SEA Teacher program gave me many experiences. Besides learning how to teach, I also learned about culture and differences in the educational environment. I could also observe how teachers teach based on their culture and teaching style.
The school where I conducted my observation had a clean and comfortable environment. The facilities were also complete, such as clean classrooms, TVs for presenting PowerPoint presentations, a library, and a canteen with student-friendly and affordable food prices. However, during one of my observations, the electricity did not work, so the teacher had to be creative in finding ways to keep the class going. From this situation, I learned that teachers are not only trained to teach students but also to be creative in unexpected situations. Communication between teachers and students also worked very well.
Based on my observation, the teacher did not only explain the material directly, but also asked small questions related to the topic to check whether the students were still focused or not.
One thing that was new for me was that before the class started, the teacher gave motivation or played a game related to the lesson material. The purpose was to let the students know the surface of the topic first before studying the full lesson. I think this method can attract students’ attention and encourage them to participate more in class.
Another new thing for me was when the teacher prepared classroom rules and learning objectives, and then read them together with the students. I remember when my buddies told me “you have to print the classroom rules and learning objectives and we will put them on the board so the students will not only read them but also remember the rules and the goals of today’s lesson”
During the learning process, especially in the “lesson proper” part of the lesson plan, the teacher did not directly explain the whole material deeply. Instead, the teacher first explained the surface or the introduction of the topic before going into the main point. This method helps students avoid feeling overwhelmed because receiving too much information at once can make them easily forget the earlier discussion.
The teaching methods used by the teachers were also interesting. When the electricity was working, they used TV and PowerPoint presentations. However, when there was no electricity, they used large sheets of paper and wrote the material manually then discussed and read it together with the students.
The first teacher I observed, who taught Grade 10, he used PowerPoint presentations and asked students to work on activities using their own papers. The tasks were done in groups, so students did not only think individually but also discussed and shared ideas with their classmates.
The second teacher, who taught Grade 7, experienced a power interruption during class. Instead of using PowerPoint, she used large sheets of paper. The students were asked to write on the provided papers and arrange the steps of making something based on the instructions given by the teacher. After that, they had to present their work in front of the class as creatively as possible. Some students presented like reporters, while others acted like characters from children’s shows such as Dora.
From this observation activity, I learned that an interactive classroom atmosphere can increase students’ participation in learning. I also gained many new experiences about teaching strategies, classroom management, and communication between teachers and students.
Komentar
Posting Komentar