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Where it all started and end...

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Welcome Ceremony and Orientation with the host school and the cooperating school (SMK Tamansiswa Kudus)

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Awarding and closing ceremony at Rector's Hall with the Vice-Rector, Coordinator of the Office of International Affairs and buddies.

Purposes of Practicum

           

           The SEA Teacher project is a program that aims to enable us to develop our teaching skills and pedagogy, encourage us to speak English and diverse teaching and learning situations and opportunities and value flexibility.

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        Exposing in a completely diverse culture was one of the greatest experiences that I’ve had in my life. When I go to Indonesia, I conditioned myself that I have to do my best and share the best teaching skills that I have from my university and show them how we work on the pedagogy. As I have noticed, the curriculum of the school where I was deployed was quite similar to the public and private schools in the Philippines. However, the lesson plan format that they are using is also different from ours so I was very happy when told me of using my format instead of using their lesson plan. So I felt very comfortable because I know that I am working on my forte and I can express more myself and show the teaching skills that I have. And, it is just so fulfilling in my part because after my discussion I always get good feedback from mentors regarding my lesson, my preparation, my activities and my performance. Everything just went well because the students really participated and cooperated in every lesson that I will conduct.

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       I was so happy for I was able to use the English language effectively in teaching my students. The practicum really helped to improve more my vocabulary as well as the confidence in speaking English in front of so many students, it became a good practice for me because I was able to speak every time and everywhere. However, sometimes I have to elaborate well and as much as possible speak slowly for me to be understood by my students. My experience there has taught me to be flexible enough in different platform of teaching with a diverse students and culture wherein I have practiced to become sensitive, fair, considerate and patient. No matter how hard the situations are always try to find ways to overcome trials like “there’s a rainbow always after the rain.”

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     The most important purpose that I was able to share to the school and to the student is being an inspiration. “You brought color to our school, thank you Pak,” my mentor once told me. That was the time and I didn’t stop my tear from falling and I didn’t know what I would feel because it brings me happiness and fulfillment because through that I can assess that I have become an example for the students. Being an Asian is being flexible and being multilingual individuals. I always remind my students that studying English doesn’t mean diminishing their own language sometimes we also need to broaden our perspective and stretch our horizon.

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Procedure of Practicum

           The procedure that I used to my students is 3Is (Introduction, Integration and Interaction). The students have experience several activities which leads them to know what their lesson is all about, they also had tangible and intangible outputs which I used for their evaluation. Sometimes if the topic is easy I used discovery learning approach wherein the students have to exert effort in solving and answering questions. I also used facilitating learning wherein I have to act as a facilitator more than a teacher because I don’t want to tolerate my students that all information must be coming from me but should be a two-way process. Lastly, the most important and should not be missing is the student’s assessment, they have to answer worksheets and accomplish tasks before we end our discussion.

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Outcomes of Practicum

            Getting a very high grade during my evaluation is an indicator that I have done well during my practice teaching because I know that I prepared so much in my everyday lesson and I gave my best in my final demo. The high grade that I received is only part of my success as a SEA Teacher but the most important thing that I know is that my students learn from me. Every time that we are done with our discussion I can always see the smiles of my students in their faces. My professor in college told us that “when your students go out with frown faces, it means they didn’t learn but if they stepped out the door wearing smiles on their face it means they do.” The learning of the students is always at my priorities because I am perfectionist type of person I want to value time and effort at everything that I do so I want to have good results so I will do all my best just to attain my goals.

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            The students realized that English is really so important and it has a very big impact on their studies especially that sooner or later they will pursue their university and find job for themselves. I have learned to be well versed in my profession because after that internship I learned that I have to work on my professional advancement as well as my personal development not just an individual but as a teacher.

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The Challenges of Practicum

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            The internship was never that easy for me because I went through a lot of difficulties in language barrier, the weather, the working environment, the food, the customs and tradition transportation and my daily life in Indonesia.

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         First is the language, language because it was really a country where English is considered as a foreign language. There is only 3 hours’ allotment for this subject, the students lack competency in this subject matter due to lack of students’ preparedness as well as students practice. In my case, I get hard times in giving instruction, direction as well as delivering the lesson because mentor has to translate first the information to the students for their benefits. And most of our meeting, the students eat the time when they are doing activities and group works.

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         Secondly, the weather, during my first and second week, we’ve experienced extreme rains and it is hard for us to go to school because we are just riding a motorcycle going to school so, every time we would go to school, we to wear rain coat and keep our things and bags safe and dry. Sometimes, we have to wait for the rain until it stops before going to school so we have to wake up earlier just for us not to be late going to school. And also because of that, I had late students who come in the class because the mode of transportation is only motorcycle, grab and go-jek.

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       Another problem that I’ve encountered is the working environment, considering that English in their country is a foreign language, only 3-5 teachers only can speak English aside from my mentors, so when my mentors are not around I could not communicate with them and they could not communicate with me so I was very sad that we only have less interaction between me and the other teachers. When I am walking around the school the students want to mingle with me but there is a barrier in English. And I have to adjust at all that things for me to effectively interact with the school and the students so I also tried to speak few words in Bahasa Indonesia and sometimes in Javanese dialect because I was deployed in Central Java, Indonesia.

       

       I also had adjustments in terms of food. I strongly believe that country has a distinct tongue. The Indonesian people like so much spicy food, yes, I do eat spicy food but only minimal because I just want to add to spicy in my food but in Indonesia the put extreme hotness and spiciness the food like I cannot eat it anymore. Another thing is the customs and tradition in Indonesia is so amazing because they are closely similar to what a Filipino does and follow. However, there were strict rules such as gestures and behavior that has to be politely done and shown to the people.

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         The least problem is transportation and daily living because unlike Philippines, we have a lot of public transportation like jeepney, bus, van, and tricyle but in Kudus City, mostly have their personal car and motorbike as their service so since we just have a buddy who drives for us, and they must always come with us even if we feel that we are disturbing them already just to accompany us to buy food and everything that we need. We also have encountered problems in going to stores to buy food especially that they are speaking Javanese and we get confused when we are going to pay in the cashier to the point that we have to look in the monitor the amount that we will pay and if not the buddy has to translate it for us into English denomination.

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Overall Impression

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            If I would to describe my whole journey I would say that it was so fantastic. The moment that I dreamed for my internship I get so excited to see and to experience how is it be independent overseas and meet along different people and merge in completely different culture.

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       The receiving university is so beautiful and advance in terms of technology and facilities catering quality education for students. The administrators are very welcoming and accommodating since the arrival until our departure. They provided us with a comfortable house with complete tools and equipment for our survival for the entire month. We have a very nice and caring buddies who stay in the morning and even at night just to attend our needs and make sure of our security. They even taught us some Javanese words and brought us in different places and food court during our spare time. I couldn’t say anything but I am so blessed for meeting them. I also had a very wonderful school which is SMK Tamansiswa Kudus a vocational high school that offers several strands. I was assigned to a very nice mentors namely; Pak Agos, Bu Amin and Bu Ani, who became my mentors in school and parents outside for they let me experience a lot of activities with them and their family. I was also blessed with the students that I handled because they are very thoughtful and very polite to me. My experience in school was just very short and quick but it was just so amazing and unforgettable. I also met other people who likes to share stories and talk to me and likewise ask anything about me and my country, which I really enjoyed so much. The materials that I’ve used was so helpful in my teaching pedagogy and I was able to acquire a lot of learnings coming from my mentor and the administrator and I get to know the stories of my students.

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        I will never forget all the memories that I’ve had with my friends, teachers and all the people I’ve met along the way because it really is part of my whole being. My success in my career and in my profession I will always look back on those memories which made what I am on the day of my success. The entire journey is so unbelievable like I slept and dream a beautiful picture of me teaching in another country and once experienced a wonderful journey that not everyone can experience. But, it was quite heartbreaking because after that beautiful dream I have to wake to reality that I have to leave that country and pursue my career in my country. But, I never limit myself that one day I can come back to that place and pay back what they’ve given me.

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Suggestions for Future Improvement

            Be mentally fit, emotionally ready and be physically healthy.

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       These are the 3 things that needs to be anticipated before going through an international exchange. We have to be mentally fit. Mental activity is the most thrilling activity the an interntional student has to go through. We must remember that life has many surprises, expect the unexpected it is always better to be prepared at all circumstances. Along with mental preparedness is the flexibility of the teacher to listen and be flexible to that will be given to him or her. Always think on the positive things in life for it will reflect to our daily action.

           

     Be emotionally ready, some would say that one month was just so short but they can never tell the experiences that goes along the life of an international students, may things strikes us like homesick, adjustments, living independently we must be strong enough for us to overcome the crisis of challenges encountered along the program.

         

         Lastly, we have to be physically healthy, there will be a lot of factors that will test the international students on their physical toughness because challenges such as weather, food and environment might not fit our physical condition and it is really very hard to be sick especially when we are away from our parents and family.

          

        Be ready and be an influencer, always establish connection with the students and put them on our highest regard for at the end of the day, their learning and success is what matters to us.

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