Aside from Christmas, I have another reason to celebrate! My drama and my storytelling contestants were hailed champions in the recent annual academic contest. This competition was sponsored by the Office of the Basic Education Commission of Thailand (OBEC) held in Sukothai province on Saturday, December 21.
Also known as “Silapa”, this event is one of the most anticipated by both junior and senior high schools all over Thailand. Aside from Impromptu Speech and Crossword, the English language competitions also include Short Drama and Story Telling. I coach drama for senior high school level and both junior and senior high school levels for storytelling.

Three-time Champion
This is the third consecutive year that my team reigns supreme in Short Drama for OBEC regionals. The first time we took the top spot in this category was in 2017 and we eventually placed 3rd in the nationals which was held in Bangkok. That was my first and the only time in the nationals because last year and this year, the competitions are only up until the regional level but the certificates are from the nationals.
But what excites me the most is the first place finish of my storyteller. After years of working so hard to ace this category, we’ve finally reached this far. I had one student who clinched 3rd place in the nationals for this category when I was still in my previous school and I thought that was it. Winning this event in the regionals on Saturday gives me renewed confidence.

The road to victory isn’t easy. It takes finding the right students who are willing to learn and are open to criticism. It needs students who are ready to shed sweat or even tears and students who know that practice and a lot more practice are the key to excellence.
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