First Week (Observation Week)

In this week, I did a lot of observation time since my school Udonpittayanukoon was the biggest school in Udon Thani. I thought I was lucky enough to be in Udon Thani province because I got the biggest University (UDRU) and the biggest school Udonpittayanukoon of course there are great people, students, place, and education program.

This picture was the first time of my friends and I who came from different place to came to Udonpittayanukoon. I have to arrived to the school before half past seven. Of course for the first time our buddy take us to the school and that was my first moment to know about "song thew" (the small car or minibus in Thailand). I just need ten bath to ride song thew and about 5 minutes to reach the school. It was very excited because I can meet with Thailand's students and I talk with them even in the simple conversation.

For the first time in Udonpittayanukoon School, the one of English teacher, Mr. Alex took us on the stage in front of the director, about 300 teacher and 4000 more students. Mr.Alex introduced us to the member of Udonpittayanukoon school and let us to introduce ourselves one by one in simple way.

When welcoming us, Udonpittayanukoon school showed the dance from the students and we were enjoyed it because one of the dance was K-Pop. J

All school in Thailand held flag ceremony even Thailand was the only one country in ASEAN which has not colonized by other country. The flag ceremony in Thailand especially in Udonpittayanukoon was flexible. After the flag raised, the student could sit down in the place they stand as long as they listen what the commander of ceremony speech. People should stand up and stop doing anything when they hear the anthem of Thailand as the symbol of respect.

My friends and I got good office in Udonpittayanukoon. The office was the office of several International Program teacher’s office (Mr. Yo, Miss Sonam and the others teachers). The teacher in this office were friendly and kind. Sometime, they asked us about our project in Udonpittayanukoon, about our country, shared about the experience, shared about our individual information, shared about the habitual of the students, they asked us to go lunch together in the canteen and they told us that we could make coffee or tea in the office. Sometime, some teachers from Philippines (Mr. Steve) and India (Mr. Sha) came to our office to share their activity and scholarship experience. I felt comfortable, welcomed and enjoyed in this place.

As long as in the week of observation, I went around the school and found temple in this school. Mr. Boem as one of English teacher accompanied us to go to the temple to see the activity in the temple and I saw the students learn about praying in front of Buddha statue. After that, Mr. Boem took us to see the music instruments and Mr. Boem and one of the teacher played the music instrument, besides the other female teachers danced and sang. It was really awesome and I liked the sounds of the instrument because it was so classic and original. One of the instrument was like flute but the name was Zither , the instrument seem like guitar was Pong Lang and the instrument that played by hitting was Bamboo Mouth Organ.

In my observation week, I learned how my mentor teacher Miss Fah taught the students in huge number. Before the class started, the students stood up together and greet the teacher. The classes those taught by Miss Fah were regular classes. At least the amount of the students in one class was about 37 students and the biggest was 52 students. Even there were in huge number they still focused on the lesson. Miss Fah used microphone because the class was big and a lot of the students. Actually, Miss Fah class focused on grammar but Miss Fah also improve the student’s ability in speaking, writing, listening and reading. The source of the lesson took from the book. In teaching and learning process, Miss Fah make students more active by asking question, asked students to come forward and sometime called the students by the attendance list.

Besides Miss Fah class which was regular class, I also got one International Program class. The teacher was Mr. Robert or we called him Mr. Bob. The students in this class less than regular class, about 31 students. Mr. Bob also focused on grammar as Miss Fah di in teaching English. After checked the attendance list, Mr. Bob start the lesson by writing the lesson and ask the students what kind of sentence was that?.

In the week of observation, I also learned about electronic media that support me and my friends in teaching learning process. One of Mathematics teacher in International Program, Mr. Marvin taught us how to operate the projector. Since the projector was little bit different from power point because it used special pen that we can draw in the slide. After all it was very attractive, useful and make student give more attention to the teacher explanation.

Since we have no class yet to teach, in our spare time we go to the canteen and tried to enjoy the volley ball and besides the volley ball stadium there was office where the information that should be inform by the speaker announced. The teachers were excited when they met us and make conversation also took some pictures with us.

On Saturday of observation week, Udon Thani Rajabhat University lecturer (A-Jarn Kim) and the buddies took us to city tour by their private bus. The first place was Red Lotus Sea but it was not real sea. I thought it was big lake with a lot of beautiful pink lotus blooming. To see the lotus bloom we had to come in the early morning. A-Jar Kim told us to gather at 5 a.m so we can reach the place and still could see the lotus bloom. In the Red Lotus Sea, we rode small boat and it is free because the UDRU paid for us and in the middle of the lake we saw, enjoy, took picture, and took video with beautiful lotus. It was the great and the first experience to see a lot of lotus in from on my eyes. 

After finish took a lot of picture in the lake, we back to the edge of the lake and enjoyed the landmark on that place. In this picture, my friends and I took a picture in the agreement monument between Thailand and South Korean.

Beside the lake, there was also a beautiful temple with red and gold ornament. I entered the temple but I did not take a picture. I just took a picture with my friends outside of the temple. Then Beside the temple there was music instrument but it was special, only for pray. It called “Gong” and if we want to hit “Gong”, we have to hit in odd number. Actually in my country, Indonesia, had the same one. The shape and the name are same just the color sometime different, it could be black or gold. In Indonesia, people used Gong for escort the traditional dance and it was one of traditional music instrument especially in Java.

On sunday, it was our freeday but we did not want to spent our special time in Thailand just stay in the dorm. Luckily, my friend, Resa, and I had same buddies; Victoria and Orange. Therefore, on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m we went to Nong Prajak. We asked our other three friends (Widhi, Nadya and Dwi) to go with us. In Nong Prajak, there is a lake and the dolls of Duck family. After taking picture with the duck’s family, my friends and I buy ticket and ride duck boat. We enjoyed the sunset in this place. In the night, we went to dinner together.