Highlight Spot: Student Faozee

Faozee's story by Teacher Laura

Phuket Has Been Good To Us is more than an educational charity. Yes, the main aim is to improve the English language skills of the students, but it also provides a learning environment where the children can take risks and grow in confidence in all areas of their life. The teaching and methodology that the Foundation adopts, coupled with the after-school programme, Coconut Club, means that sessions are active, productive, fun and relevant. 

When children are emotionally literate (ready to learn) they feel secure, they are happy and in a comfortable environment. This is when successful learning takes place. The teachers and volunteers at PHBGTU provide this for the students and it’s clearly reflected in the children’s behavior, motivation, and achievements. For me, this is particularly relevant for a student whom I have personally followed since I worked for the Foundation. His name is Faozee.

When PHBGTU started teaching at Kamala school in 2007 we were an unknown entity. A lot of the children hadn’t had contact with foreigners before and certainly hadn’t had much English language education and it took a little while for everyone to be at ease with the new situation. Faozee was pretty small, I think about 6 years old. He was scruffy, distracted and generally a bit reluctant to learn. 

Faozee was a difficult student. However, his willingness to attend classes and try to learn English increased significantly as he warmed to us - always hanging around the teachers’ room hoping to be invited in for a game or even a little healthy snack. Faozee soon gained self-esteem and became much more confident in his learning. This change became even more evident when Faozee found an interest in photography through one of our Coconut Club activities.

Today Faozee is a motivated student and is headed into his final year at RPG 36, Kamala School. Faozee does not have the best English in his class but he is well known and well liked by the teachers and his peers. He is also a role model for the younger students, always helping out at school events and lending a hand at PHBGTU birthday parties and student activities. Faozee also shared with his current teachers that he would like to go to University when he graduates to become a teacher one day!

I have personally followed Faozee for the last 11 years and have observed how  PHBGTU has helped him not only progress in English, but to develop stronger relationships, have more ambition and really helped him to grow into the wonderful, happy, responsible teenager he is today! Phuket Has Been Good To Us’s approach gives support, positive reinforcement and security that children need in order to really want to do the best they can. Working simultaneously with the care and education they students receive within their schools means that the students are much more likely to reach their potential. Faozee is proof of this.

-Laura Gray 

Senior Teacher and English Programme Coordinator, September 2007-June 2009. 

Teaching for a Nonprofit - by Teacher Caitlin

The first thought that comes to my mind when I think about the children that Phuket Has Been Good to Us works with is:

Resilience.

Many of the children, particularly the residential students, have been through so much hardship in their short lives but are still able to smile. I am often in awe when I see the little community that is created among the children who live at the school. Without parents to help them, they depend on each other. Working at RPG 36 Kamala School is not always easy as there are often underlying psychosocial issues that are not addressed properly. As one would expect, working with children of diverse histories is challenging but also incredibly worth it. Nothing that is worth it is ever easy, right?

To be a teacher is to be a role model, a leader and a person to turn to. The ultimate goal for me is to make a safe space for these children; a space where they are free to be children, to play, to learn and to grow. I believe that it is crucial for children to be able to play and have time to simply be young and carefree. When we let children play they develop the skills needed to thrive in our world. That is why Coconut Club, PHBGTU's afterschool and weekend programme, is essential. Residential students can join after school and just relax and be kids. With activities including drawing, cooking, and sports- we are enabling them to have fun and explore their own interests while practicing English with us in an informal atmosphere. Coconut Club becomes a safe space to be just like any other child and to bring normalcy back into their lives. 

Coming from an International Development background with a focus on Children and Education, working for a non-profit is an integral part of who I am. I doubt I would ever teach English at an International school simply because, for me, there needs to be a greater purpose. I believe there needs to be an overarching goal we strive towards. I feel comfort in knowing that the Foundation seeks to improve the lives of children through a supplementary English programme so they can enter into well-paid jobs in the tourism industry once they graduate.

Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Thailand, and the largest industry in Phuket, generating more than 145,000 jobs with more being created each day. English is necessary to communicate, negotiate and make transactions with tourists. If a person can speak English and are able to have conversations with foreigners, then they are much more likely to obtain a higher paying job securing economic stability. 

 Is teaching English a long-term solution that will fix all the ongoing development issues in Thailand? No.

 However, the Foundation has the potential to change hundreds of children’s lives by improving their employability and opening doors where there would not be otherwise.

It may sound silly, but my favourite part of being a teacher is being able to give positive support to the students that come into my classroom each day. Being able to encourage my students to believe in themselves is something I cannot take for granted. Seeing their smiles and giving them a high five (or 10 high fives) for a job well done is often the highlight of my day. When we lift children up and teach them that they can do anything, we begin to instill a sense of hope and possibility beyond the school gates.

I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far and am learning a lot about what kind of teacher and role model I want to be moving forward. I feel grateful and blessed to be a part of such a wonderful organization. I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store!

Teacher Caitlin's Primary 1 class at RPG 36, Kamala School is made possible by a grant from XL Catlin.