Elin Susilo: Chapter I : School General Information and Academic Administration

(The Front Side of Satit Bangna School)

1.1 School Profile

The school where I conducted my teaching practice is named "Satit Bangna School". It is located in 103 Soi Bang-Pla 12 Moo 11 Bangkae, Bangplee, Samutprakarn 10540. Phone 02750-4965 / 02752-4670. Fax 0-2312-1528. Website: ww.satitbangna.ac.th.

History of The School

Satit Bangna School was established by Mr. Churairat (Srikraivin), the former Managing Director of Raymund Land, and is aware of the problem regarding the development of education for children in Thailand, especially the condition of its crowded streets filled with air, dust and noise pollution. The children have to spend time commuting from home to school for up to several hours in a day that which makes it very time consuming leaving the students with little or no opportunity to play or partake in activities that are useful in the development of both their physical and mental health. As a result, this issue significantly impacts the development of the children’s intelligence. The result of this problem will reflect in developing the country in the future.

Mr. Churairat planned to build a school in the suburbs in order to have a good atmosphere and nature, which are both conducive in teaching and performing sport activities. This also helps to reduce anxiety of the students’ parents who cannot look for the school that is good enough, but in the city far from home. There are many reasons for this. Mr. Churairat’s land was approximately 20 hectares in the area of Raymund Park Road at Moo 11, District of Bangplae, Bangplee in the province of Samutprakan. The school building has a place for the sports and recreational activities including football field, basketball court, tennis court and swimming pool, meeting the standard size in the year of 1994. The founder of the school chose to invite Dr. Aree Sunhachawee, the former Primary School Teacher demonstration of SWU University and former principal of the high school demonstration of SWU Administration. She was appointed as the school’s first principal and named it “Satit Bangna School”.

Satit Bangna School is committed to leading schools within the country by developing and learning its current reform. The school has an overall goal to completely develop the youth’s body and mind, instilling Thai values, as well as cultivating modern competency and creativeness within the children.

Vision/Mission

It aimed to build the ability of the students at the most of their full potentials with happiness in the atmosphere of learning and be a good Thai citizen. It also develops students to be more globally competitive.

The Philosophy of Satit Bangna School

"Prayer. Wisdom is a magical glass of man."

1.2 Academic Support System

Satit Bangna School has this kind of principles to support the academic system. It is “7 habits”. It is actually adapted from Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, which sold over 15 million copies. Here are his seven habits and each of their meanings.

1. Be Proactive

Being proactive is the key to unlocking the other habits. Help your teen take control and responsibility for her life. Proactive people understand that they are responsible for their own happiness or unhappiness. They don't blame others for their own actions or feelings.

2. Begin With the End in Mind

If teens aren't clear about where they want to end up in life, about their values, goals, and what they stand for, they will wander, waste time, and be tossed to and fro by the opinions of others. Help your teen create a personal mission statement which will act as a road map and direct and guide his decision-making process.

3. Put First Things First

This habit helps teens prioritize and manage their time so that they focus on and complete the most important things in their lives. Putting first things first also means learning to overcome fears and being strong during difficult times. It's living life according to what matters most.

4. Think Win-Win

Teens can learn to foster the belief that it is possible to create an atmosphere of win-win in every relationship. This habit encourages the idea that in any given discussion or situation both parties can arrive at a mutually beneficial solution. Your teen will learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others instead of being threatened by them.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Because most people don't listen very well, one of the great frustrations in life is that many don't feel understood. This habit will ensure your teen learns the most important communication skill there is: active listening.

6. Synergize

Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create something better than either could alone. Through this habit, teens learn it doesn't have to be "your way" or "my way" but rather a better way, a higher way. Synergy allows teens to value differences and better appreciate others.

7. Sharpen the Saw

Teens should never get too busy living to take time to renew themselves. When a teen "sharpens the saw" she is keeping her personal self sharp so that she can better deal with life. It means regularly renewing and strengthening the four key dimensions of life – body, brain, heart, and soul.

Those 7 habits delineation are being displayed in every corner of the school to remind the students about the principal itself. All the students also required to memorize each of the 7 habits and practice it regularly. In every morning ceremony, there will always be some students who are asked to come forward and talk about how they practice the 7 habits throughtout a week. Most importantly, they have to deliver this in English so that they can improve their speaking ability as well.

1.3 Teaching System

The learning area for foreign languages is aimed at enabling learners to acquire a favourable attitude towards foreign languages, the ability to use foreign languages for communicating in various situations, seeking knowledge, engaging in a livelihood and pursuing further education at higher levels. Learners will thus have knowledge and understanding of stories and cultural diversity of the world community, and will be able to creatively convey Thai concepts and culture to the global society. The main contents include:

1. Language for Communication : use of foreign languages for listening, speaking, reading and writing, exchanging data and information, expressing feelings and opinions, interpreting, presenting data, concepts and views on various matters, and creating interpersonal relationships appropriately.

2. Language and Culture : use of foreign languages harmonious with culture of native speakers; relationships, similarities and differences between languages and cultures of native speakers; languages and cultures of native speakers and Thai culture; and appropriate application.

3. Language and Relationship with Other Learning Areas : use of foreign languages to link knowledge with other learning areas, forming the basis for further development, seeking knowledge and broadening learners’ world views.

4. Language and relationship with Community and the World : use of foreign languages in various situations, both in the classroom and the outside community and the global society, forming a basic tool for further education, livelihood and exchange of learning with the global society.

1.4 Materials and Other Learning Sources

As source of learning the teacher use English Cambridge book “Messages” from Cambridge University Press, England, the same book that is owned by the students. The teachers also use “Grammar Builder : A Grammar Guidebook for Students of English” also from Cambridge University Press, England. For another aditional resource of learning teachers also browse several teaching materials from the internet.

1.5 Curriculum

Basic Education Curriculum 2001

The Ministry of Education announced implementation of the Basic Education Curriculum 2001, which served as the core curriculum for national education at the basic level. The curriculum prescribed goals and learning standards. It also provided a framework and orientation for enhancing quality of life of learners, who would attain virtue, wisdom, as well as capacity to maintain Thailand’s competitive position in the world community (Ministry of Education, 2001). At the same time, the curriculum was duly adjusted for harmonisation with the objectives of the National Education Act 1999 and amendments made in 2002 (Second National Education Act). These laws have placed emphasis on decentralisation of educational authority to local communities and schools, which are to play significant roles and actively participate in preparing curriculums suitable to actual situations and serving their real needs (Office of the Prime Minister, 1999).

Based on relevant studies and monitoring as well as evaluation of the curriculum in application during the past six years (Bureau of Academic Affairs and Educational Standards, 2003 a, 2003b, 2005a; 2005b; Office of the Education Council, 2004; Bureau of Inspection and Evaluation, 2005; Suvimol Wongvanich and Nonglak Wiratchai, 2004; Nutravong, 2002; Kittisunthorn 2003), strengths of the Basic Education Curriculum 2001 were identified. For example, it facilitated decentralisation of educational authority, enabling local communities and schools to participate and play important roles in preparing curriculums which met their real needs. Clear concepts and principles for promoting learners’ holistic development were quite apparent. Nonetheless, the outcomes of these studies revealed several problems arising from lack of clarity. Shortcomings were found in provisions of the curriculum itself, its application and emerging unsatisfactory outcomes, resulting in confusion and uncertainty of practitioners at school level in preparing their own curriculums. Most schools were ambitious in prescribing the learning contents, leading to overcrowded curriculums. Excessively high expectations were also set. Measurement and evaluation did not correlate with the standards

The school opened the Curriculum of English Language Focus (ELF). It emphasizes learning English in Math, Science and English with a native speaker who has ability in teaching with Thai teachers and other major subjects based on the Ministry of Education. The school practices the students “good leadership and love of reading” using the Curriculum of The Leader in Me to develop leadership. Together with the theory of Multiple Intelligences for the development of students potential. Altogether, for preparing the students’ skills properly in the 21^st century and prepare to be globally competitive.

1.6 Measurement and Evaluation System

Learners’ Key Competencies

The Basic Education Core Curriculum is aimed at inculcating among learners the following five key competencies:

1. Communication Capacity

Capacity to receive and transmit information; linguistic ability and skills in expressing one’s thoughts, knowledge and understanding, feelings and opinions for exchanging information and experience, which will be beneficial to oneself and society; negotiation for solving or reducing problems and conflicts; ability to distinguish and choose whether to receive or avoid information through proper reasoning and sound judgement; and ability to choose efficient methods of communication, bearing in mind possible negative effects on oneself and society.

2. Thinking Capacity

Capacity for analytical, synthetic, constructive, critical and systematic thinking, leading to creation of bodies of knowledge or information for judicious decision-making regarding oneself and society.

3. Problem–Solving Capacity

Capacity to properly eliminate problems and obstacles, based on sound reasoning, moral principles and accurate information; appreciation of relationships and changes in various social situations; ability to seek and apply knowledge to prevent and solve problems; and ability for judicious decision-making, bearing in mind possible negative effects on oneself, society and the environment.

4. Capacity for Applying Life Skills

Capacity for applying various processes in daily life; self-learning; continuous learning; working; and social harmony through strengthening of happy interpersonal relationships; elimination of problems and conflicts through proper means; ability for self adjustment to keep pace with social and environmental changes; and capacity for avoiding undesirable behaviour with adverse effects on oneself and others.

5. Capacity for Technological Application

Ability to choose and apply different technologies; skills in application of technological processes for development of oneself and society in regard to learning, communication, working, and problem-solving through constructive, proper, appropriate and ethical means.

Desirable Characteristics

The Basic Education Core Curriculum focuses on learners’ development for attainment of the following desirable characteristics, enabling learners to enjoy a life of harmony among others as Thai citizens and global citizens:

1. Love of nation, religion and king

2. Honesty and integrity

3. Self-discipline

4. Avidity for learning

5. Observance of principles of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in one’s way of life

6. Dedication and commitment to work

7. Cherishing Thai-ness

8. Public-mindedness

Learning Standards

Observance of the principles of development of the brain and multiple intelligence is required to achieve learners’ balanced development. The Basic Education Core Curriculum has therefore prescribed the following eight learning areas:

1. Thai Language

2. Mathematics

3. Science

4. Social Studies, Religion and Culture

5. Health and Physical Education

6. Arts

7. Occupations and Technology

8. Foreign Languages.