INNOVATE. CULTIVATE. EMPOWER
ON MY WAY TO INDONESIA: A step closer to dreams
Practice teaching is the climax of Education student story. This where all the concepts and theories in education will be applied in a real life teaching scenario. If you are able to have this practicum it means that you are almost in the finish line.
My mentor said that as a teacher you must never stop learning. You must innovate and learn more than anyone else because you will be the source of information of your future students. She taught us not to limit ourselves on what is written in the book but rather we should explore and discover ideas outside the four corners of the book. We should also develop our effectiveness as an educator and the methods and strategies that we use to cope up with the needs of a highly diverse learners in a class. A highly diverse class needs a highly skilled teacher who will give focus on how to cultivate and develop the potentials and talents of each students. A highly skilled teachers don’t rely on what they already know but they explore and get outside their boxes. To make this idea happen the Southeast Asia Ministry of Education (SEAMEO) introduce the SEA teacher project or the Pre-Service Student Teacher Exchange in Southeast Asia which aims to provide opportunity for pre-service student teachers from universities in Southeast Asia to have teaching experiences in schools in other countries to produce nationally and internationally competent teacher that will build the better future of the youngsters.
The time that they announced about this matter I never hesitate to apply even though we are financially unstable. The first thing that I kept on my mind is that it is an advantage for me if I will join this program because I could learn something from my experiences that might not taught in school, I could learn more about the culture and way of living of other countries, and I can go out on my comfort zone to try something new to learn something new that I might use in the near future. To be able to join the program I wrote solicitation letter asking for help and financial support because I really need this program to hone my skills and love in teaching. Luckily, with the help of the soft-hearted fellow Filipino specifically friends, families, relatives, and politicians I was able to join the said program. I was assigned to Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung Indonesia and I passed the online interview with Mr. Fuchru Ridha coordinator of International Education and Relations of UPI. It’s just a matter of courage and willingness to help yourself to become the best for your future students.
I’m so excited about on what I could learn once I have my teaching practice in Indonesia. I’m excited about the students about the curriculum they have, the teaching strategies that I can use when I come back, about the comments and suggestion of my mentors, and in introducing the Filipino culture with respect to their own culture.
Last January 15, 2019 we arrived at Husuin Sastranegara International Airport, Bandung Indonesia and we are fetch by our student buddies Ms Nurul and Mr Septia to bring us on UPI dormitory where we will stay for almost a month. Everything is new for me but I took it as a challenge not a hindrance that will stop me on my dreams. This is when my journey began.
The following day, January 16, 2019 I was able to meet all the participants of SEA teacher Project from Philippines and Thailand because the Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia conducted the welcome ceremony for all the participant of the said program. They orient us about the deeper culture of Indonesia and their way of living. Since we are a foreigner here we should respect everything about them. They also let us try the Indonesian food for our lunch and after I ate the lunch I just concluded that Filipino and Indonesian has a different meaning of the word spicy. Their food is the spiciest food I ever tried in my life. After lunch the head of Office of International Education and Relations in UPI Mr Ahmad Bukhori Muslim gave his warm welcome message to all the participant and he introduced to us our mentors that will help and guide us along the program. We had a small group conversation with our mentors to inform us about the school where we will be deployed, about the students of that particular school and some basic rules and regulation they have. I’m very excited yet quite nervous that time because I only have the courage, respect and goal to learn to everyone that I will be encountered along my journey.
It might be a big adjustment for me as a Filipino to teach in a foreign country but it will ignite the fire in my heart to become one of the best teacher in the history that will be remembered by my student upon achieving their goals in life.