Orientation

I'm in the US now, but that doesn't mean that I get a break from work. In fact, I've had to work as hard since being home as I do during the school year, although it's a different aspect of my job. It's ok though, because I love my job.

Yesterday I drove down to Waco to give an orientation meeting to the new teachers who will be joining me in Thailand this year. 

I had an excellent meeting with Professor Kay Mueller, the woman who sent me to Thailand two years ago and changed my life forever. This was the second year that she asked me to run the orientation session, and I really feel like I've become a real part of this Baylor/Thailand network that includes the professor, Suzie, and Geoffrey. She is an amazing person who organized the openings for American teachers at the palace school years and years ago, and so interesting and fun to talk to. Besides serving as Geoffrey's counterpart stateside, she also teaches Sociology and is involved with more school activities than anyone would ever think possible.

the remarkable Prof. Kay and me

In fact, when she introduced me to her colleagues in the sociology department yesterday, Professor Kay said, "this is Michael Desrosiers. He's a big shot and he runs the Baylor program in Thailand". Wow, guess I got a promotion! I'm just kidding about the promotion, but it's exciting to be recognized as such a big part of this program now after two years of hard work.

Last year we only got three new recruits from Baylor. We had a lot of trouble because of the protests and the subsequent military coup that occurred right around the start of the school year. Several of our recruits dropped out at the last minute. It was a difficult and stressful time for hiring, because although the city was perfectly safe, that's not what the American news was reporting.

This year, Professor Kay was able to get nine new teachers for us, and it looks like we may be fully staffed! I went down to meet them and to answer all their questions to try to ease their minds during this crazy and hectic transition. Like me, they have hardly any time between interviewing and leaving for Bangkok, so they've got to get flights, arrange visas, and prepare to move across the world. School starts in just two weeks!

I remember like yesterday how exciting but also confusing it was. I brought the new teachers a version of the same handbook that I received (I expanded it from a two-page handout to an eleven-page booklet, so I hope that they can feel a little more prepared than I did when I first arrived).

Here's to a great third year!