From Challenges to Growth Opportunity
Working as a teacher has been a continuous challenge to step outside of my comfort zone. I've had to learn about my students, community, and school's contexts, and be mindful of their individual goals and learning styles. It's like putting jigsaw pieces together.
“Snook” – Peerakarn Prasittinawa a Teach For Thailand Fellow cohort 9, recalls her 1-year experience with students and the community around Chitjaichuen School, Prachin Buri.
Snook believes that quality citizens are at the heart of development for the country. She wants to see her students be knowledgeable and capable of providing for themselves, and to work in their desired career paths.
Despite her determination, the journey of a Fellow is not always smooth. Snook had to adjust to a new school environment and understand her student’s behaviors and family backgrounds.
But what she and her colleagues at nearby schools have found to be the most urgent issue is that 12th-grade students still lack both post-graduation plans and sufficient information about higher education. The number of students applying to universities was alarmingly low.
Snook and Yuhoo talking about self-awareness and higher education
“In 2022 we only had 10 students applying for further studies. We found three underlying reasons:
One student lack goals and sit on the deadline;
Two Some students have goals but lack planning due to a lack of knowledge about the application process or required test scores.;
Three around 30% of the students choose vocational school, or do not pursue higher education at all.”
To tackle this, Snook, along with “Yuhoo” – Nattacha Somboonwong, a Fellow cohort 9 at Srirakratbamroong School, and alumni, organized the “Road to Your Future” project.
Educational guidance activity for 12th-graders
“The goal is to provide insights about faculties, universities, and career paths. There were 68 students from two schools who were interested. We divided our taskforce into three teams:
The educational guidance team researches and creates application calendars for students, organizes workshops to prepare them for higher education, and uses information from TCAS, Dek-D, and YouTube.
The scholarship team finds upcoming scholarships and organizes information exchange activities for students.
The career skills and consultant team helps students discover their interests through activities based on the Designing Your Life curriculum and A-Chieve’s website. They also invite professionals from various career paths to speak with students.”
“They like how the project notifies them about what they have to prepare, and like how it provides useful information resources. Once they found their interest and know more about pathways to higher education, they gained confidence to apply for what they really like. They even want more activities on the weekend,” Snook recalls proudly.
Students exchange their thoughts and ask questions to the speakers
The Road to Your Future project is ongoing, and we’re still awaiting its final results. However, Snook has undoubtedly achieved her goal of encouraging students to plan for their lives, believe in themselves, and pursue their own paths without limitations.
Become a Fellow like Snook and join the network for Thai education development. Visit https://tft-fellowship.org
