Goodbye Teacher, Goodbye Thailand

Our time at Anuban had come to an end, and in the quickest 4 months I’ve ever experienced in my life. Our career as teachers in Thailand was almost up. It was our LAST WEEK! I knew I couldn’t possibly have a real lesson with my students so I made a worksheet with clipart of a teacher surrounded by students for them to color and a message they could also color that said “Thank you for being great students, Love, Teacher Bee”.

Even though I knew they couldn’t quite read it, I felt I had to express my gratitude anyways. As the students still had a few weeks of school left, most of them had no idea I was leaving. I mustered up the best of my thai and English words they knew to try to expain to them it was time to bye-bye back to America. Remember though that these kids are only 6 and 7. The reaction greatly differed from class to class, and from student to student. Some were immediately upset and made fake crying noises. For others, a few understood and were sad but most didn’t have the attention span to even listen to me. If some students initially acted disappointed, they immediately forgot and went back to whatever paper plane they were making. Whatever the reaction, I can at least say I made a winning final worksheet. Every time I just held up the worksheet that was in black and white and obviously for coloring they ERUPTED into cheers. Who would have thought coloring would bring so much joy. The bubble letters of the message enabled them to color them in, and half the time the kids didn’t even GET to the picture because they spent so much time meticulously coloring every single letter a different color. Forget the message, this coloring business was serious for little thai 6 year olds. I gave pretty stickers to all the students no matter how terrible the coloring so that also contributed to a smooth class. Bringing out the camera ensured fun as well and as I snapped away catching almost every kid and they couldn’t have loved it more.
View of students hanging on to my stomach, Cute 1st graders and their final worksheet

All fun aside, it was very bittersweet. Being a teacher in Thailand was OVER. Where had this year gone? It was a relief to know I wouldn’t have to deal with 725 crazy, jumping, screaming monkey children who don’t speak my language everyday, but at the same kind heartbreaking for the very same reason. The ones I came to love, I couldn’t imagine going a day without seeing their absolutely adorable faces at my desk. And how could I just up and leave them? As ready as I was to start a new adventure in life, the week was slipping by and realizing every thing I have come to know here in Thailand was going to leave me soon was getting hard to fathom.

Every class ended in a massive hugging fest. Most of the kids may have not cared that much that I was leaving but just wanted to join in on the hug pile. The children that did realize I was not going to be their teacher anymore hung on for dear life. One little girl that I actually didn’t recognize that well held onto me at my desk the whole class. When the bell rung she buried her face in my stomach. I was kind of laughing because it was so cute but when I lifted her chin her eyes were full of tears. My heart broke. I tried to gather Thai words of comfort to her, but I was at loss for what to say even in English. I told her I had to go and she bravely smiled and nodded her head repeatedly while her eyes spilled over. I walked away holding back my own tears so she wouldn’t see. Another one of my 2^nd grade students named Plane had a hard time too. She was suuuuch an amazing student and spoke incredible English. She helped me with so much of my Thai too because we would sit there and talk about words and how to say them in English and Thai. If I ever had a problem explaining something to the students, I pretty much just asked Plane to help and she handled the situation for me. When I announced I was leaving she started crying at her desk. Thai students don’t really have too much sympathy so everyone kind of pointed at her to me and imitated her (don’t worry they also don’t get upset when this happens either). She stayed at my desk the whole time and when it was time to go she burst into tears again. She couldn’t hug me though, her friends just held her while she cried which made me even more sad. I gave her a hug and told her it was O.K and she asked for my picture so I gave her one of my extra passport pictures to keep which cheered her up.

Hug Fest, and one of my best 2nd grade students, Plane

The week winded down and some classes were canceled to your usual random celebrations. We made a speech to say goodbye and some of the students cried in the crowd. Felix had a great last week with his students. In one class the girls told him to play games with the boys and keep him occupied. Before the bell rang he turned around and the students had colored the whole board with a message that said “We love you Teacher! We will miss you!”. All the girls made him these elaborate cards full of drawings, and pop-ups, all in crazy shapes that all basically said that they love him and will miss him forever, accompanied by pictures of them crying. He literally has a giant folder now filled with them to take home. He taught 5^th and 6^th grade and what is great for him is that I think he made a huge impact on his students and they will LOVE and remember him forever (I mean how can a Thai kid forget a goofy 6’3 blond teacher that they had mega crushes on anyways). Whereas I know as much as my students enjoyed me, they will have so many more foreign teachers as the years go by and inevitably as they are only 6 they will probably forget me. What can you do.

The time we had at Anuban was nothing I could have expected. These kids were crazy, and trying at times, but so loveable. I wish I could have expressed to them how much they meant to me, and I know I will never forget the great experience I had teaching them.The year was over, but now we were set to travel Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia before heading home! Neither of us will ever forget Thailand, and I know there will be times when we miss it greatly, but whatever comes next I know another new adventure is in store!