No, you may not braid her hair right now

This is one of the eight buildings that are a part of my school's campus.

Welcome to Eangseangsamakkhee

Let's start with a few things I have learned about Thailand and its people:
 
1) Thai people really do smile all the time.  It's a little freaky.
2) People always try to communicate with you, even if they have no idea what you just asked them.  How would you explain 'laminating'?
3) Everyone wants to learn English.  I've met two people in the last 24 hours who want to hire me to tutor their kids in English.
4) None of the above apply to Thai people between the ages of 11 and 17.


I teach 6th, 8th, and 11th graders at the biggest public school in Hat Yai.  I went into this particular teaching position knowing that it was not what I really wanted but reminding myself that I came here to get out of my comfort zone.  It has been about 2 weeks since the term started.  I'm still trying really hard to enjoy it.  One class of 6th graders is super cute, listens well and only makes fun of me a little.  The 11th graders are well-behaved and know enough English to understand basic lesson directives and learn new games.  They are the only reason I haven't quit already.

I don't even know what words to use to describe the 6th and 8th graders. 

Yesterday, my M2/5 class (8th grade) could not handle getting out of their seats without grabbing brooms to beat each other with, stealing each others notebooks, and crumpling the papers that I had also intended to use with my other M2 classes - one of which they threw out the window.

Today, in my P6/2 class (6th grade), I made a boy sit on the floor to work because he pulled his wooden desk apart board-by-board.  This was during group work which was in preparation for a game we were about to play.  Another boy used one of these small, wooden desk-planks to hit the girl behind him.  She was sent to the nurse crying.

My P6/1 class (also 6th grade) starts immediately after the 6/2 class.  I walk in to the classroom to one of the boys loudly slapping three rulers together, while another two boys dive under their desks to avoid a flying badminton racket which was thrown by some "mysterious classroom fairy" - a.k.a. that girl in the corner who looks like she either wants to eat me or needs to fart.  At the same time, there are a few more kids drawing haneous things in their notebooks to giggle about, and there's a girl in the back who has pulled out a mirror and a comb in order to braid her friend's hair.

After confiscating rackets, rulers, sharp objects, nasty drawings, and hair supplies, I separated the rowdy boys.  I then attempted to separate the hair-stylists, who responded by grabbing their purses and leaving... sass-walked right out the classroom door, dirty looks and everything.  (This is especially rude in Thailand where the students must always ask the teacher's permission to leave or to enter the classroom.)  Luckily for me, the classroom has 2 doorways, so I was able to step out the other one and usher them right back to their far-away-from-each-other seats.  And I even did it with a smile on my face, inviting them kindly to join our *super-fun* English game.  And now that 20 minutes of the 45 minute class have passed, I have just enough time left to teach the 6 out of 40 students (not an exaggeration, out of FORTY students) who have been waiting for something educational to do.

Did I mention I teach four classes of 6th graders, back-to-back every Tuesday and Thursday?  All before lunch? And this is in addition to my six different groups of 8th graders in a week.  I barely have enough energy left on Thursday and Friday afternoons to teach the M5 (11th grade) classes that are actually good.

It will be a miracle if these kids learn any English this term.