Among the many strengths Wattana has is English. The reason for this is that our school has had good English teachers, both Thais and foreigners. And Mr. Gross was certainly one of them.
If I remember correctly, Mr. Gross taught us from grade 7-12 (ป.7-ม.ศ.5). I don’t think Mr. Gross could speak Thai, so his lessons were all in English. I’ve never been a studious student, ever since I was little. Rather, I was quite a nuisance. I often talked during class, but Mr. Gross was quite patient and often gave me warnings to be quiet. However, one day he reached his limit. He looked at me, pointed to the door and clearly spelled out, “O-U-T”. I was puzzled for a second and didn’t move. After all, I thought the “door,” which he was pointing at, was spelled “D-O-O-R.” He repeated himself but I still didn’t get it. I must have made his blood pressure soar because his face and head started to turn red. The third or fourth time, I finally realized he wanted me out of the class. After that, when I talked too much again, he didn’t have to say anything, he just pointed to the door. I would get his message right away. That’s one thing I remember so well from his class.
Another thing that reminds me of Mr. Gross is a song called “Daisy.” I remember asking him to teach us a song, to distract him from his usual lesson. I don’t know if anyone else remembers this. Although it has been almost 40 years, I still remember it well, and of course, I recall all the lyrics. Here’s how it goes:
Daisy Daisy, give me your answer do,
I’m half crazy all for the love of you,
It won’t be a stylish marriage,
I can’t afford a carriage,
But you’ll look sweet upon a seat,
On a bicycle built for two...
Mr. Gross was very serious and wanted the best out of us. He would come to class with a full load of lesson plans. He was the only teacher who used both the front and rear blackboards, and sometimes went back to the front one again. During the tests, he made us copy everything down, including the questions. We also had to answer his questions in full sentences, not just a simple short “yes, I do” or “no, I don’t.” I think he probably wanted us to learn and understand proper English. He sometimes tricked us with his negative interrogative questions. During 6 years with Mr. Gross, I don’t remember his ever missing a single class. He taught and gave us as much as we could take. And because of him, I was not afraid to speak English to farangs even though I was just a little kid. I was not a good student, but I have no doubt that Mr. Gross was a wonderful and kind teacher. At that time it must have been hard for him to live far away from home and to teach naughty girls like us (especially me). But he never gave up on us.
On behalf of WWA 105, I would like to express our deep sorrow for this great loss of our beloved teacher. We are all grateful to you, Mr. Gross. Please rest in peace. You will always be remembered, especially by me when I hear the Daisy song. Thank you very much, Mr. Gross, for everything you have done for us.
Natta Phisphumvidhi
WWA 105
22nd August, 2011
ป.ล. ตอนบอกให้เขียน ไม่แน่ใจว่าให้เขียนไทยหรือฝรั่ง แต่ที่เขียนฝรั่งนี่ไม่ได้ดัดจริตนะ เผื่อ Mr. Gross จะเอาไปอ่านบนสวรรค์นะ จะได้เข้าใจ ส่วนพวกเราเด็กวัฒนาอ่านภาษาอังกฤษกันออกทุกคนอยู่แล้ว ก็เพราะใครหละ... หนึ่งในนั้นก็คือ Mr. Gross ไงหละ
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