Teacher to Trainer
Officially Teacher Trainer Material! I am so thrilled to have been a part of SINE’s October 2025 Teacher Training, this time as one of the Teacher Trainers! It felt surreal walking into the same training rooms I’d sat in just 6 months earlier — this time, standing at the front of it. It feels only right to pay it forward, keeping in mind the sage advice and tips shared by my trainers during my training. I feel so lucky and proud to have been chosen for this opportunity as only 1 of 4 teachers selected to help train SINE’s newest incoming class of educators.
A reason I may have stood out as a natural fit for this role is because well … I’ve done this a few times before. In my college experience at Fordham University Rose Hill, I volunteered in a very similar capacity with our New Student Orientation team, as Programmer of Events in my dormitory, and eventually as a Resident Advisor. What can I say? I have a deep love of school spirit, bringing people together, and creating these little communities that go on to become long lasting friendships. Luckily SINE gives me ample opportunities to channel my spirited energy into many different endeavors – whether that’s blogging, teaching, or training our new staff!
Since my own training, I have come to learn one major thing – that there is no substitute for lived experience. And that while the key muscles are made during the training week, it’s only through the rinse and repeat of weeks of classes that you truly hone the confidence, build the trust with each set of students and command each classroom in your own unique style. At Teacher Training, I was so often reminded that every school and set of students is different. During my own orientation I was so hungry to visualize the reality of my day to day schedule, so I tried to bring as much of my lived experience and daily routine with me into my training classrooms to paint that picture for my trainees.
SINE Teacher Training is consistently held at the Student Christian Center, which felt nostalgically reminiscent of my college experience at Fordham. While SINE does hold its teacher training and orientation events at the Student Christian Centre (SCC), it is a venue partnership, and not an institutional or academic one. The SCC is historically affiliated with Christian University of Thailand (CUT) and other Christian organisations, but serves as a neutral space for interfaith communities, NGO groups, and most notably educational activities – like our SINE Teacher Training!
Each day of training I was responsible for leading breakout group sessions, demonstrating and modeling teaching techniques, supporting new teachers, and mentoring them as they stepped into the role of teacher. In each session, we engage in role play as student and teacher, and give constructive criticism as each teacher trainee moves through fragments of the lesson material.
A phrase I loosely meditate on often is “To teach is to learn twice.”, understanding that with everything I teach to my students or my new trainees, I too am relearning and reinforcing my own knowledge. Whether it’s seeing myself in my young queer students coming of age, or seeing bits of myself in the eager new fleet of teachers, sitting in the same chairs I sat in only 6 months ago.
I take pause in the small moments to be grateful for these opportunities to see the world through their eyes, and their new fresh perspectives. In turn, it enables me to keep a fresh perspective, and channel that brightness and appetite for learning into my classroom and my lessons.
These sort of events are exactly why I love teaching with SINE! There are always so many opportunities to get out of the classroom and explore Bangkok with your fellow teachers, either with your school or with the company!
This blog was written by Teacher Colin at Wat Sutthi School in Bangkok.
To find out more about SINE, who we are, where we work and how we can support your next big adventure send in your application today!