Switching Gears

Now that I have not been a teacher for the past three months, I have done a lot of reflecting on the transition from the school campus and teaching schedule to a more flexible consulting position. Although still in education, my new job brings with it a different kind of responsibility as well as unforeseen challenges. When former colleagues ask me if I miss teaching, I am quick to reply, "To be honest, no I don't." It came as a surprise to me, and often as a shock or in some cases verification to others, but I really don't miss it. After 37 years in the classroom (4 more as a consultant to school districts), it was time to do something else. However, I am also quick to add that what I do miss is the camaraderie that goes along with teaching. I had to stop teaching to realize just how much of a social enterprise teaching can be, not only with students at various levels, but more with other teachers. This was driven home to me during the first week of school last month. I happened to have been on campus for business, and chatting with some colleagues and former students, when it was time for the first block of classes to begin. Suddenly, the halls were empty except for me. It was then that I understood that I was now an outsider, despite my continuing friendships with teachers, and as a parent of a student. I no longer had access to the school email system, in fact I could not gain access at all to the internet from my computer. I was no longer part of the faculty. It was a tough moment, and it still gives me pause every time I return.

This isn't my first consulting job, having done it for a few years in the U.S. for a state agency. But it is an entirely different set of rules when in a different culture. My position with an agency that advises the Ministry of Education involves special projects that involve English curricular issues in math and science. All of my colleagues are well educated Thais, many of whom studied or lived in the U.S., Canada, UK, New Zealand or Australia. When one is a lone westerner in an agency of 300, one tends to stand out. I find myself feeling that I need to ratchet up my efforts and be constantly on top of my game, as though all eyes are on me. They aren't (I don't think), but I can't escape the feeling. I enjoy the flexibility of working from home, or often from coffee shops with wifi, and dread the trips downtown for meetings, not because I don't like working there, but because the traffic jams are horrendous at the times I need to travel. Once there, however, I work with a cadre of about six educators developing projects and brainstorming new ideas to forward, which is very rewarding. It is an exciting time in Thailand as they revise their standards in science and math, and move to integrate English in many of their demonstration schools, and eventually nationwide as the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Economic Community steams toward reality in 2015 with English as an official mode of communication between the ten countries. 

I find that my Thai is improving daily. It comes from deciding to actually listen closely to people speak Thai as well as trying to learn new words or phrases each day, studying the tones and emphases that can easily confuse non-Thai speakers. I carry a hefty English-Thai dictionary with me. It is well used, evidenced by the tattered pages. Learning Thai is a challenge, but it makes a world of difference in how I am viewed, as well as how much I learn about Thai culture. I have come to believe that it is not possible to understand another culture very well without speaking its language. I know many westerners here who consider themselves some level of "expert" on Thailand, but cannot communicate with anyone in the native language. I have found that by not making an effort, one's level of cultural understanding is quite low, as the language is rich in nuances that don't translate well. I've heard all the excuses for not learning Thai, but what it boils down to is respect. When one "expects" natives to speak English, to me it is a sign of great disrespect (I bite my tongue every time I hear someone gush "I found a bank teller who speaks English really well!"). I suspect Thais feel the same way although on the surface they would never show it. Having moved out of an English speaking environment (international school) to a Thai one has helped me understand so much more about the culture. Often it is a struggle to speak Thai, but it gets easier each day. I also have found that there are things about Thai culture I have learned that I would never have known otherwise simply because I know a modicum of the language, and am willing to try it, simple though my utterances may be. That, I believe, opens an avenue of trust larger than if I did not make an attempt at the language.

With a flexible schedule where I am treated as a professional who does not have to justify how my time is spent each day, the temptations are great to do little things other than work. I can't work at home anymore because while there I am constantly setting about doing chores that normally are left until evenings or weekends. So, I end up in coffee shops or restaurants, which have their own temptations to be sure. Granted, I spend more money that way, but I tend to get more work done there as long as an acquaintance doesn't show up and want to chat. 

So, the transition is coming along well. My greatest wish is that Bangkok hurry and extend its sky train out my way!