Purposes of Practicum
Aside from one of the aims of the SEA Teacher Project or “Pre – Service Student Teacher Exchange in Southeast Asia” which is to provide opportunity to pre-service student teachers from universities in Southeast Asia to have teaching experiences (practicum) in schools in other countries in Southeast Asia, the purpose of my practicum experience will benefit three main areas.
First of course it will benefit me to have this international and borderless perspective in teaching that’s why I grabbed this opportunity. I want to experience different kind of teaching I mean different culture and students’ characteristics. I want also to challenge myself in terms of my competency and content knowledge in mathematics. Another purpose of my practicum is to share my knowledge, my skills my passion in teaching to different group of students and to share also to the receiving schools all the things that I’ve learned throughout my journey as a mathematics teacher education student.
Second is to my home university, it will surely benefit them in this kind of international exposure and thereupon advances further the academic programs in the process in terms of student mobility and international linkages, two of my home university’s major final outputs they endeavour to sustain the mandates as an SUC Level IV HEI and in adherence to the standards of being a Center of Development in Teacher Education.
Third is for the sending university, UNSYIAH, I want to share every little thing that I learned from my home university. Discuss similarities and differences and even suggest a memorandum of understanding to the both university that for sure will soon be beneficial to both university. I want to show what kind of teacher a Filipino is and how can we address all the problems in teacher education. I want my receiving university to learn something from me and even wanted me to go back if possible. And I hope I didn’t failed them.
At last, I can say that I really enjoyed the SEA Teacher program. It helps me a lot and even give me so much of advantages as a pre-service teacher. Thank you SEAMEO.
Procedures of Practicum
Time and effort has been too much exerted just for me to achieve this surprise dream of mine. Even the procedure is very difficult. Opportunity comes ones and it must be grabbed and hugged as a blessing. When I heard about international teacher internship when I was still in my 3rd year in College of Development Education, I dreamed of it from the very start. I lose hope during 4th year college because local practice teaching will soon start, I have already a school assignment that time and I still never heard of the news about international internship. But one surprising day comes and thanks Lord, I am very blessed. So everything starts actually in a rumor, then it happens and I applied for it. The selection in our university is very hard. Grades from 1st year college to 3rd year college is one of the biggest factor, I undergo micro teaching competition and after that interview comes next. Luckily, my college recommended me to be part of the SEA Teacher Project. Many required documents need to be accomplished. Money also is needed for those documents. I sacrificed many events and things just to be part of this program. I settled my passport, solicit money from the local government officials in our town and even ask some financial help to my family and friends.
Everything went well, my dream is about to come true when I realized that I am already standing in Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines.
January 17, 2019 when I arrived at Iskandar Muda International Airport. It was the start of my 1 month journey in Indonesia. First week is an adjustment week for me and in SMA Laboratorium UNSYIAH is my orientation and classroom observation. Second week is teaching assistant, I work with my classroom teacher and consolidation lesson plan. Third week is teaching practice week. I utilized the teaching hours and prepared for the monitoring and evaluation of my mentor. Last or fourth week is more on reflection and lesson learned writing. On the final week I reflect on my personal performance in general and discussed with my mentors the lesson that I learned. After I accomplished everything in SMA Laboratorium UNSYIAH, I go home with mix emotions. Blog writing comes next and answering google forms is mandated. Also small conferences is done in our home university.
And finally E-certificate from SEAMEO is what all the SEA Teachers are waiting for.
Outcomes of Practicum
This SEA Teacher Project molded me to become more globally competitive teacher. Through this program, my perspective in teaching changes and my view in life widen. In totality, according to my mentors, I did very well throughout the program. I received many good comments, either written or verbally. According to my SMA LabSchool UNSYIAH mentor on her comments about my content and organization of instruction, I prepared the lesson plan very well and in detail. I teach with enthusiasm and discipline. I evaluates the student very well including students’ intellect and team work. I gave a lot of attention in developing social interaction and strengthens good character of the students. In addition on her comments to me about my strategies and skills for effective instruction, she said that I used creative ways in delivering the topic and learning objectives that’s why I can attract my students to know more about the topic. I create a fun learning atmosphere and avoids students from boredom by using varied teaching methods. These kind of comments will already determine how I really perform in my class.
Moreover, I think I am not the only one who have this good outcome after the program or practicum. Because I’m pretty sure that my receiving university and sending university also have different good outcomes to the whole implementation of the project. One of it is to build connections and linkages.
The Challenges of Practicum
The problems that I encountered in the article that I wrote in the problem-solving corner are also the challenges that I experienced also. The culture shock, communication barrier and learning materials. These challenges is just a challenge. You must be brave and strong enough to face it and solved it.
Other challenges that I encountered in teaching is my students. They were naughty and noisy but not all. Some really don’t care but I cannot teach observing those things. That’s why I come to each and every one of them to ensure their focus and attention and even ask them to recite and answer my questions. But the good thing about them is that even they are naughty and noisy when you ask them the question, they can still answer it. I think it’s natural for them to do those things because they are teenagers.
Aside from what I mentioned above. I think I don’t have much challenges that I experienced. Just remember this quote “Challenges are what make life INTERESTING, overcoming them is what makes them MEANINGFUL.”
Overall Impressions
I will start my overall impression to myself. Generally, I learned so much in this program. This program really gives me a different kind of experience that I can share to my fellow pre-service teachers in my university. The way I think of things really change from simple to a global view.
My impression to my students, they are very intelligent and religious. They were naughty and noisy also but it’s cool because its natural based from my own understanding. They can still catch up to lesson easily even sometimes they are not focus on it. Generally, the students are so great, loving and adorable.
About the teachers and school heads, I understand if not all can speak in English. Despite of the communication barrier still I can observed that they were so approachable and all kind. They are very dedicated in teaching and really prepares their students in the next world after senior high school.
To the Universitas Syiah Kuala, I loved your university. UNSYIAH is a globally competitive university I think. They really welcomed us at the university in a simple but in a warmth way. Accommodation is not that excellent because I understand the scenario. By the way I came from a poor family that’s why for me it is already good. Hope that I can be back someday.
And Finally, to SEAMEO. Thank you for having this kind of program and also the idea of teaching in the selected universities in Southeast Asia. Your program can change the lives of every pre-service teachers. Continue implementing SEAMEO SEA Teacher Project.
Suggestions For Future Improvement
I actually don’t know where to start my suggestions. But I have something to suggest. I think I will start it about the good and clear communications between coordinators of both sending and receiving university. I suggest that questions of different coordinators must be clearly and completely answered. Questions about the accommodations, grade level to teach must be addressed before the pre-service teachers go to different participating university. For example, one of my co-SEA Teachers don’t know that in our dormitory, there is no kitchen, even bathroom towel and blanket. So, the tendency, since that he didn’t bring some and he badly need it, he will of course buy it nearby. Money will be used unexpectedly. Other SEA Teachers also bring cup noodles and something to cook but then at the end they did not use it because of unavailability of resources. In my case, since that I am a teacher I must always come to school presentable but we don’t have even flat iron to use. Sometimes, I come to school without my uniform being ironed.
My suggestions to SEAMEO is that first, in the SEA Teacher Project Online Orientation, I suggest that if possibly do it by batches. To lessen the misunderstanding and also audio interruption. Another suggestion about the online orientation is that, since that there are numbers of countries participating maybe the online orientation must still be done by SEAMEO and divided into batches according to their country. For example the first batch is all participating pre-service teachers of Indonesia. In this case, the presenter must know how to speak English and Bahasa Indonesia of course. It is for our convenient in the end, to understand well the orientation and ask questions freely.
Another observation and suggestions I have to SEAMEO is about the guidelines in blog making. I just observed that they send different guidelines from the start up to the end of the program. For me, please just send one final guidelines. Also if you can still summarize the content of the blog much better.
I just realized that how can we prove that we consume the minimum 20 hours of the program? For me, I utilized it very well but I think it is better also to have an attendance or monitoring sheet for the SEA Teacher and let a mentor or coordinator sign it every day.
I don’t know if it is possible to require all the receiving university to accompany the SEA Teachers in excursion programs for free specially during weekends.
I still have one suggestion before I forget it. For all the SEA Teachers out there, please don’t expect more. Too much expectations may kill you. Thank you.
By the way all of these are just my suggestions.