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.
