Workin' on a Sunday

Last Sunday I worked my first English camp.  During my orientation with my agency, we had a quick overview of what English camp is.  And it was all this ridiculously silly songs, games, and just overall craziness.  Our contracts state we have to work one a semester, which happen on the weekend.  The semester is over at the end of September, and the closer it was getting to that, the more I was hoping it wouldn't happen. Then we got word it was happening at our school on Sunday, August 28th.  I was not looking for to it for a few reasons.  1. It wasn't with the students I teach every day.  It was only for non EP students. 2. It was on a Sunday.   The week before I spent all weekend at a conference, so that was 2 weekends spent doing school stuff. 3. What middle school aged kid wants to spend their Sunday at school, playing crazy games and singing songs in a language they don't speak.

The answers is nearly 200 students! I was shocked when I walked up at 8 am and saw how many kids were already there!  There were six of us from my school, plus two more from another school there.  When our agency finally showed up (because Thai time...), we were given bright yellow shirts to wear and were given a brief overview of what was going to go on during the camp.  Basically, the morning was playing games like 1 baht, 2 baht (girls are 1 baht and boys are 2 baht.  A number is called out and you have to get the right amount of people in your group to equal the number called out), and other games where you group together.  The teachers were there to get the kids excited.  The last game we played ended up getting the kids in groups of 7, and from there they were numbered and split into groups with the teachers as the leaders.

Once we were in our groups, we had to come up with a team name, a team chant, and a team flag. This is where I really started missing my EP kids!  I did not realize how used I'd gotten to my students understanding 90% of what I say, and not having to speak at a super slow pace!  They all just stared at me when I was throwing out name suggestions (I was trying to come up with any and all pop bands they like).  Finally i just told them we were going to be Team SKR (our school's nickname) and some shook their head.  Then I tried to get them to make the team flag.  More stares.  So I just wrote SKR in big letters on the poster board and one girl caught on that I needed them to decorate it.  They all got into that!  I just did a simple clapping of my hands and we chanted SKR for a few times for the chant.

From there we went to each group and told them things about ourselves, ask questions about what we told them, and when they answered in English they were given a sticker.  The person with the most stickers at the end got a huge stuffed teddy bear.  And let me tell you, their English all the sudden was on point.  Bribery with a stuffed teddy bear, who knew!  After that was the "Peel Banana" song.  It started out with the teachers doing all the actions in front of the group.  Peeling the banana, chopping the banana, shaking the banana, eating the banana.  Pure ridiculousness!  But the kids were more than enjoying it, and we were all looking just as stupid up there together!


We each had to pick 1 boy and 1 girl from our group that were doing the best and they got to go up on stage and do the dance.  This is where things got um well, I'm sure nothing like this would ever go on at school in America...  Then it was lunch time.

After lunch we were each given a station to work for games.  I was at the station where each team was given big letters and I'd say words (or in some instances show the word to them) and they'd have to spell it out.  Things got competitive!!!  And I was sure I was going to have no voice from shouting the words over and over again.  After the winners were announced and the girl with over 50 stickers got her huge stuffed bear it was time for the powder game...

The highly popular stuffed bear

The kids were all given handfuls of baby powder and told to go after each other and the teachers.  I've been told a time or two my body language speaks loudly.  I was not even remotely looking forward to being ambushed with baby powder.  And I guess my body language said that!  I had a few of the students walk up to me and very sweetly put small pats of powder on my cheeks.  Compared to some of the other teachers who I can only imagine are still finding baby powder in crevasses!

And by the end I was exhausted, hot and sweaty, and ready to just lay down.  But it ended up being such a fun day.  It's also been fun seeing the other students on campus that normally would just politely say Hi.  Today I heard shouts of Hi Teacher BA! from across the other side of the yard when I was walking to my class!  It ended up being a fun experience and a fun way for the students to use English!