Global Education Episode 25: Playful learning in Laos

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Hello, thanks for downloading this podcast from Teacher magazine – I’m Jo Earp.

It’s Episode 25 of our Global Education series and my guest joins me all the way from Laos. Soukdalone Phommathep is Foundation Principal of Lab Langban, in the capital Vientiane. Lon studied here in Australia before returning to Laos to start the school. We’ll be talking about its growth from humble beginnings (in the back of her mum’s house), learning while having fun, the importance of student voice, some of the challenges in her local context, and a playful design touch that’s enjoyed by adults just as much as the children. I hope you enjoy the episode.

Jo Earp: Lon, thank you so much for joining us today, all the way from Laos. First of all, then, can you tell me a little bit about Lab Langban?

Soukdalone Phommathep: So, first of all, the name Lab Langban – so, Lab actually comes from the English word, like laboratory. You know, it's just a place where you do research, where you experiment with things and try new things. So that's where it comes from. And LangBan is actually the Lao word, and [the direct translation] means ‘the back of the house’. So, combining it together it means you learn, you experiment at the back of the house … learning can happen anywhere, and that's where the name of the school, and where it's all started – at the back of my mum's house!

JE: Indeed! Yeah, we'll talk about that in a second. But that's really interesting – so, when you're starting a school, then, do you get to choose the name then?

SP: Yes, that's, you know, that's the first exciting part, right? Like, you're starting a school, you’ve got to choose a name, you’ve got to choose what it makes it unique and how you would like to represent yourself to the community. And yeah. And the school is located in Laos, in Vientiane, the capital city in Laos. So, Laos, it's a country in Southeast Asia and it's known for a rich cultural mix, diverse mix of families. And our school serves the local community; right now, we’ve started to have a mixture of nationalities as well. The school stands in the community [about] 4 or 5 kilometres away from the city centre.

So, we started it as a pre-school. So, pre-school, we accept students from one-and-a-half years old. When we started, we got it up to K3 (so kindergarten 3), that's where the students are around 5 years old. And last year we started our grade 1 – that was an exciting moment – and this year we just launched grade 2. And the plan is next year will be grade 3, 4, 5, and so on. So, at the moment at this point in time, we are up to grade 2. So, yeah, so starting primary last year … that was one of the growth milestones, another milestone for us.

JE: Oh, congratulations! And how many staff are currently there, then? There’s yourself and how many people?

SP: All together, including myself, we are a team of 35 members at the moment. So, I would say we are pretty new – we [launched] the year when COVID hit. And right now, we are serving almost 100 students in our school community.

JE: Excellent. So, you mentioned it there in that answer to the first question. You studied in Australia, so one of the things is when did you actually start the school – you've mentioned there during COVID – and what prompted you to do that? And also, you mentioned it actually started in your parents’ home.

SP: Yes. So, I completed my studies in Australia and that was when it all sort of started. Coming from Laos to pursue education Australia is something different and, you know, when you see new things, it inspires you to go ‘oh, why don't I have that?’ You know ‘I didn't have that experience. Oh, I don't have that in [my] country’ … I went there with a scholarship and as part of the scholarship, I needed to return back to Laos. And I returned basically a bit of vision to create a school where I would, we would empower the next generations. Basically because I didn't get that when I was in primary school. So, I was like, ‘OK, that's something that I could give back’ … and then it all began.

But, I mean, with a humble start at the back of the at the back of my mum's house, you know, to offer the quality, the best education that, you know, we could possibly offer to the children with the limited options that we have in the country. And yeah, when we started, we got, you know, the support, the warmth – but it wasn't easy, I have to say, but we, I decided, to start it off.

JE: Wow, that is inspiring. It's great, isn't it when you've got that kind of vision, and you can actually make it a reality. I'm fascinated to figure out how you've gone about that. But let's just keep on the idea of vision a little bit. So, as foundation principal then, one of the great things (apart from picking the name!) is you’re the one setting not only the vision and the mission, but also the instructional approach. So, let's talk a bit more about the vision and the mission then. What are you seeking to achieve there? You've said about inspiring, and empowering students.

SP: I think one of the things that I would really like, what we are doing now, is in our school community, I would like to set up where we really have – apart from the student centred and, you know, compassionate and having confident learners – I want to [as a team] create that real democratic community. [It's] very challenging to get it from outside of the setting that we are living in at the moment. So, for example, starting from allowing the children to say, ‘I like that’, ‘I don't like that’, you know, for them to be able to express themselves, that's a big thing in here. And also, with the team members to be able [to] express their voices and we listen to their voices. You, know that’s simple ideas, but it is not as simple here.

So, we really want, I really want to establish a setting where it's like a safe space for both the children and the team members; that we are working together to create that space for everybody to have voices. And then we listen to your voices, and that reflects what we do inside the classrooms, and that what reflects what teachers say or what teachers do inside the classroom with their students as well.

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JE: And the instructional approach then is very sort of playful, isn't it, and like you say you've mentioned the lab, the idea of the lab – it's very [experimental], you know, it's all about challenging yourself. It is that really what you've gone for, that more sort of play-based learning type instruction?

SP: Yeah. Easy to understand, it’s play-based learning [and it's] rooted in, you know, a student-centred, project-based learning approach, inquiry-based, creating that engaging and dynamic classroom environment. And even the play-based learning, that idea, we need to convince the community and the families that, you know, students learn through play – that simple sentence we have been spinning since we started until now; we're still trying to convince them even more that when your child plays, your child is learning at the same time. So, that's part of our main job to convince and to communicate with the community that play and learn connect – they are not 2 separate things. But that's hard. Yeah, we will keep trying basically.

JE: And it should be enjoyable, shouldn't it, right? School should be enjoyable at every age, but particularly when you're younger. You've got these little, playful touches around the school as well. I saw a great LinkedIn post about a slide that goes from the top floor to the ground floor.

SP: Yeah, I wish I could show you now. Actually, I'm sitting right at the school. You want to see it? It’s just like in front of me. Yeah, but actually the picture that you saw … there's a slide from, actually the 2nd floor – which is high enough to have like, you know the playful slider. But I think it's also, it's not just fun, right? But it also symbolises our commitment to create that joyful and engaging atmosphere. [And] it's inviting, welcoming students, you know, when they come and see it as well. Yeah, but it's actually what you saw in the picture.

JE: Fantastic. Do adults get to use that as well, or is that for students only?

SP: That's such a great question. And like, all of the people that visited the school asked me ‘did you try?’ And yes, I tried many times.

JE: Yes! Excellent.

SP: And yeah, teachers and school members here, they’ve got to try it too, at least once (if they don't want to do it a second time) just to know how, just to know the experience of the students when they slide through it. Yeah.

JE: Yeah, I love that. We don't do that enough, do we? Play as adults as well. We’ve got a series here called School Assembly, which follows an Australian foundation principal for a year. And we talk about things like achievements and learnings and challenges along the way. I'm really interested in how your experience there differs, you know, in that context that you've got in Laos. What are some of the challenges that you've experienced along the way that maybe school leaders here, or in other contexts around the world, or just in Australia, might not even have to think about, or might take for granted?

SP: I would say, for everything that we are trying to cater for different needs and the different needs require special support. We have, we are one of (I don't even know the other schools), but like I mean we are one of the very, very (couple), few inclusive schools that accepts student with special needs. Special needs here meaning children who are diagnosed as autistic, or children who have Down syndrome. We have autistic children and also Down syndrome [students] in our schools, and others. … [At the same time that it's] heartwarming for us, but we have to find the right support for that and that's the challenge.

So, for example … as far as I know, there's only one or a couple of speech therapists in town and those are not Lao – so they're not Lao nationals, they are from overseas. But we are trying the very best to find those specialists and special support for the children, and that's in very high demand in the country. And one of our students, for example, she has been at school [for 3] years now, but when she first started, she was 5 years old, and that was the first time that she got to be in school. And the reason was because her mum didn't trust the others, and also there’s no other place – like they won't accept the child who needs this support.

So that is something that I started to get, you know, bringing another passion; another passionate project that we are doing at the school is to support these children in the context where we have limited resources, but we're constantly seeking innovative solutions to support the diverse needs of our students.

JE: What about … it's been a few years since you started; you’re still quite, you know, early on in the whole journey, but what are some of the key learnings that you've had so far that have really kind of struck you as, yeah, perhaps didn't realise that or ‘that's something completely new for me’.

SP: I'm not sure if it's new, but I would say what I learned is simple words: flexibility and adaptability. Because, to us, yes, I got inspired by what I learned in Australia, but when I established the school in the context here in Laos, then you’ve got to really understand the families, the culture, where the students come from, what the family is coming from and adapt to the context, but at the same time maintain your standard. Maintain what you want to offer and, you know, you've been thinking the quality that you can offer to the students. So, I think that's the key learnings for me.

JE: Yeah, it's similar here as well because, when I speak to the school principals for School Assembly, a lot of them do say ‘adaptability’, ‘flexibility’.

SP: And it's so true.

JE: You've got to really think on your feet, haven’t you, as a principal.

SP: Yeah, I mean, it's simply said but like in practice, I would say that's not easy. But I think that's all true, especially when you work with the students, when you work with the children, you know every classroom, everyone is so different. You have to really like … first you have to like it, you have to be passionate about that, you have to [care about them] and then you adapt what suits them in that context. What's best for your students in the classroom that you are in?

JE: That's a great message. Yeah, context is everything, isn't it? So, before we go, then, I just wanted to check in with you about what you've got on the horizon. Sounds like you've got an awful lot going on as it is, but what are your plans for the next few years? You've hinted there about, you know, the growth and the expansion. Are you looking at maybe a second school, or have you got enough with the one that you've got?

SP: Maybe a second slide first?

JE: Good plan!

SP: Another slide in the new year. Yeah, so the plan is next year we'll have grade 3, grade 4 and grade 5, but we'll have the primary building. Right now, basically we are located … grade 1 and grade 2 are in temporarily in the preschool building. But we are working on another project of the primary school building, so serving purposely for primary school, and after that's done then we’ll have a full sort of campus specifically for primary. And yeah so, the future would be for then secondary – like year 6, 7, 8 and so on, later on. But I think what we are focusing right now is the primary school building that will be, hopefully will be finishing [in] one year and a half from now.

JE: Excellent. Well, best of luck to you and the team there with that. As you say, from humble beginnings, but wow, you're making a fantastic difference there and you've done so much already. So, congratulations on everything that you've done. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and the journey as well with Teacher.

SP: Thank you so much Jo.

That’s all for this episode – thanks for listening! If you want to hear more there are another 335 episodes in our archive. Head on over to teachermagazine.com, or wherever you get your podcasts from, to access those. And please leave a rating and review.

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In this podcast, Lon says one priority is to create a safe space where children and staff feel able to express themselves and have a voice, and that those voices are listened to. As a teacher, how often do you seek out student feedback? How do you create a safe space there they feel comfortable to contribute?

As a school leader, how do you seek out staff feedback, and how does that inform teaching and learning, and the work you do?