💙 Forever in My Heart 💙

Thai Student Farewell Song & Memories 🥲 (Letter 251)

This post has many photos at the bottom cut off. Read it online for the best experience.

Sawadee ka fellow learn-it-all 👋

Greetings from Chiang Rai, Thailand, 🇹🇭

Happy March!

This last week of February has been a week of waterworks.

I’ve cried every day. Why? My 143 12th-grade students left the school. The campus where I live feels empty without them. My final classes with my 7th, 8, 10th, and 11th graders have also been happening so my other 34 students leave soon too. Energy has been low. Crying takes a lot of a person.

I bought a “friendship” memory book that students have been writing about our memories together, and it’s been so special.

In high school, it wasn’t the fondest time, and I could never have fathomed to step back into one, let alone to teach in one and live near one. Nevertheless, I live at a boarding school hours with three flatmates 8,124 miles on the other side of the globe with a desk in a foreign language office.

I have loved teaching and learning with my students this semester. I am grateful to them each for showing up, laughing, and making our time together memorable. I’m so glad life brought me here to cross paths in this big, beautiful world 🌏🌎🌍

This has been some of the most fulfilling work in my adult life.

At the bottom of this letter, I have many photos with them ❤️.

This week, I’ve created something special that I’ve been chipping away at each day after crying. It’s a love letter to my 177 Thai students. Enjoy :)

~~~

📜🖋 Poetry Corner

To my Thai Students,

I made this song from my heart for you. I am grateful to have the opportunity to teach you. Thank you for being curious students. It was only one semester, and it meant the world to me. You all touched my heart and made me so happy.

With Love,

Teacher Jen

[Verse 1]
What a school,
what a crew
what a journey 
here with you.

I feel blessed,
so full of zest,
From lessons 
Learned with you.

You’re on your way, 
chasing dreams,
figuring out 
what life means.

Remember, 
near or far,
you’ll always shine 
for who you are.

[Chorus]
🎶 Go now 
follow your heart,
Keep laughin’, 
keep learnin’, 
keep shinin’ 
When you start.

No matter what you do,
No matter how far, 
I’ll be cheering, 
always proud of you. 🎶

[Verse 2]
From playing hangman
to dreaming big dreams,
Life is bigger
than it seems.
Try new things, 
be brave, 
stay true,
Let your smile 
shine right through.
Even when English 
felt like a maze,
Your effort brightened 
all my days.
From letters 
to future you,
You’ll find a path 
to fight on through.

[Chorus]
🎶 Go now 
follow your heart,
Keep laughin’, 
keep learnin’, 
keep shinin’ 
When you start.

No matter how far, 
no matter what you do,
I’ll be cheering, 
always proud of you. 🎶

[Bridge] 
I will miss you,
But don’t be too blue.
Feeling sappy
Or happy,
It’s okay to feel this too.


[Chorus]
🎶 Go now 
follow your heart,
Keep laughin’, 
keep learnin’, 
keep shinin’ 
When you start.

No matter how far, 
no matter what you do,
I’ll be cheering, 
always proud of you. 🎶

[Outro]
All adorned in royal blue,
Whatever life brings you
Go forth, explore, make your mark,
You are forever in my heart. <3

🎧Listening

"ฉันจะมีเธออยู่" ("I'll Have You with Me") by Singto Numchok

My student Guitar told me that the meaning of this song is that when we have to leave each other, always know that we are always here by your side.

I saw this song sung by all my students in candlelight in what I now refer to as the “Symposium Room of Sadness” after their graudation. I couldn’t understand a word of the speech or the chant or song, yet I was balling my eyes out.

I will never forget special moments squeezing Aommy’s arm behind her as she sings through tears, hugging Pimchol and her messed up bangs, Jiaqi coming up to me weeping that she loves me, and Jean, who I told I was most proud of how far she came in her ability to speak English.

🔍Word to define

Slow Life: Ta-ton-yon in Lanna Language slang

I learned this at a cafe with some Thai teachers last night. One of them just moved from Bangkok to the north here and says he’s excited to chill out more and live the slow life. It’s funny because sometimes I see Chiang Rai as big city life in comparison to the neighborhood in Oahu.

สโลว์ไลฟ์ pronounced as sa-lo-lai in traditional central Thai Language (source because I still have no idea how to write Thai).

🌟Quote to inspire

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — Winnie the Pooh written by A.A. Milne

📸Photos of the Week

Photos from left to right captions:

1. My 10th grade critical reading class. P, Khaimook and Namphan are my star students. They loved writing the final (fourth) chapter to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I gifted them all candy and capybara clips. I am so proud of Anya for learning to sound out words better. Lukpat and Nicha were less afraid to be bheard in this class and that made me so happy. . Boo always impressed me coming barely coming to class but still speaking loudly and confidently when he did show up.

2. 143 of my seniors (matayom sip or M6 in Thai) in high school across six sections. I taught them all an English speaking and listening class. I found out this year that it wasn’t a speech class. The projects I assigned to them were all focused on creating around their dreams: foreign holiday to experience, new cuisine to try, a love letter to themself in 2030, their dream trip and listening to Steve Jobs about connecting the dots in his future.

3. Glao and Ruji enjoying the “rich girl” Magnum ice bars that they’ve never eaten before. My treat from me to them.

4. Glao teaching us German in English class.

5. Some of the little notes I wrote for my 11th graders. My smallest elective class with four students.

6. My 6/1 class. They were real homies. Many of them have been to English class which made this one of my most proficient English classes.

7. My 11th graders (M5) being super excited that finals are over after they presented their TED Talks on why boarding school is the best, to go visit Chiang Mai, to read books as a hobby, and how patriotism does not mean war.

8. My 6/5 class. They are real jokesters. They saw a different side of teacher on Student’s day when we danced together and I really bonded with this class.

9. My 6/6 class loved making content. This was usually a shyer class apart from Friend being in it so she was confident enough to support in me getting information across the room.

   

   

   

Part two of photos:

1. My M1 Science and technology class was always adorable. These seventh graders were always a mixed bag with such a range of fluency levels but they loved games. Especially the wheel of names. I found group projects and presenting in acircle to be best to allow the super nervous students like Unseen and Simple to feel less nervous about speaking a second language.

2. My M2 Science and Technology class were superb. Thank you to Prat and Tonnam for translating. Thank you to them and Jiggapu for loving theater and acting. Our final role plays skits of teaching grandparents technology made me want to roll on the floor laughing. Planin became more brave. I loved First’s can-do attitude and her love of language. Preum and Artom were the class clowns and yet they even learned the idioms at the end of the year with our review game from the tea tin.

3. My 6/3 class. Jeesh I am going to miss these goofballs. From “Icexy” laughing at everything to Timothee and his makeup with his desire to be a cabin crew, Ploy’s artistic abilities, Toon’s attentiveness to every word I said since she wants to be a teacher and how much Dream adored me personal stories I would share about life outside of Thailand. Rainy and Na’O were mischievous and never up to any good in teh back of the classroom.

4. Arika the class president giving his senior speech with his yearbook page. I never once saw him not smiling. He was a delight to teach and I love his favorite quote “Life is learning”.

5. My 6/2 class. They were so silly. C said in my class he felt so safe to be himself and that we could be friends. Other students like Mai and Tnmon weren’t afraid of me to try speaking their best. I loved Inter’s passion for music and how he always helped me with technology. Adele was always doing things his own way. I am glad Name and Can survived the baby soldier camp.

6. These 60/4 rockstars with Louk Tao and Folk Song, Mew the chef, Pleum the silly architect boy, the calm Prakai and G’tar, and Ping Pong, the curious fun one.

7. Students never wear shoes in school. Only from building to building. These always crack me up outside of the rooms.

8. The walkway of students cheering the seniors on their way to graduation.

9. The symposium of sadness.

All of my M6 nametags. 😭

🙏Shoutouts

• To all my 177 Thai students. I already miss you and you will always be in my heart. I cannot wait to see where the future takes you and I also cannot wait to send you your Future Me Letters in 2030 :-)

• Shoutout to Chat GPT for giving me an oomph of courage to record this “wabi-sabi style” since my voice is far from perfection. The song is still being produced but I am so excited about it.

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I appreciate you reading this!

If ideas resonated, I’d love you to press the heart button, leave a comment, reply to this email, or reach me at vermetjl@gmail.com.

Keep on learning 😁

K̄ha bhuṇ ka 🌺 🌺

Jen

PS- if you’d like to read my favorite letters, the best way to encourage my work is to buy my book on Amazon here.

PPS - in case you missed last week, I shared my birthday poem I wrote in my sleeping bag with my favorite night light:

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