Lucky Me

I am finished with semester one, and I have learned more about Thai culture in the last few days with regards to their grading system than I have since being here. I don't agree with the way they evaluate their students, and after biting knuckles and lips and gritting my teeth, I've come to understand that I can't change the system just because it doesn't align with my beliefs on how an education system should work. I come from a different culture. I am a guest here. I will follow by their rules. My impression is that the grading system is based on looking for flaws in student's work rather than finding accomplishments. They see it as being objective. If a student's written work doesn't match a particular formula, they are given a score based on what the single person who made the answer key thinks the correct response should be. My question is since when is there an answer key for an exam that asks students to write an essay? In any case, I got sliced at the knees for my approach in grading my students, so I held my tongue and did it their way. I only wish they would have more faith in their teachers to evaluate their students. It's the first major cultural difference I've been directly involved in. Even though I'm not happy with the final exam and grading process, it makes me that much more motivated to really give my students a great experience in the classroom next semester.

I am now officially on holiday from CMU. I still teach my SAT students which is a joy, and I don't even consider it 'work.' I am incredibly lucky because not only do I love what I do to pay the bills, I love having lots of time to do whatever suits my fancy. My life is a big vacation, and I even get a vacation in Hong Kong on top of it. I am so excited to get to Hong Kong tomorrow to see my family. When I initially arrived in Chiang Mai, every new day felt as if I was a 'traveler'. I've crossed that threshold and now that I truly feel like I live here, that this is my home for the time being, it's such a treat to become the 'traveler' again. I love airports and big backpacks.