From Terrified to Teaching: My Wild Two Months in Thailand

Salma felt sleepy at the beach and had to close her eyes for a second.

Hi, my name’s Salma. I’m Josh and Chitlada’s niece, and I came to help teach English. This blog is way overdue—and honestly, it probably wouldn’t exist if my uncle hadn’t pushed me to write it :)

I’m Salma and I’m afraid of bugs. Especially this big rhino beetle.

Back in June, Josh invited me to come help teach English. I said yes to a month... which turned into two. And very quickly, the self-doubt crept in. Would I be any good? What if I let my aunt and uncle down? What if I failed the kids? Would I be painfully awkward? (Let’s be real—that one’s a given.) How would I even talk to the kids?

Also, for the record, my siblings would all agree I am not their favorite teacher. But hey—God tends to use the least qualified just to prove that it’s Him doing the work, not us.

January

They are super tired in this pic but they all loved Patch, the rainbow cat!

So, totally unprepared and with zero TESOL training (yes, 100% my fault), I landed in Thailand on January 14th. I dragged along a 70-pound suitcase full of CF meds, butter, cheese, and a few essentials. I was terrified walking into customs… but to my surprise, everyone just strolled past the x-ray machines and officers. Maybe that’s not important, but it still makes me laugh.

Later I found Praew and Ice! After a decent sleep and a 12-hour train ride, I made it to Chiang Mai. I don’t think I was ready for how excited and curious the kids were. I also got tossed into what felt like a maze of relationship dynamics. Honestly, I couldn’t get a read on anyone. But once I started teaching, I began to understand them better.

By the end of February, we had covered family members and colors in English. In music, they learned You Are My Sunshine using A and E chords. We all went to a waterfall and played hide and seek—so much fun!

Everyone was feeling a little crabby, especially the crab

One funny memory: Sarah and I went to the restroom, and as we were washing our hands, I caught a glimpse of my slightly red eyes and frizzy hair in the mirror. I just muttered, “Oof.” Then I saw Sarah look up and do the exact same thing. It hit me hard. Kids are watching everything. You always know that, but in that moment, I saw it. The last thing I want is to leave a negative impact. That little moment made me way more mindful of the example I was setting.

January was full of learning and just figuring things out as I went.

February:

Cookie, the turtle we found in our yard and now we will never let him leave!

By mid-February, I finally started getting a handle on each kid’s strengths and struggles. And wow—major respect for Josh and Chitlada. What they’re doing isn’t just hard… it’s straight-up crazy. They’ve got seven totally unique kids, all with different educational needs. I seriously can’t imagine managing all that.

For English, we worked through spelling books, and learned directions, months, days of the week, body parts, parts of the house, and more. Sky and I started working on her English presentation: How Helping Others is Good for You. Thank you, Google Translate!

In music, we learned Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and even a simplified version of Fur Elise. I basically made them do exactly what my mom had me do when I was learning guitar.

Ice cream and sourdough, I challenge you to name a better combo.

March:

After the tests, the Govt officials wanted to take a pic with all of us! Rare, to have everyone in a picture together!

By March, the kids were in test prep mode. On the morning of March 5th, Rachel came up to me and played five chords on the uke—and read them from a Thai uke book! Just days earlier, she’d been struggling to remember them. Watching her finally connect the dots was so cool.

The meeting that Josh and Chitty had to go to, to be questioned about their work. God blessed it and definitely gave favor to Shiloh Children at that meeting!

We’re heading to Hua Hin soon, and then I’ll be flying home.

I know this probably sounds kinda plain on paper, but being with these kids has been amazing. I saw real growth in their English and music. They were willing to try just so they could talk and hang out with me. And the longer I stayed, the more I saw their goofy sides. They all wanted to be near me—whether it was playing a game, coloring, making crafts, or telling fart jokes.

Its not always fun and games, sometimes its really hard! Those who sow in tears will reap in joy!

Kids mostly just want attention and love. I know I probably saw the rose-colored version of it all as a newbie, but I’m still so glad I got to help in even a small way.

I’m honestly so proud of my aunt, my uncle, and anyone else who commits to a life of serving kids. And I’m even more in awe of God—the One who gives them the strength to do it.

I was happy to take them all to the waterpark my last week in Thailand! We were all dead tired by the time we decided to take a picture!