I am a person of many interests and I belueve that my writings on Asian Meanderings, and elsewhere, reflects that.  Lately, the focus on this blog has been on stamps and postcards with a few of our local Phuket festivals and activities sprinkled in.  But I am also a teacher of English as a Foreign Language, something I haven’t written about here in over a year.  I’m always happy to give pointers to newly-arrived teachers and do so as a matter of routine in my job.  Most of these tips come under the category of “Survival’ — how to survive in the classroom (the Thai educational system is, well, weird) and how to survive as a long-term resident (the Thai bureaucracy is more than weird).

While I am still thinking of an interesting way to blog some of these tips, I do finally have a “new” educational experience to write about.  I’ve been invited to lead my very first English Camp!  Apart from helping with activities at various school open houses, graduations, and holiday parties over the years I have never even participated in an English camp before!

Why me? Well, I suppose I was the only person available who said, “Well, that might be fun.”  I’m always willing to try a new experience and English camp is probably the only remaining thing I haven’t done as a teacher in Thailand.  It should be “interesting” for the students as well.

This particular camp will involve Matayom 3 students from Pluk Panya Municipal School and occur on 28 and 29 November (that’s Thanksgiving and Black Friday to us Yanks).  The best part is that the camp will be held at a resort in Phang Nga Province (note to self: must Google “Ban Saen”).  I’ll be accommodated in a “luxury villa” (bamboo hut?) and comped all meals and drinks.  Of course, I’ll need to endure a 2-hour school bus ride each way with hormonal and  screaming high school students and come up with a number of different activities but it should be a blast.  And I’ve already decided to wait until after the holidays before I attempt a diet so I’m planning to take full advantage of the free food.

I’ll report back on planned activities (as soon as I think of some good games) and, naturally, there will be photos posted once the camp actually takes place.  Wish me luck!

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