Remember to smile

By Anne Harty
September/October 2009

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I have often heard that in order to continue growing, you must challenge yourself and sometimes step out of your comfort zone. My father would say to me: “Pet, you have to learn something new every day.”

These ideas have been helpful to me in Thailand and before, while attending our mission preparation classes in Toronto. I found the sessions wonderful and challenging, preparing me to become a missioner.

Glenn and Anne Harty with Sr. Bene, one of the Sisters of Charity who run the Nuchanat Anusorn School in Thailand.

Assisting the English Department at Nuchanat Anusorn School in Northern Thailand has pushed me beyond my expectations. English had not been my strongest subject in school. To be able to teach it, I had to hit the books and study. This was an exciting challenge. In preparation for my first classes I was more than nervous—I was terrified. Would I be able to handle these students, sometimes 50 in a class? Would they like me, let alone understand me?

Upon expressing my fears to a Scarboro priest, he wisely stated that all I had to do was smile and all would be well. And I must say in this country, known to be the land of smiles, that was superb advice. I smiled often.

Exploring listening and speaking skills with my students was indeed fun. I used many teaching aids, several different genres of songs, basic poetry, movies—especially musicals, which were very popular. Karaoke was an all time favorite through which the students could sing as well as read the words projected on a screen. Newspapers helped us explore current events and I made copious amounts of flashcards.

The Internet was a wonderful source of information and a website from Toronto turned out to be my best connection because my contact on the site had taught English in Thailand and understood my challenges.

At Christmas, I decorated the classroom and set up a real evergreen tree. Most students are Buddhist and have little understanding of the celebration of Christmas. It was fascinating to see the look on their faces when they tasted candy canes for the first time saying, “Mrs. Anne, these are delicious!”

On Canada Day, I sang our national anthem for the students while proudly holding a Canadian flag. I smiled as I sang, but through it all I had goose bumps and could not hold back the tears. Afterwards, I took a long bow to compose myself. The students gave me a warm applause for my efforts.

I loved teaching, sharing information and faith with my students. My goal was to expose them to as much English as possible with the hope that they would come to recognize that learning English could enhance their future. In my short two-year career as an English teacher, I am pleased to have prodded a few to grow in their understanding of English.

Have I grown and challenged myself in the process? A resounding Yes! Will I continue? You bet.

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