Chiang Mai, Thailand

 Chiang Mai is the largest city in Northern Thailand and a city that is rich with culture and traditions. During the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai Lunar calendar there are two festivals that are celebrated. Loy Krathong, which traditionally sends floating lanterns into the river and Yi Peng, which sees sky lanterns being released into the sky. When I booked my time in Chiang Mai I was unaware of these festivals, but shortly before my stay I was informed that my visit would overlap with these festivals. I had some time to research them both a little further, which only served to excite me more. Loy Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated over three days, the first being mostly opening ceremonies. The second and third days are when the lanterns (both river and sky) are sent off.

    On the second day of Loy Krathong I was able to purchase a krathong, light the candle and incense and send it off down the river. The krathongs are made up of biodegradable materials. It was such a neat experience to see the excitement of everyone in attendance, and so beautiful to see all the lanterns floating down the river.

    The third and final day of the Yi Peng festival I was able to witness the sky lanterns being released. Something I did not know about these sky lanterns is that they are actually quite large and require multiple people to send them off. At least one person (more is better) needs to hold the paper lantern piece up while another person lights the ring in the middle. Eventually the paper part of the lantern will expand as the flame gets going, but they still need to be held up for quite some time before the will float away. Multiple people around the lantern had to hold it in place and wait. It was so interesting to watch different groups and the techniques that they would use to send off their lanterns. I found the whole event very touching, as different groups came together, each releasing a lantern into the sky, creating a beautiful sight for everyone present. 

    Like the lighting of sky lanterns, teaching involves many people. For a student to really soar, they need the support of multiple people. Parents working in partnership with the teachers, along with the many other influences (admin, educational assistants, custodians, etc) that effect a child are vital to a student's success. Ultimately a student is sent off and given ownership of their own learning and life. Zhang (2011) discusses this in their article "Sustaining Knowledge Building as a Principle-Based Innovation at an Elementary School". Addressing what happens when students are given ownership of their own success Zhang states "[Teachers] trust that children can take on a high-level of responsibility in the classroom, including responsibility for generating meaningful questions and themes to deepen inquiry; for contributing and collaboratively improving their ideas; and for reflecting on and improving their thinking, participation, and collaboration." (p. 286). With a supportive learning environment and people to care for and believe in students, they are really able to do amazing things. 

Reference:

Zhang, J. (2011). Sustaining Knowledge Building as a Principle-Based Innovation at an Elementary        School. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 20(2), 262–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2011.528317

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Perspective

 Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and boasts many skyscrapers. These include the Petronas Towers, which are the world's tallest twin skyscrapers. I spent a couple days exploring Kuala Lumpur and one of the things I did was to go up to the observation deck of the KL Tower. It's funny, because on google maps, you appear to be in the same place at the bottom and at the top of the tower, though the view has changed significantly. Being at the top of the tower you are able to see so much further, suddenly you are looking down at the surrounding buildings. At so high up you are really able to see the layout of a city, it is a completely different perspective. 

    Looking at beginnings and endings we can have a similar perspective shift. When you are at the start of a new school year you may have an idea of what the year will bring, but you don't know your students yet. There are so many unknowns when you are looking forward at a beginning. Then contrast that with the end of a school year. Looking back at how things went, there is more clarity in the relationships you were able to build with students or the things you learned. You are able to reflect on the growth that was made, simply with the perspective shift. While I rode an elevator to the top of the KL Tower, teaching is more like taking the stairs (multiple times). The perspective we get at the end of a school year is earned through hard work, energy and time. In the midst of the climb, take a moment to reflect and look back at the growth you have made. 

    I find myself as we near the end of this course looking back at everything I have learned so far. I admit it always feels so daunting reading the syllabus at the beginning thinking you are going to have to complete all those tasks. And now here I sit, with the ending approaching, grateful for the perspective that time and work has brought.

Railay Beach, Thailand: Moments of Calm

 After a whirlwind of travelling many places, staying for a week (or less) at a time before heading to the next place, it was time to slow down. Railay Beach is a small village that on the south tip of Thailand, only accessible by boat. There are no cars or traffic in Railay and really consists of two main paths. As the name suggests, the main part of Railay Beach is in fact, its two stunning beaches. Both beaches are set in between tall limestone cliffs and boast beautiful white sand. I knew I wanted to focus on my coursework, and Railay seemed like the perfect option. I stayed in Railay Beach for three weeks. I would devote my mornings to school, then take a break and head to the beach. Honestly, it was a pretty perfect time. I was really able to sit in the moments of calm. 

    In teaching there aren't too many moments of calm. There are so many curricular expectations in teaching, not to mention the work that goes into creating and maintaining a functional classroom environment. As teachers we are constantly making decisions and having to solve problems, which is exhausting. This is why it is important to look for and create these moments of calm within our classroom. Sometimes we need to take a step back from our curricula agenda and give our students space to communicate their emotions. As teachers we can open moments where listening is the first priority. Giving students time to listen to themselves through reflection, and also listening to their classmates is a way to provide moments of calm. It is important for teachers to build these moments into our day, because they don't always happen on their own. 

    The moments of calm found on the beach may be few and far between in my regular life, but I certainly plan on being more mindful in how I create space for them within my classroom.

Bangkok, Thailand

 Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. There is so much to see and also a lot of fantastic food to eat. I came to Bangkok on my own, the first leg of my journey solo. I have done a lot of solo travelling before, but this was my first time in Asia going solo. While I was confident in my plan and felt safe, I also felt a little nervous. Being in a new place I had to do a lot of research and there were certain circumstances where I had to trust the information of others. I had to reach out and ask a lot of questions. This made me reflect on what it must be like for a student that is new to a school or even stepping into a new grade. I realize that these two things are not the same and I am not trying to downplay the experience that some students face when entering a new situation. I also acknowledge that it can depend on the student, some are more comfortable about being in new situations, whereas another child may be very anxious about the whole thing. I guess the parallel I want to draw is that we don't know what a child is going through, we need to be very sensitive in how we help. This made me think about how I create a welcoming classroom environment, a space where students are safe to ask questions. Being considerate of the students' vulnerabilities in class is key to having them feel safe. I felt vulnerable in a new place when I first arrived in Bangkok, but I had so many people willing to help point me in the right direction and answer my questions, even if we didn't speak the same language. This was a good reminder for me to be as helpful and welcoming as I can be everyone, but especially the students who join my class.

Canggu, Bali

Canggu is a town on the coast of Bali. Many people go for the beach and for surfing. While I was in Canggu there happened to be a surfing competition going on. I had never seen one of these before, so I was eager to watch. They had different age groups competing, one group I watched was these four young boys who were 8-10. These young surfers looked so small out in the big waves. Before they went out into the water, I noticed that each boy had a group of people that were there to support them and cheer them on. Every time one of the boys caught a wave, their little community went wild. Even while waiting for a wave, the teams on the shore would call out words of encouragement. When a boy was not able catch a wave or fell prematurely, they would still yell their support. When the surfers returned to shore after competing, each was met with cheers and congratulations. I honestly do not know who won the competition, not just because my understanding of competitive surfing is lacking, but also because the reception that met each boy when they returned was big and joyful. You could not identify a winner based on how each boy was greeted. This was a really sweet thing to see. 

    This made me reflective of how we are supportive of the students in our classes. Not every child comes from a home life where they have the care and support that they need, which makes it so important for us to rally behind each of our students. Creating a classroom environment where each students feels recognized and has the space to try, even if they make mistakes. I think this lends itself to the idea of allowing for creativity and innovation within a classroom setting. Beyond just telling students what they need to know, allowing them to innovate and explore different possibilities on their own is so powerful. All the while lending the scaffolding and support that they need to succeed, cheering on their progress while they are doing the hard work and the learning. Watching those young boys surf reminder me how important it is for everyone to have someone cheering them all. We all need this and it is something I can give my students.

Ubud, Bali: Traditions

Ubud is a city in Bali with a rich history and vibrant life. The Balinese culture is so present in everything that is done here. I loved talking to the locals and learning more about their different traditions and reasons behind certain things. Every house has a Temple for worship where they pray daily, leaving offerings of food, flowers, and incense. There are two guardians at each entrance to either welcome in or scare evil away. Each household has a dog, this is because dogs can sense evil spirits before humans, so they will warn if evil is coming near. The dogs are able to walk freely because of this important role. Despite the large amounts of tourists and foreigners that come to stay in Bali, the Balinese people hold fast to their traditions while still welcoming people in.

This leads me to wonder how things in Canada would be different if settlers hadn’t gone to such great lengths to rid the land of the rich Aboriginal culture and traditions that had existed for centuries previous to their arrival. What would it look like today if both cultures were able to live peacefully together, side by side from the beginning? Reading the article “Integrating Aboriginal Teaching and Values into the Classroom” Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse (2008) made me ponder more on these things. Toulouse outlines seven living principles that teachers can use in their classroom to support the teaching of all students, but especially Aboriginal students. The seven living principles are: Respect, Love, Bravery, Wisdom, Humility, Honesty, Truth. Obviously, we cannot change the past, but moving forward how can we ensure that we are doing our best to make the Aboriginal culture a main part of Canada today. Reading about Indigenous perspectives helped me to look for ways to make them a main part of my teaching practice. This is an ongoing process that constantly needs to be re-evaluated as we learn and grow. It is especially important to listen to the voices of our Indigenous brothers and sisters in a meaningful way as we take on this journey. Change takes time, but hopefully we can move in the right direction.

Reference:

Toulouse, P. R. (2008). Integrating Aboriginal teaching and values into the classroom. What Works? Research Into Practice, 11, 1–4.

Puerto Princesa, Philippines- Kindness and Moral Education

Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan in the Philippines. Something that really stood out for me in the Philippines was the genuine kindness of everyone I met. My Educational Assistant from the previous school year is from the Philippines, and she has a lot of family still over there. I agreed to drop some things off to her family while I was over there, and we arranged to meet up. Her sister and family were so welcoming and did so much for my friend and I, far beyond any expectations I had. I instantly felt at home and welcomed in. This kindness wasn't just extended to me by the people I had connections with, the people I met were all so nice and willing to help. 

    I read the article "Transforming Moral Education by Martin (1987) and it made me reflective on how moral education is provided in school. Especially with visiting the Philippines where the culture is so welcoming and eager to help. How can we instill this thoughtfulness of others in our classrooms and students? Martin argues for the need of moral education in our classrooms, I am curious about intentional ways that we can provide this. Does moral education come primarily from home in the Philippines because that is the culture, or does it work hand in hand with schools? I don't know for sure, but I imagine that these positive habits are learned at home and then reinforced in a school setting. I would love to explore more what that looks like! 

References:

Martin, J. R. (1987). Transforming Moral Education. Journal of Moral Education, 16(3), 204–213.