"Teacher! Teacher! Why you teach in Thailand?"

Imagine that you are sitting in a very nice air-conditioned room and there is a distinct feeling whenever you walk in the room.  You don't feel the humidity that is outside of the window, but you know it's there without even touching it.  You can hear familiar words and phrases, but yet there is a distance to them now.  You can hear yourself speak, but are they really your own words falling out of your mouth and into the minds of others?

Well, everyone, I'm in Thailand now and today, November 3 of 2014, was my second day teaching in Thailand.  And it was also my second day teaching overall.  Yeah, not having teaching experience is a world in of itself.  But yet, even if I had teaching experience, I'd have to approach things so differently where I wouldn't have to otherwise.

So, what about this question?  The one in your title?  You're probably thinking.  Well, it's the same question I get from people before I left.  

And it's the same question I received today from a student:

"Why you teach in Thailand?"

Well, imaginary audience, that's a tough nut to crack.  Or in this case, it's a hard to have a clear answer.  Maybe I'm here in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand because I love Thai food.  

And believe me, I LOVE Thai food.

Or maybe it's the language.

It must be the language, says me from the past.  The part of me who went to France for a year mainly because I wanted to do just that: learn the language.

But actually, no.  Not quite.

It's more in depth than that.  It's so deep, I don't even know why about 50% of the time.

So I told my student a simple answer:  change.  Something different.

I'm definitely living up to that expectation right now.  It's so different here.  Like that humidity.  You see, in Utah, I'm used to the hot.  But I'm not used to the 40% and above humidity like it is here.  It was pouring rain today, but all you can feel is sticky and not really refreshed like you can after a long Utah rain.

So yes.... let's put "change" on the list of potential answers.

But here's the real answer:

"I want to figure out what I'm going to do with my life.  I want to know what I want to do in grad school (yes, I want to go to grad school... I WANT TO GO TO GRAD SCHOOL)... I want to know what my options are.  I want to experience EFL and see if that's what I might want to do in life.  I love languages after-all, but maybe I want to teach English?

Maybe I just want to know how to teach.

*rings bell*

Oh, I'm right!  Yes, I do want to know how to teach, but I also figured back in the day of childhood that I wouldn't want to be a teacher.  As a little kid, you get asked what you want to be when you grow up.  Well, for the past 15 years, I've done exactly what I want to be: a writer.  

"Oh, but you can't get a decent job as a writer now.  What EXACTLY are you going to do to get yourself a salary?"

Well people that ask us English majors that question every time you figure out what we are and did major in during college, the main thing is just to try new things.  I have said since I young age that I didn't want to be a teacher.  Kids can be a nightmare, kids can be a dream.  I look at my Dad and he's a great influence because he is a teacher (at university level) and he is phenomenal at what he does.  My brother did student teaching with his BA in Music and that went well for him.  Super well actually.  So... short answer to why I teach English?

TO TRY IT.

Simple.  But it's still complicated because the little bug in my ear is saying "GRAD SCHOOL!  GRAD SCHOOL!!!!" as I'm doing this.  I know, I know, I've only been in Thailand for like... 1.5 weeks, but hey, I'm here to try this teaching thing out.

For a year.

Oh my goodness.  What better way to learn if you like something or not... and you give yourself a YEAR to figure it out.  Just based on today alone, I see how difficult it is not only to be a Teacher of EFL... but a student, too.  Personally, I wish 2/3 of my schedule didn't go by a book that is beyond their level and they are only saying things and might not even know why they're saying it, or even what they're saying. 

So I might finish this year and say "Yes, I want to continue EFL" or maybe I'll say "Okay, teaching... I've tried it.  Not my thing."  

Maybe I'll be okay being a teacher... just.. not for EFL.  Another potential possibility.

English is hard enough.

Thai accents are hard to understand.

But this is me "finding myself" after college graduation.  


...Does that understand your question, Real-Student-of-Mine?

Student:  Yes, Teacher!  Thank you, Teacher!

Me:  All right.  Class, we are done for the day.