References:

Zuñiga, A., Talisayon, V.,Baetiong, L., et.al. Systems Approach to Teacher Mentoring and
Urban Poor Student Achievement: Final Program report, Year 2. UP Diliman, June
2010

Asia Research News, “Results of the Open Grant research project “Systems Approach
to Teacher Mentoring and Urban Poor Student Achievement” presented in the forum
“Pagbabago sa Silid Aralan: Kung Hindi Ngayon, Kailan?”, ResearchSEA, http://www.
researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/4060/cid/6/research/forum_on_current_
philippine_education.html?PHPSESSID=92ae156683bf (accessed June 29, 2011)

Saowanee Yuthtamanop
Am I Really an Action Researcher?

Many people ask me why I don’t want to be a school

administrator and I answer that I love to teach and I’ll
continue teaching all my life.”

Whenever I enter a classroom, and I see the joy in each and every eyes, this completes
my day, despite all the stress and problems I meet in my profession. I have been a
teacher for 27 years and throughout this period, I can say that I have never regretted
being one.

When I was a child, I did not want to be a teacher, but instead, I wanted to be an
accountant. However, my mother pushed me to be the educator that I am now. I am
an only child and I come from a poor family. My mother was a farmer while my father
was a government official and their salary was just enough to sustain our daily living.

Inspired by my mother, who I consider my best teacher, I decided to be an educator. I

decided to be one because it would be practical for my family, since unlike other jobs,
being a teacher allows me to stay with them and, thus, enables me to take care of my
mother. Later on, I developed the passion to teach and vowed that I would never leave
the profession, ever. From then on, I knew I was born to live and die as a teacher.

In my early years of teaching, I was still in the stage of adjusting and developing my own
teaching technique. I was very theoretical back. Since I thought that applying all the
theories I have learned in school would equate to quality education. Then, I realized
that not all theories are applicable to every learning situation. The context of the
situation must also be considered.

48 Passion for Teaching

 By adjusting to
every situation, I
eventually learned
how to get the
attention of my
students and make
them listen to me.
What is surprising
is that I can
even handle the
naughty students
and make them
behave. I learned
how to adapt to
Encouraging the children to talk during one of the group works in a
them and make
Elementary Camp held in school.
them feel like I
am not just their
teacher, but also a friend and a second mother, rolled into one.

Being a maternal being, I am very proud to say that my students call me mom. In
Thailand, that is an unusual practice and it makes me feel that I am appreciated and,
thus, I feel more passionate in my profession.

Whenever my students have problems, they always approach me. One time, one of
them came to my room and told me that a teacher had spanked her. I then consoled
her and told her that whatever happens, in the end, everything will be alright. I knew
she felt good afterwards since she knew that she was not alone and that there was
someone willing to be there when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

During my free time, students are free to visit me. Since I am the manager of the English
Resource and Instruction Center (ERIC), I have a large room, where in my students
and I can talk, play, and do activities. Recently, we have been hooked on Korean movies
and my students and I always watch and share stories about the movies that we have
already watched. In fact, we even cry together while watching!

Though I have grown so close to my students, I have my own subtle way to discipline
them. To be able to teach them how to work in a team, which will eventually help
them as they enter the real world, I usually ask my students to work in groups. I have
different strategies in doing so—from role playing to serious reporting.

While they are working as a group, I see them as jigsaw puzzles—without each other, they
will not be able to complete the whole picture. Each has his or her own responsibilities
to fulfill, whether big or small, and the project will not be complete without each
person’s contribution.Whenever I see some group members not working, I don’t scold
them. Instead, I let them know their lesson by the end of the activity. Usually, when
one of the students does not do his/her responsibilities, the whole group sacrifices the

Passion for Teaching 49

 Being a maternal being, I am very proud to say that
my students call me mom since they see me as their
second mother. It is an unusual practice in Thailand and
it makes me feel that I am appreciated and, thus, I feel
more passionate in my profession.

quality of their output. Then, the other group members get mad at the single member
who has let them down. Thus, the irresponsible member learns his/her lesson that if
he/she continues being as such, he/she might lose friends. Most of the time, I see them
improve, eventually, since they value their relationship with their peers.

As a teacher, I don’t want my students to just learn about Comprehensive and Critical
Reading. I want them to learn more about life in general and how they should prepare
for the challenges that they might face ahead. I try to teach them how to be responsible
beings for the society. When I grow old, I want to say that I have touched the lives
of the leaders of the country and that I have helped them succeed in their chosen
professions. I also want to teach them that they should be proud Thais, wherever they
may go and whatever happens to them.

Being an English Critical and

Comprehensive Reading Teacher
in Thailand is not an easy job
due to our mother tongue,
which is very different from
that of English. Throughout my
years in service, I have seen
that my students do not easily
comprehend what they have
read. It was a big problem and
I had to find a solution to it no
Sharing her teaching experience to co-participants during matter what it would take.
the SEAMEO INNOTECH Third Regional Education Forum
I immediately did research work
by studying the learning styles
and needs of my students as well as different reference materials, from which I learned
many teaching and learning styles and theories. Then, I developed my own model of
teaching based on the needs of my students, which I called Q2RD—Question, Read,
Rewrite, and Discuss.

Based on my model, first, the teacher has to pose a question to the students so
that they will think for themselves and eventually develop as independent learners.

50 Passion for Teaching

Second, the students have to
read, since the subject matter
is Critical/Comprehensive
Reading. Third, they have to
rewrite, in Thai or English, a
summary of what they have
read to be able to ensure
that they have understood
the material. Fourth, they
need to discuss the material
with their peers to be able
to check the students’ critical Ms. Yuthmanop is fond of giving suggestions to students on
comprehension. Through this how to improve their work during group activities
teaching model, the reading
comprehension of my students greatly improved. When I created Q2RD, my aim was
neither to make my students fluent English speakers nor writers, but to make sure that
they understand what they read. I can say it works!

Due to the solutions I have formulated, I was recognized as one of the 185 awardees of
the Kroo Dee Nai Duang Jai (A Good Teacher in the Thai’s Hearts) Award—an award
I have never expected to receive. My research was recognized throughout the country
and I was given budget by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to expand the project.
The research was then implemented in two schools in the country in different subject
matters, such as mathematics, science, and Buddhism.

It was like I was on top of the world when I received the award! Who would not want
to be recognized for his/her efforts? However, my way of living and teaching my students
did not change. I was still the simple Kru Sao (Teacher Sao) that they knew. However, I
was inspired to do more, to help more, and touch other people’s lives more.

If asked how I would describe myself as an action researcher, I would say that I am not
even a researcher. Though I have developed a model of teaching through research, still, I
am not a researcher. But, I am teacher constantly looking for solutions for my students’
problems, without asking for anything in return.

Passion for Teaching 51