My Opening Remark on UN Day Celebration(LatePost)

For the sake of these kids, I protect the pic by closing the eyes

The last November 15 was a big day for our school since we celebrated UN DAY. We knew that it's a little late, but  we just couldn't make it at the right moment. We thought the concern was that we tried to celebrate it. 

It was different from last years celebration. This year celebration, we focused on the dance of the country we represented. My class got middle east and I chose the dance from southern part of Egypt I got after searching ones in YOUTUBE. 

And... I had that honour to deliver opening remark on the D-Day. Here is the short speech of mine.

"Peace and God blessing beyond you all.

First of all, I’d like to say thank you to the head of the school and the chairman who give this honorable chance to represent this school and to share a little bit about what we know about UN Day.

And we’d like to say welcome to our honorable guests and parents. And to our beloved team mates, the teachers and students, you did beautiful team work.

There are 196 countries in this world. All the people live in different culture, come from different races, practice different religions and beliefs, but we tend to forget that we have one purpose in this life, to live in peace and harmony.

We can’t actually deny that so many wars and tragedies we have today, in this world due to our incompetency in understanding those differences. We’ve come to realize that all those differences among us are beauty and bless, but at some point, in our daily lives we tend to act the other way around. We do labeling, judging, blaming people not because what they do, but from their race, countries, or religions.

Today, we want to lead our kids to a stage in their lives where they actually aware of these cross cultural facts. We want our kids to be wise in living life and face the differences, and later on when they grow up, to deal with conflicts that may be caused by the differences and solve it in healthy way. We want our kids to understand that we are all one. We are all family.

No matter where we are from, no matter what color our skin are, no matter what religion we practice and no matter what state we stand in believing something. We want these kids to believe that those have nothing to do with the way they treat people.

Today, these kids are going to representing the dance from different part of the world. Here, we can learn something that it is obviously not that hard to understand other people, just like it is not that hard for those kids to learn the dances from other cultures in less than two months. We all can live in harmony if only we can start to understand that we are all born different. Even ears on one head are different.

Last but not least... I’d like to quote a statement from a very remarkable man who is known for his wisdom and tolerance. He said these words for Round Square Campaign October 1996, in South Africa. “The challenge for each one of you is to take up these ideals of tolerance and respect for others and put them to practical use in your schools, your communities and throughout your lives” __Nelson Mandela

Though we come from different countries and practise different religions, WE ARE ALL ONE PEOPLE

Funny Parts of Teaching English as Foreign Language

credit to http://learningworksforkids.com

As English in Indonesia, especially in Aceh is still condidered hard subject along with Math, some people think that English is an "exclusive" language. So many Indonesian parents spend millions to make their kids able to speak English like a native. In fact, only a few of these parents who are able to speak English. at this point, all the responsibility are on teachers.

I teach in two places right know; an international school and a course. The first one mentioned is a school where international system is applied and aall students and teachers are expected to speak full English except in some subject like Bahasa Indonesia, Sosial Science, Citizenship, Arabic/ Mandarin. The kids are trained to acquintaance the language by speaking it not by teaching it as a language.

However, it causes the language to be in a mess structure you have ever heard nowhere. Since this kids speak Bahasa Indonesia in their homes and Bahasa grammar is so different compared to English, sometimes I find the kids speak english with Indonesian grammar or vice versa. Here are the examples:

If one can not do or say something they suppose to say: "I can't see it" or "I can't do it"

but in reality what I heard from most of the kids are: "me not can see" or "me not can do"

It takes about 2-3 months for me to fix this and always remind them if they say this.

In other case, they will read word in Bahasa Indonesia in English pronunciation. This one is never be disaster except for the one and only Bahasa Indonesia teaacher in the school.

At the very worst case, especially the kids who are "lucky" enough to have parents who can speak English with them all of the time find it's hard to speak in Bahasa Indonesia. In Bahasa Indonesia subject, one had ever asked me (when I was around), "do you know how to say 'market' in Bahasa?". At my very stupefied expression I asked back, "You really don't know it?". 

The funniest part is mostly happened in my course. They don't go to Bilingual school, so they speak a very good Bahasa Indonesia. Too good that it sometimes influences their English. 

There was a moment when I asked my students to translete 2 - 3 sentences. I rarely do this thou. But wwhen I do, I always find myself laughing so hard along with the kids of course.

That day I asked my students to translete "I will be at your house around 6" into Bahasa Indonesia.

One of my student, the most innocent look in the class, translete it to be "Saya akan kelilingi rumah kamu selama enam kali = I will surround your house 6 times". It was so hilarious.

credit to http://thefeedingdoctor.com

This language teaching obstacle never be a burden for me. Honestly, I like it to hear the kids trying so hard to deal with two languages at the same time, and I prouly say that most of them did it. At last, it's great to learn from your own mistakes, is it.

The Perks of Being Freelance Teacher #1

Yesterday, I was teaching in one course I am employed in the town. There were only three 12-year-old boys who came to the class. This is a small class of 5 actually. I was in kind of bad mood and not that excited in teaching that day. My bad..

I asked them too do the task in the workbook when they started asking questions of words and sentences they didn't understand. Once they finished, I asked one of them a question since this one always be the fastest and the brightest in this class. "How old are you now?" I asked this boy who drew his attention right away to me. "12 years old miss...", he said. I started to ask him "Imagine yourself 15 years from now.. What will you be? and where will you be?". He didn't take much time to think and answered me in a snap, "In campus, studying". And then I confirmed.. "No...27 you will suppose to finish your study.. You be graduating your study that time. 

He added  "I will be in a campus, finishing my master degree in Stanford University!". This answer slapped me on the face and at the same time I mesmerize this young boy motivationn and dream. He stated his drem proudly. He even know where to go at this very young age. Oh Boy... I was smiling so wide that time, and kept saying "Awesome" in a number I can't remember. It was sure that I got this goosebump. I was astonished. This boy somehow told me not to stop trying. I couldn't stop link that GOd shows His Mighty that time. Wuhuuuuuu.... 

That  gave me an idea how to continue the class. THese boys are active boys. They like to move around the class. Then I decided to ask them to write 5 questions on a piece of paper and have it rolled. I was involved in this actvity. Then I gave each of the papers to each of them randomly. Every kid had to ask each question to anyone they like. 

I didn't know that this activity could be that great. We stood and moved around the class while doing this activity. To my excitement, even I myself enjoy this activity.

Here are their questions, mine is included of course.

Question me questions!

Week 3- Being a First Grader Teacher

School year has just begun. All students were in the class, excited. There were only two new students on the sight. The rest come from the same kindergarten, this school too.

I have been teaching here since 2011. That's what some people or even teachers here don't know about. Maybe because, I wasn't here along the days, only once  week. I first taught as religion and Arabic teacher, though I graduated from English Department. I know the basic in Arabic and Religion for kids, so I agreed to teach here. Months passed, and I come and leave to this school for several times. As sub at most of the time. Now, I feel privileged yet challenged to handle the grade 1 where most of students graduated from the same school. I have met those kids before, long when they were in Kindergarten 1, two years before when I was their class adviser for two months straight. Therefore, I thought it's not gonna be that hard to deal with. Alas... I was totally wrong.

I forgot the fact that this is their very early stage in adapting a new system from Kindergarten to elementary. That is not something unimportant to be concerned about.

They now, have abundant subjects to deal with. Don't ask me, I don't like this fact too. I hate the fact that education in most of developing countries tend to ignore that kids are kids. Beside getting so many subjects to master, they  still need their times to have fun. This is not my part to complain about, but to adapt it in my own way. And this is a point where I, as a teacher should elaborate and think hard how those "subjects" can be absorbed by the kids without causing "over-burdened" feelings or "harm". I mention "harm" in here, because I am one who believe that the most important phase in constructing students' academic skills begin when they are so young. Wrong turns in approaches and methods are just gonna lead those kids into the studying habits that no one seems to expect. Unfortunately, I saw it this week.

The first two weeks seemed to be okay, I thought I just need to have teacher-student conference after school with students who need more practice. Again, this is just not enough. 

This week, most of the subjects I reviewed should actually shows improvement, yet most of them found it is okay to memorize, but when it comes to writing. They messed up. I messed up. I wonder what makes those brilliant kids end up this way. But then I come to realize, they were taught to memorize before, not to understand. However, they show excellent penmanship and speaking skill. Yeah... they are way beyond great in speaking. I mean for the kids at their ages whose first language are not English.

Now, I feel like I have to start the very new, effective way in getting into their minds. And I do believe, building such good psychological relationships are so important. Kids need to feel comfortable first with their teachers. I have to make them like me first to get their attention. Once they like me, it's just that easy  for me to conduct any approach or method in teaching them. 

Last... I feel so sorry, terribly sorry for some of the kids that need more attention from their parents. Needless to say, they all come from different way in parenting. And that leads to something crucial. No matter how great I am as a teacher, it is a certainty that no goals will be achieved without parents' supports.

 pic from http://lifeinfirstgrade1.blogspot.com/

my Lovely Class

Babak baru dimulai. Dan aku tak yakin akan siap. Kelas itu...kelas terbaik yg pernah ku.handle, meningglakan mereka sekarang karena integritas yang tak dihargai semestinya. Mungkinkah aku sanggup menatap mata-mata mereka...
Murid-murid terbaikku. Keberagaman mereka justru hal yang selalu kutunggu-tunggu setiap harinya. Dan aku sendiripun seperti tak percaya semuanya harus berakhir seperti ini.

Si Pintar Alin... Miss tahu, kamu pernah sebal karena melarang kamu tertabahak di kelas, namun entah sejak kapan miss pun membiarkanmu, tak terganggu sedikitpun dengan suaramu yang besar. Bahkan miss merasa kelas tak pernah lengkap tanpa kamu.

LIa.... Anak manis yang selalu...selalu mengirimi miss sms, siang, malam, pagi....tengah malam sekalipun... Cerita-ceritamu. Miss justru merasa jadi teman Lia ketimbang tutor. Maaf sayang, mungkin kebersamaan kita di kelas disudahi sampai disini.

William... Kamu tahu, kamu adalah yang terbaik di kelas kita, diluar fakta bahwa kamulah yang termuda. Maaf miss pernah menjadikanmu lelucon dan kamu terganggu dengan itu. Tak ada yang menyamaimu. Miss benar-benar menghargaimu sebagai seseorang yang luar biasa. Bermimpilah terus Willy. :)

Hafidz.... Kamupun pintar seperti Willy, namun keceriaan dan pengertianmu sering mengejutkan saya. Kamu sangat bijak. Dan kamu selalu saja baik......

Chia.... anak manis yang lucu. Tak pernah malu untuk mencoba. Dalam berbagai hal kamu adalah motivator terbaik di kelas kita. Dan Miss selalu kagum sama Chia.

Fira... menyanyilah terus, tapi tidak di kelas ya. Suatu saat kamu akan punya prestasi yang bahkan kamu sendiri tak sadari.

Ogi... tak pernah sekalipun kamu murung. SEbegitu indahnyakah hidup untuk mu!? Ogi, maaf kalau sadar atau tidak sadar miss sering menjaili Ogi.

Simon...hehehe, kamu tahu kan...kamu tahu saya sering lihat kamu....Whaaaaaaaaa soalnya kamu keren sekali anak muda. Dan saya tahu ada sesuatu antara kamu dengan

Martin, seolah kamu selalu membayangi Simon, tapi sebenarnya tidak, menurut Miss kamu punya karakter unik.You're just cousinsand you two are so different!

Satria....you are the real knight, warrior. You are smart. Walau kamu sering masuk telat, tapi kamu tau sejauh mana kamu harus mengejar.

Ikhlas... sering datang terlambat, sering ditegur, tak pernah membuat mu berhenti belajar. Kamu punya sesuatu... Girls are just gonna love you in the future.

Miss You all.....
Love you all

P.S: I met Silas 4 days ago... He's so tall now, just like he was...