For a group of fourth-year students from Macquarie School of Education, a recent trip to Thailand was more than just an opportunity to complete their practical units. It was a profound experience that broadened their horizons, built their confidence and allowed them to utilise their skills.
The two-week trip was part of a broader initiative funded by the New Colombo Plan (NCP), a government program designed to strengthen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region through education. The trip was the first of its kind for Senior Lecturer Dr Sarah Powell, who led the group.
“We took 10 fourth-year students to Bangkok on a teaching placement at an international school there. The students were so excited but a little nervous, too, as they didn’t know what to expect,” Dr Powell says.
Claudia Comans, one of the students who took part in the teaching trip, says the placement appealed to her because she knew it would be invaluable to her career.
“I wanted to get a variety of experience as a pre-service teacher and a placement at an international school is a one-of-a-kind opportunity,” she says.
Making a difference
On arrival in Bangkok, the group hit the ground running with a day of orientation including a tour of junior and senior campuses and meetings with key staff.
“The students were also allocated with their classes and had a chance to meet the children they would be working with,” Dr Powell says. “There was a mix of Thai, Japanese and other international children, many of whom had very little English. Our students at Macquarie are incredible though, they have been taught lots of different strategies for working with students with very little English and actually ended up teaching the education staff at the school some of these strategies,” Dr Powell says.
Claudia was placed with a kindergarten class and loved her teaching experience at the school, which had some similarities to the Australian school system.
“The students I worked with were ES1 Kindergarteners, however unlike the average Australian Kindergarten student, most of the students were just four years old. Nevertheless, they were incredibly mature and independent when working,” she says.
The opportunity to apply their Australian training in a new and challenging environment gave the students a significant confidence boost.
“Every afternoon we'd have a debrief session by the pool at our hotel, and all the students came every day to talk about their experiences. After just a couple of days, they realised they were really well-trained and could handle anything thrown at them," Dr Powell says.
“They were super excited about it and felt like they were providing real value rather than just observing.”
An immersive cultural experience
The Macquarie students had time to explore Bangkok and its surrounding areas.
“School hours were from about 7.30am to 4pm, but Thailand is lively until quite late each day. After school, the students would go shopping or sightseeing,” Dr Powell says.
At weekends, they undertook more in-depth exploration, including trips to islands, temples and an elephant park.
“We were lucky enough to have time to explore Bangkok, markets, shopping malls and food. We also visited the Australian Embassy and had a cultural workshop with the school,” Claudia says.
A profound realisation for the students was the universality of childhood, Dr Powell says.
“All the students who went on the trip said that children are the same everywhere you go. It doesn't matter what country you're in, or the socio-economic status, or the school – kids are just kids and they are all fabulous,” she says.
Looking to the future
Given the success of this trip, there are discussions underway about future programs.
“I've been in conversation with a colleague at Macquarie who was part of the original team who won this funding. He's keen to apply again and use this trip as the basis for the next application and see how we can develop and enhance the program and our relationship with the international school,” Dr Powell says.
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Claudia says the trip was one of the most interesting experiences she has ever had, and highly recommends it to students wanting to broaden their view of teaching.
“The best parts of the experience were the connections I made with international teachers and the school, as well as the life-long friendships I have made with the other students on the placement,” she says.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for pre-service teachers to gain as much experience in the field as they can. Different teaching styles and approaches are great to see and be a part of before going out as a fully-fledged teacher. Come prepared with your own tips and strategies because as much as you will learn from the teachers there, they want to – and will – learn from you too.”
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