For one teacher, every student is a winner

By Sumalee Suwannakorn 
The Nation

 

 

A path-breaking teacher, Shinnakorn Pimpila, has imparted his young students a precious lesson – everyone can be the best in their own way.

 

All 17 students from his Prathom 6 class, who turned up at Na Si Nuan School in Sakon Nakhon province on March 28 to learn about their performance during the past academic year, were pleasantly surprised to know that they had all been honoured. 

 

Pongthep Pongphan, for example, was acknowledged as the best singer and actor in the class while Methawee Supawang won praise for remarkable fishing skills. Another student, Thirapon Donsawang, was named “outstanding volunteer” for handing milk cartons to his classmates every single day.

 

“I have assessed my students based on their skills, not their academic performance,” Shinnakorn said.

 

Not surprisingly, all students were thrilled by the recognition from the teacher.

 

Pictures of the announcement were uploaded on social media, along with the preening faces of the happy children. 

 

The pictures, and the emotions they kindled, have prompted several people to revive the debate on whether schools really need to subject children to gruelling exams, the kind that impose much pressure on students.

 

“I want to introduce new ways of teaching and assessments. I want to promote active learning. Along the process, teachers will understand more about their students and support their potential development,” Shinnakorn said.

 

He said he had actively engaged his students in class activities since he started teaching eight years ago in the hope that learning experiences would prove practical in real life.

 

“Engagement will increase students’ self-value and esteem. It’s a way to make children realise that they are valuable to both themselves and others,” he said. 

 

Shinnakorn said he could organise various kinds of active learning thanks to support from school executives and local communities. 

 

“Communities are important. For example, when there was a project to build check-dams in the area, I could take my students to see the construction. There, I could teach students about the ecological system and environmental protection. My teaching could also cover biodiversity,” he said. 

 

Shinnakorn used to teach Mathayom 5 students, too and some of his students could use class projects to apply for a seat at their chosen university. 

 

This new-generation teacher believes he is now on the right track and hopes others will follow suit. 

 

“Let’s consider empowering children in a fresh, new way. Step out of the box to understand them better. Help them identify their potential and support them,” Shinnakorn said. 

 

Shinnakorn added that his teaching style did not undermine the core essence of the country’s current educational structure, but complemented it. 

 

“Not all children will become doctors in the future. Teachers and schools thus should not press children too hard about their Ordinary National Educational Test,” he said. “Please pay attention to the fact that society needs people to be engaged in various occupations and people who have not excelled in academic affairs may have good life skills.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342631

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-4-6

Pongthep Pongphan, for example, was acknowledged as the best singer and actor in the class while Methawee Supawang won praise for remarkable fishing skills. Another student, Thirapon Donsawang, was named “outstanding volunteer” for handing milk cartons to his classmates every single day.

The guy is a joke, maybe not the big joke but a joke. "for handing out milk cartoons. Hrrrgggggg

  I'm truly amazed that he didn't acknowledge the best looking ladyboy in his class. But that might be his secret, looking at him. 

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by jenny2017

9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

This new-generation teacher believes he is now on the right track and hopes others will follow suit. 

Yes.....Mr. Shinnakorn, you 100% on the right track...!! Hope many other teachers will follow in your footsteps .

Children all need encouragement.......Well done Sir...!!!

“I have assessed my students based on their skills, not their academic performance,” Shinnakorn said.

 

Then you haven't done your damn job!

 

Not your place to give everyone a "participation award"

There has got to be a happy medium between testing them to death on mindless drivel and rewarding them for being who they already are, without considering achievement and desireable difficulty.

I see the "Spare the rod and spoil the child" brigade have arrived as expected.

1 hour ago, lupin said:

“I have assessed my students based on their skills, not their academic performance,” Shinnakorn said.

 

Then you haven't done your damn job!

 

Not your place to give everyone a "participation award"

What academic skills at age 12 ?

The mandatory grading process at the end of P6, covering every subject in the curriculum, and following a national form, will have been given.

This is their class teacher doing an unofficial and quite harmless "extra grading,"

1 hour ago, robblok said:

What academic skills at age 12 ?

  Well, marching, bowing down, copying off the board ( usually from an English- text, or workbook), 

 

copying homework from mates the next morning, and they are even doing that in their English class.

 

Not to forget the great knowledge on Facebook-related issues. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 20188 yr by jenny2017

So instead of the kids being recognized for Maths, Science etc... they are recognized for handing out Milk cartons etc?

 

How does this prepare them for Uni or life?
Maybe their place of employment will give them a raise, not for doing the task they are employed for, but for the high scores they get, gaming on their phone?

 

Sure they may have passed/failed every subject, but they were all winners at something

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by thhMan

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Shinnakorn used to teach Mathayom 5 students, too and some of his students could use class projects to apply for a seat at their chosen university.

By Thai educational standards this cutting edge

 

At worst what he's doing with his current students is harmless, however: trying to demonstrate they all have abilities that may not be obvious could have lasting benefits,  whereas the effects for treating them all like androids is blatantly obvious to anyone involved with education 

Edited April 7, 20188 yr by grumbleweed

At the end of my mba we had the same based on votes. I won "most sporty" and came second for "speaking his mind" which really meant "biggest a-hole".

18 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

Pongthep Pongphan, for example, was acknowledged as the best singer and actor in the class while Methawee Supawang won praise for remarkable fishing skills. Another student, Thirapon Donsawang, was named “outstanding volunteer” for handing milk cartons to his classmates every single day.

The guy is a joke, maybe not the big joke but a joke. "for handing out milk cartoons. Hrrrgggggg

  I'm truly amazed that he didn't acknowledge the best looking ladyboy in his class. But that might be his secret, looking at him. 

How uncharitable, Jenny. It is the failure to motivate children individually which bedevils the Thai national education system, still trundling along as if the Industrial Revolution had just happened.

 

Anything that helps break the repressive mould of rote learning and mindless conformity is to be welcomed. So more power to your academic elbow, Kuhn Shinnakorn.

 

I speak from experience, as a father of five with two daughters managing - with parental encouragement - to retain and nurture the creativity and individualism which the sausage machine of state education is seeking to squeeze out of them.

 

 

On 4/6/2018 at 5:52 PM, lupin said:

“I have assessed my students based on their skills, not their academic performance,” Shinnakorn said.

 

Then you haven't done your damn job!

 

Not your place to give everyone a "participation award"