Thanks for changing my life, teacher
"Thank you for becoming a teacher at Teach For Thailand. Thank you for being my beloved teacher. I love you."
A student of Jib (Alumna cohort 2) was reflecting before we finished our conversation. They met each other at Kaenthong Upathum School in Bangkok. Throughout those two years of being a teacher, she touched the hearts of hundreds of students.
The story of Jib is one of the inspiring stories of Teach For Thailand fellows who have motivated students during their two-year period. In this article, we had a conversation with Earn, currently studying at the International Business Department, Kasetsart University, Sriracha Campus, in her fourth year, who was Jib’s student. Another one is Noon, a second-year student in the Business Administration program at Bangkok University, Mint, Alumna cohort 3’s student. Both teachers serve as role models in problem-solving, communication, and life planning, providing students with knowledge and experiences that contribute to their growth and transformation in life.
“At first, when I studied at a school in the Bangkok service area, I didn’t know much about Teach For Thailand teachers. Before Jib, there was Ti. However, I didn’t study with him as much as with Jib.”
“What impressed me about Teach For Thailand teachers is the closeness. Because Teach For Thailand teachers are not much older than us, we belong to the same generation, and they have a better understanding of us due to the close age gap.”
Earn shared with a smile on her face during the online interview one afternoon. From her expression, we could sense her excitement and eagerness to talk about her experience with Jib.
“Jib taught Mathematics, and I liked the way she taught gradually, not rushing through the lessons. She made sure every student will understand the lesson.
When asked about her first impression of Jib, we discovered that Earn was genuinely admiring her.
“The first time I met her, I thought Jib was like an angel. She was very calm and knows how to handle things. She has this aura around her, and she always carries herself with a peaceful demeanor.”
In Earn’s eyes, this small, petite female teacher who liked to wear shirts and pleated skirts did more than just teaching. She was someone who provided guidance and helped Earn find answers to important matters.
“A great example I learned from Jib is her empathy towards others. She made an effort to understand everyone. When I finished grade 9 and couldn’t decide whether to pursue general education or a vocational path, Jib provided guidance and support for everything. I expressed my desire to apply to another school for further studies, and she encouraged me to go for it, telling me to start preparing for the exam right away.”
“My experience with Jib has inspired me to become someone who understands others.”
In Earn’s perspective, Jib may appear as a role model, but that role model doesn’t stem solely from strength. Even with her vulnerabilities, Jib serves as a source of inspiration for an ordinary student like her.
“Another thing I learned from Jib and continue to apply to this day is how to approach and solve problems with a calm mind. Jib handled problems effortlessly. Sometimes when she had to deal with a stubborn student, she might secretly shed a tear, but she always managed to come back and tackle every issue with composure, not letting her emotions take control.”
Handling students with diverse backgrounds and skill levels can indeed be a challenge for the fellows, just like Mint, who taught at Phravisuthiwong School in Pathum Thani. She tackled this challenge with creative thinking.
“One thing I liked about Mint’s teaching style was that she incorporated games and adorable scoring systems for students to enjoy throughout the lessons.”
Noon, a student who participated in a project with Mint and even published her own handmade book, reminisced about her time learning with Mint several years ago.
“Mint would use an app to keep scores, and it was in the form of cute cartoon characters that were suitable for children. It made the learning experience enjoyable because of the friendly interface”
“I used to struggle to answer quickly, and I would occasionally receive scores from Mint, although not enough to win any awards,” Noon responded with a hint of disappointment in her voice, accompanied by a little smile.
Noon participated in an activity where she created a handmade book with Mint. During that time, she made a book about dealing with bullying in school. Noon was impressed that Mint took her to various places to present the book, such as Central World, independent bookstores, and even had people asking about the concept behind the book. Some of the interviewers were journalists and editors from publishing houses.
“Through this activity, I learned to be more confident in expressing myself. Initially, I was someone who spoke very little and was hesitant to express myself. But I met more people through this activity.”
Mint also taught lessons on adjusting and communicating effectively with friends, which Noon has carried with her to this day.
“The lesson I learned from Mint is that when interacting with others, we need to adapt. I used to be a very introverted person. When I started being around many friends, there were some aspects of myself that they didn’t appreciate, such as my way of speaking, which was abrupt and fragmented. Mint advised me to speak softly and clearly, and not to respond with ‘I don’t know’ all the time. This lesson has had a positive impact on me, especially in group work where I have become more gentle and cautious in my approach.”
The importance of being cautious in their actions was something that Mint communicated to them from the very first day they met.
“On the first day, Mint dressed very neatly, strictly following the school regulations. The school has its own rules, and Mint strictly adhered to them.
“Moreover, Mint was incredibly kind. On the first day, Mint didn’t teach much but allowed students to express themselves and share their expectations for the classroom.
Lastly, when we asked Noonand Ern to leave a message for Mint and Jib, Noon responded with great sincerity:
“Thank you for everything that you have taught us. You are a calm, creative, and very fair person in many aspects. I am extremely happy to have learned from you.”
As for Earn, she replied with a heartfelt voice:
“Thank you, Kru Jib. Thank you for all the dedication and everything you have done to enter Teach For Thailand. Everything that you intended and did with passion throughout your teaching career is not in vain. Thank you for becoming a teacher at Teach For Thailand. Thank you for being my beloved teacher. I love you.”
In our lives, we rarely have the opportunity to touch and positively influence someone’s life to grow in a better direction. This opportunity lies in the hands of our fellows from each cohort of Teach For Thailand. Each person has their way of harvesting experiences and creating different impacts. The stories of Mint and Jib are just one of the inspirations from Teach For Thailand’s alumni who are determined to change the future of education. All of them hope that one day, every Thai child will have access to quality and equitable education.
