An experience everyone should have

As my time in Thailand comes to an end and I reflect on my placement with Gotoco, I find myself eager to share this experience with others.
The one universal reflection that I have found with Gotocoers is the appreciation for an experience we otherwise never would have gotten. Teaching with Gotoco offers travel, cultural exchange, school experience, and local excursions that plane old backpacking doesn’t afford you.
As a participant on the October Thailand Rural
School programme I had unique, and yes, sometimes difficult experiences.
I was welcomed by my school from the very first day. The students and Thai teachers were eager to meet me and made teaching such an enjoyable experience during my entire placement - even the cheeky students are respectful, funny, and a pleasure to teach.
Although teaching in a rural school can sometimes be boring in your free time, it’s easy to step just a little outside your comfort zone and get involved in the local school clubs and community. I had the pleasure of joining my schools badminton club - everyday after school I would attempt to play with the incredibly talented students and teachers - and even the schools director! It was an opportunity to interact with people on a more even field (not literally - I was very bad when I first started playing) and to let them see you as a person rather than a foreign teacher.
And you won’t be spending every day in your school! The Thai teachers go above and beyond to show you the best of what their town and province have to offer. I was taken to some beautiful temples and famous historical sites, as well as being treated to VIP status and traditional Thai dress at the local Loy Kratong festival.
But it’s also worth talking about the things that didn’t quite live up to expectations. Although Gotoco provide a funded opportunity that I wouldn’t change for anything, there were logistical and communication issues with coordinators that made things difficult at times. I often found that my Thai teachers would look to me for an answer to a question that we should have known (dates, travelling arrangements, programme expectations, etc.) but that we simply didn’t know - this was not communicated to us or to the Thai teachers acting as liaison.
That being said, my placement with Gotoco is one I believe every single person should get to experience. It helps you to grow as a person, build cultural tolerance and awareness, and make new friends from a part of the world otherwise inaccessible.