

I enjoy hearing my students’ opinions.  I love class participation.  And most of all, I think learning should be fun, happy, and challenging. 

Whenever I see even the students in the back, or the weaker students, trying to participate, and not giving up, and actually being eager to join the activity, I feel as though I’ve accomplished my goal. 

Especially when a teacher comes to me at the end of the class, and thanks me for changing the attitudes of the underperforming students, and showing them that English is NOT that hard, and that they CAN do it, and I see them WANTING to do it, then I really feel like I’ve made a difference, yes.


Q3: What’s your favorite moment in teaching?

The most rewarding part of my career – the part I'm most proud of  – came when my colleagues and I created our “English Superfun: Learning English through Drama” program, and started helping Nakhonnonvitaya (Wat Tai Muang) school’s students learn English through drama activities.  When we first started the program, some of the children had trouble even reading in English, let alone writing or speaking.  Many of them were very shy, and scared to try.  But through the use of drama techniques, and participation in short plays, and other activities, they eventually came out of their shells, and just blossomed.  I watched them grow up, in a way, and become much more confident in their abilities.  To the point that, today, they are outgoing, and confident, and very proactive, actually, about speaking and using English.  And I'm happy to say that we have won the national drama championship for the last two years in a row.  And that's been just a complete thrill for them. That kind of thing used to be beyond their dreams.  But now, they're national champions!










Q4: How have you changed yourself after teaching for several years?

As you can see, teaching has not only changed other people’s lives, but my life also.  Ever since I started teaching, I have always felt like I started late, and that I needed to learn more about ESL.  So, a few years ago, I decided to go back to school, and enroll in the Faculty of Education, majoring teaching English, at Ramkhamhaeng University.  It was a great decision.  I’ve learned a lot from the professors, who are very knowledgeable.  I have met lots of new friends who are passionate about becoming English teachers.  And I do other things to keep learning, as well.  I also attend seminars and international conferences to keep myself up-to-date.  I try the teaching techniques that I’ve learned in the classes.  And I discover my own techniques for helping my weaker students with their challenges.  And whenever I have the opportunity, I constantly try to improve myself, or do something a different way, to master new teaching skills.  So, I guess you could consider me a life-long learner. 


I believe that, once you are a teacher, you need to be willing to dedicate yourself to others, to share your passion, and to be someone who will transform your students into better people, because, in a way, the calling of a teacher is not just to teach, really, // it’s to love, to share, and to inspire.  That’s why my name is Kru Oat.  In Thai, the word “Kru” means “teacher”, a hard working person.










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