Stephanie - Bhutan
What keeps you
motivated?
I'm not a Buddhist myself but almost everyone else here is, and
I find it very motivating to be reminded that if I don't try hard at everything
I do I might end up as a mosquito in my next life.
Best teaching moment
(in your current teaching situation)?
Being greeted with a bow and called Ma'am by my students!
Seriously though, the most amazing classroom moment so far has been meeting the
10th reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, who is a student in one of the monastery
classes I teach. He asks tricky philosophical questions but he's on his way to
becoming a Buddha so I let him off. The most fun I've had is drinking
home-brewed wine (Arra) while singing
and dancing with colleagues at staff parties. If you participate
enthusiastically enough the principal gives you a day off!
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Worst teaching moment
(in your current teaching situation)?
Nothing terrible so far, apart from the difficulty of getting
students to concentrate amid the racket of packs of stray dogs barking in the
playground. However, I did feel mild panic the other day when one of my
colleagues mentioned to me in passing "If you get bitten, lean into the
bite." I haven't been bitten by a student yet ... or a dog.
The biggest challenge
you face (in your current teaching situation)?
Trying to teach a class of 30 monks of all different ages and
levels, with no books, only half the necessary amount of pens, and constant
interruptions from people walking into the classroom (actually a prayer room)
to pray. People praying in your lesson is a little bit distracting.
What have you
learned from your students?The monks have taught me what real discipline is. It's amazing how much
they've learnt from studying their textbooks without a teacher or tables or
chairs. The books are often quite ancient and sometimes just cobbled-together
bundles of worksheets. I'm new to teaching young learners so I've also
discovered that teaching very young children can be a lot less forgiving, but a
lot more fun, than teaching adults. Below is a poem I saw on the wall in one of
the classrooms - not from one of my classes - I don't remember doing anything
so philosophical at school ...Take time to work, it is the price of
successTake time to think, it is the source of
powerTake time to play, it is the secret of
perpetual youthTake time to be friendly, it is the
road to happinessTake time to love and be loved, it is
the privilege of the godsTake time to share, life is too short
to be selfishTake time to laugh, laughter is the music of the soulWhat's next?Hopefully teaching in nunneries as well as
monasteries.Top tip for other teachers?Don't expect
large classes of small children to concentrate for any length of time. Use
songs and physical games to help them learn and keep them interested. And of
course, if a student bites you, lean into the bite!
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