Give a Flower and a Note for Success in Your Studies / 🇹🇭 Thailand

Think of a teacher who made something difficult feel possible. In Thailand, students have an occasion to show their appreciation at Wai Khru, a ceremony in which they present flowers to their teachers. You can borrow the idea for a small gesture of your own. Write a few words about what you learned and choose a flower to go with them. Then make the wish about your own next step: understanding a new subject, becoming more patient with practice or asking questions when you get stuck. The flower draws attention to the message. The message lets the person know that something they taught you has stayed with you.

1. Choose a teacher, mentor or family member who has helped you learn something. Write down one thing they showed you and how you have used it.
2. Pick one flower to go with your note. If you want a connection to a Thai example, the school at Chiang Mai uses ixora to express wisdom in its flower trays.
3. Give the flower and note in person, or send a picture and the note if you are far away. Thank them in your own words and let the exchange be brief if they are busy.
4. Decide on one next step in your studies. Write it somewhere you will see it and take a few minutes to get started.

Wai Khru gives students a formal moment to honour their teachers. At SISB Chiangmai, students make flower trays and learn the meanings attached to the plants they use. Ixora stands for wisdom in that school’s account, eggplant blossoms for humility, and Bermuda grass for resilience. In another school’s account, the eggplant flower also carries the idea of humility. The arrangement is a way to gather several qualities into one offering. In a home version, a single flower and one example of something you learned can carry the message. The note explains what the flower on its own can only suggest. Keep the emphasis on the person who taught you.