Tag: teaching

We got that attitude! – 29th November 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

What book have you given most as a gift?

I haven’t given many as gifts but I think I gave a couple of copies of Xinran’s Sky Burial to friends. I loved reading that book and actually should read it again. Not sure if I have a copy anymore.

I think I also gifted The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet a couple of times including to Hayden. I think that may be worth a read again too actually, and again not sure I own a copy now. Will check my bookshelves tonight.

24th Sep 2022 – I didn’t have copies of either but I did buy another copy of Sky Burial and promptly gave it away again to a student I thought might appreciate it.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to receive feedback from my students this week saying, ‘Teacher Shaun is my hero, he loves students’. This made me realise that despite the struggles of our language barriers that I can have a positive influence on their lives, no matter how small. I went back to my old school today and was overwhelmed by the reaction of the kids. I hope the impression I made on them is a positive experience they will always remember and try to pass on to others in their lives. I feel very happy today because of these things. Now, to continue.

If there was some sense to make I’d try and understand – 26th November 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

What makes you most excited?

When I first looked at this question I found within myself a general lack of excitement. Not in a bad way. I enjoy many many things that I do or can do but there’s nothing in particular that makes me excited. Everything at the moment is giving me great satisfaction.

The one main thing I have planned is to organise a tour for Kevin from Trumans Water and we’ve been talking about it for a while and yesterday I started contacting the first promoters and the first show kinda fell together so quickly and easily that it has given me confidence in being able to make it work and to do a good job.

I’m looking forward to visiting a couple of new places such as Kota Kinabalu and Yogyakarta. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with Kevin as Trumans Water has been a favourite band of mine for a long time. I still feel a sense of adventure stronger than a sense of excitement though.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to Kru Tam to help me fix some things at school so that I can teach the lessons I want to teach. Some of the rooms don’t have video set up properly and a technician needs to come and fix the TV screens. Thankfully Kru Tam is there to help me sort it out.

18 Apr 2021 – None of the things that would have helped me got fixed in the end and I had to come up with other ideas. But at least the Thai teachers looked as if they were helping me!

We got that attitude! – 13th November 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

This week I still have some remnants of uncertainty. I’m going to be very busy with things at home as well as at school and it won’t leave as much free time as previously. I’ll have to plan carefully as I still haven’t managed to schedule in time for meditation and exercise. I’m pretty exhausted when I get home from school already. I just feel like chilling in my room or watching TV shows. I know I have to try and push past that. I can do it, right?

Whatever you do willingly, you enjoy. Whatever you do unwillingly, you suffer.

Sadhguru

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful today to the student in P5/3 who told me after a lesson that I am the best teacher in the world! It made me so happy though I’m not sure why she thought that. The class did go much better than the previous two though and I’m just glad that there was some appreciation. There will be some kids who think the exact opposite I’m certain!

We got that attitude! – 12th November 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Slept deeply last night – for some reason the stress of standing up for myself on a small issue has made me very tired.

Yesterday was also a little frustrating as my students seem to have mostly forgotten what they did last week. Not all of them but enough to show that this will be a struggle. I do remember having a similar feeling in CRPAO soon after I started. I guess I need to adjust my expectations – teach to the top/middle – keep them interested.

I woke up tired but feel reasonably confident this morning. I only have two lessons today so can spend a lot of time preparing more lessons.

Gratitude Journal

I was so happy and grateful to watch the sunrise this morning. It came up over the mountain behind the temple spire and it was amazing. Every day the sun comes up. Long before I was here and long after I’m gone.

We got that attitude! – 11th November 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The end of the week felt good. But this morning I felt a little anxious as I push back against having to work next weekend. I worked so hard at CRPAO that I don’t want to fall back into that trap.

In this past month, I have learned that I can be more confident with my skills at teaching. I can feel that I make a good impression on the students and that in general, they are happy to follow what I ask of them.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for the many beautiful birds that come to visit our garden. I wasn’t sure there would be any as it seemed there were none when the building was going on. Now there are lots of trees and bushes there are many that come to visit. Even despite our cats, who don’t seem to be smart enough to catch them. Some of the birds are not so spectacular but they are mostly all new to me, being different to those in Australia and the UK.

We got that attitude! – 6th November 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to hear positive feedback from the Thai teachers about my teaching. It gives me some pride and confidence that what I’m doing is ok. I am also so happy and grateful that, so far, there is actually less work to do. Putting the lessons together is pretty straightforward so I have spare time to consider doing a little extra for the kids.

24th Mar 2021 – This school was happy to work with textbooks which made putting lessons together pretty straightforward, though for some reason they still required new lesson plans year after year – surely one of the most ridiculous ideas amongst the many deficiencies found in the government education system here. Anyway, life was a little easier for a little while

The older you get the less you’re worth – 1st October 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Picture was taken a few months later when I went back for a visit.

Yesterday I told my class I was leaving. It was a little emotional – two of the students got teary. It was sad to see – those kids can’t go a whole semester with the same teacher. It did make me realise the impression I can make on students though. I hope I can work in the high school so I will still have the opportunity to see them sometimes. I know I can work in another school ok but I’m also dreading it a little.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to Amy for helping me through all the tough situations since we met. Many things I can deal with and help her with but there have been times when she had been so wonderful and supportive. I know she gets frustrated with me sometimes too but at the end of the day, she is always there for me. I love her so much.

Weight: 83.1kg
Resting heart rate: 50

No windows, no ceiling or floor – 30th September 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Woke up just before my alarm. In my dream, I was trying to enter a password for something but kept getting it wrong. Things are fairly normal at home. Normal is good. Why I write this is because all our cats are happy at the moment.

All the humans are happy too.

My last week at school. Very relaxed. Not sure about what is coming up next – well, actually, I am. It’s holiday time. LIve in the moment. Your job doesn’t define you.

Gratitude Journal

Playing sport with some of the school kids made me smile, even when I fell over and hurt myself! I smiled and laughed with Amy a lot this week, feeling better about things in general. I smiled coming to school knowing that a holiday is coming and I will be leaving this environment. I smiled at Kim Chi and Cap chasing each other around the house. I smiled when the big dead lizard made Amy jump a mile into the air!

9th Mar 2021 – When I think about working at schools in Thailand I can’t help but believe that I am there for the student’s education and I care more about them than the ‘adults’ working there, who I can generally take or leave. The Thai staff at the schools I have worked at have a different agenda entirely as far as I can tell.

Patience – 20th October 1983

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I’ll lose my patience
You’re trying me
I’ll have to take stringent action
You’ll see
“Quiet, you lot of rabble
Or else you’ll be in deep trouble”
‘Patience, sir, is a fuckin’ virtue’
“Just shut up or I’ll fuckin’ hurt you”

8th May 2023 – I think this would have also been inspired by Mr Hayward who often made useless threats to us students. We did surely test his patience in every class. It was totally a game to us.