Midterm Evaluation – My Volunteer Service in Thailand

The past few months of my volunteer service in Thailand have been an incredibly enriching and unforgettable experience for me. Right from the very first days, I was warmly welcomed by the teachers and students. Since we are the first volunteers at our school, there has been a lot of interest in us from the very beginning. Every day, I’m greeted with a smile, and I quickly realized that everyone is doing their best to make us feel at home and help us become part of the school community.

It didn't take long for me to realize that the decision to go to Thailand was exactly the right one. The warmth, openness, and friendliness I experience here every day never cease to impress me. I now feel like an integral part of the school and truly feel that I belong here.

Teaching is a major part of my volunteer work. I teach a total of 15 hours per week and work with many different classes and grade levels. This gives me insight into nearly all age groups at the school and allows me to gain a wide range of teaching experience. I particularly enjoy teaching because every class is different, and I can continually adapt my lessons to the specific students in each class. Although classes in Thailand are primarily teacher-led, I continually try to incorporate methods and elements from Germany to make the lessons more varied and interactive. At first, I co-taught the classes with another teacher. This gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the lesson structure and gradually get used to my new role. Now I teach most of the classes on my own. Admittedly, this is a big responsibility and sometimes a challenge, since my Thai isn't very good yet and communicating with the younger students isn't always easy.

At first, I was a little unsure because my English isn't perfect, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to express myself well enough. Over time, however, I've found that communication works much better than I expected. My confidence has grown, and I notice that I feel increasingly confident. The students are very open, patient, and motivated, which creates a pleasant learning environment. I especially love that there's a lot of laughter in class and that both the children and I really enjoy learning together.

In addition to my classes, I regularly take part in a wide variety of school activities. These include, for example, a big Scout Day with several schools, the teachers’ sports day, and the weekly soccer games against other schools. These events show me how important community and solidarity are in Thailand. At the same time, I’ve learned about many cultural differences through these experiences. Some activities, such as defusing large firecrackers tied to a string or climbing trees several meters high without any safety equipment, would be almost unthinkable in Germany for safety reasons. Experiences like these have shown me how differently responsibility and risk are handled in the two cultures.

Another important part of my daily life is sports. Almost every day, I play soccer with the students. Once a week, we travel with the teachers to other schools to play against other teams. Sports bring people together, regardless of language or background.

During my volunteer service, I’ve built many close relationships with the teachers. I’ve developed a particularly close friendship with one teacher. We spend a lot of time together outside of school, and I regularly do things with his family. We often go out for Thai barbecue or hot pot together or spend the evening together. I feel so welcome with them that I sometimes joke that they’ve adopted me. These shared moments mean a great deal to me, as they give me a real sense of family. Thai culture outside of school also inspires me anew every day. I especially enjoy visiting the numerous markets with their many street food stalls. I’m constantly trying new dishes and enjoying the lively atmosphere there, especially in the evening. These experiences have become some of my fondest memories of Thailand.

Another special highlight of the past few months was the Midterm Evaluation Camp. There, I had the opportunity to talk with other international volunteers as well as Thai participants. It was very interesting to hear about the experience's others had at their placement sites and the challenges or wonderful moments they encountered. At the same time, the camp was a lot of fun and was a great opportunity to make new friends and have a good time together.

In summary, I can say that my volunteer service has exceeded all my expectations so far. Not only have I gained a lot of new experiences and further developed my language and teaching skills, but I’ve also made close friends and found a second home. It is especially the openness, helpfulness, and warmth of the people that make this time so special for me. I am really looking forward to the coming months and am excited to see what other experiences and encounters await me.