A Week of Teaching Practices!

January 29^th – February 4^th, 2018

Woke up, prepared, and walked to the school, waited for morning assembly and then hello Matthayom 5/6, 5/1, 5/2, 5/5, 5/4 and 5/3! The very first thing that we did is to greet them of course. To be honest, my first impression of the students was they will eat me alive. Yes, most of them were tall and seemed ignorance. However, I was still trying to talk in front of the class. Turned out, Thai students were just like Indonesian students when they greet their teacher. The leader of the class would lead them to stand up and greet the teacher. But, the students would sit down when the teacher told them so. They would say thank you afterwards. English lesson in all Matthayom 5 was thought by us, the English team teaching. Our supervisor gave us opportunity to get to know our students before having an evaluation later next week. 

 

Before I go further regarding the teaching activities in the classroom, to make it simpler I have conquer 1 week teaching practices, experiences and lessons into this writing to avoid any repetition of explanation regarding the school, students or even the materials. Moreover, it is necessary to explain the system which applied in the school.

First, the teaching method applied by the teacher in this school is mostly 3P (Presentation, Practice and Production). Instead of only sit and listen to the teacher explanation, this method empowered students to take role in the teaching and learning process. In this case, teacher’s role is mostly about providing topic and opportunity for students to develop their prior knowledge. Students are also asked to present their work in front of the class in order to fulfill this method system. This way also encouraged the students to be active in the learning process. Second, teaching method applied in this school is discussion. In a group of several students, teacher give them problem or topic to be discussed. By applying this method teacher expects to gain answers from the result of their discussion. Since students are more comfortable when they discuss with their friend.

From my own observation, since this school is science school with many different learning materials and school innovation, such as laboratories for each of science subject and mathematics the students tend to look for an enjoyable learning process, English was not really their number one priority in this school. That was why innovation in learning activities was needed. We applied different activities and tend to cover the learning in a fun way to gain students’ attention and maintain their focus to the lesson.

However, applying enjoyable atmosphere in the classroom was not that easy. The school was helping us with their sources of learning and technologies since the purpose of learning could not only achieved by the fun activities. Source of learning such as textbook, workbook, internet and many others were helping us, teachers, to give understanding to the students. Moreover, school technologies were also excellent. Each of the classroom provided projector and sound to support the learning. Thus, with all the goods in the school, the learning and teaching process went well and successfully achieved the learning objectives. The students could finish the exercise on the workbook and create their own causative verbs sentences.

Regarding with assessing students, school also have their authentic assessment. For example, in speaking, rubric assessment is used to measure students’ capability in mastering speaking skill.

5/6 was the first class we were in. After we introduced our names one by one and explained about our attendance in the class, we told the students to introduce their names. Each of them had to stand in front of the class, point at one of their friends and describe him/her. Most of the students really good in English, so this kind of activity did not seem difficult for them. Slightly, they could describe their friends well, they also could produce 3 and more sentences without grammar error. I felt both relieved and afraid. I was relieved that the communication between the students and us would not be difficult. In the other hand, I was afraid that a little mistakes could get me ashamed in front of the class. Since one period of a lesson was only 50 minutes, we only had about 10 minutes left to end our class. The rest of the time, we were only have questions and answer between students and teacher. Some of the questions were about the program which we joined, how was Indonesia and many other different and unique questions. Three of us then attended the class of 5/1, 5/2 and 5/5 before lunch. To make it easier, we were applying the same strategy in every class. Although it was the same strategy, every class has their own uniqueness. The classes were full of laughter and the students were enjoying the process pretty much. They found it funny to describe their friend in the way they want. Therefore we did not feel bored even just for a bit. 

Time for lunch already! But, we did not go grab lunch. We were preparing for the meeting with the principal of Princess Chulabhorn’s School. Accompanied by the head of our supervisors both from Foreign Language Department and Science Department, we then entered the principal’s room. As usual, we were warmly welcomed directly by the principal himself. He was asking us about the process of learning, the class situations, the students’ progress in English and our problem since the first day we arrived at Princess Chulabhorn’s School. He was relieved once he knew that we did not have any problem during our living in the dorm and our teaching in Matthayom 5 classes. The Principal also thanked us over and over again because we gladly taught all classes of Matthayom 5. He was a little worried about his students, therefore he was thankful to have us. Later on, the Principal gifted us a brand new edition of Princess Chulabhorn Science High School sport T-Shirt. It was bright and beautiful yellow T-Shirt. Like every other occasion, we took pictures together with the Principal and our supervisors. Continued with 5/4 which was the class for Monday, then we went to grab our postponed lunch at the canteen. 

The next day, we started teaching. The material was about “Causative Verbs”. In line with the teaching method of the school, we also applied both of the methods towards our students. We were really aware of students’ habit in all of Matthayom 5 classes. Usually they tend to talk with their friends or playing their cell phones. That was why we came up with games to brainstorm their mind and relate it with the material we were going to teach. We applied a game which created by our own. The mechanisms of the game were, first, the students were divided into 5 groups contained 3-4 students. Second, each of the group was given cards contained words and they have to arrange the jumbled words into a correct sentence. Third, they have to make an act in front of the class to be guessed by another group. The game was going very cheerful and full of laughter. All of the students participated well and try to guess the words curiously. They were very excited that the group who was standing in front of the class found it hard to choose the group to answer. This game was aimed to make them recognize the causative verb that included in the sentences. When we asked them so, they could easily mentioned the causative verb one by one. 

Having the game applied, we then explained about the causative verbs meaning in every sentences. Moreover, we also explained the structure of causative verbs based on the explanation on their hand book to make it easier for them to understand. Each of us took responsible in explaining 2 out of 5 and 1 additional explanation of causative verbs. In this explanation session, the students were paying their good attention. They did not use their cell phone or even talk to their friends. After we have done with the explanation, we gave them time to do the exercise provided in their workbook. When doing the exercises, sometimes they were talking with their friends but it was only minor things. It did not bother their work and they finished they work on time. Then, we discussed it together with the students to check their answer and add additional explanation if it needed. The system of the learning process were applied the same in the rest of the class by us since they have same material. 

I could simply said that the students in this school have good attention toward the lesson no matter how different the lesson was delivered. In the process of learning itself, the students enjoyed and did not feel any tension at all.

For me myself, it was not about the material. The very important thing between Thai students and Indonesian Teacher like us was Communication. Moreover, the students sometimes held them self to ask a question because they afraid to make a grammar error. Therefore, I am looking forward to learn a little bit Thai to make the students understand the instruction easier. Perhaps a little Thai language can help us as a foreign teacher to get along with our Thai students.

Another thing that obviously occurred as the problem beside cell phone and talkative was actually about the students’ sleeping habit. To rely it with the reality, since they have to deal with science project, deadlines homework and most importantly the rules of the school, it was not actually their fault. That was why I mentioned earlier that we as English Pre Service Teacher, should face this challenge through several innovation in learning. If the students were tired with serious learning, then provide them with an interesting way of learning. If the students do not have any motivation to learn English because their focus was science, provide them with reason why English is important and the fact that English has something to do with Science also. Generally, it was about motivation both from within the students and within the teacher.

On Saturday, we went to Asiatique the River Front in Bangkok to spend the weekend. 

Mosque nearby Asiatique

While on Sunday, our supervisors and our buddies invited us in cultural traditional food exchange in the CTE building. Before started the traditional food exchange, we shared some of our experiences one another after a week being in school. There were no major problems, there were just students’ attention, motivation and communication. Basically, we were dealing with the same problems and we have found the solution. Finished sharing, we then moved to the traditional food exchange. We were introduced to Thai traditional food named Som Tam (Papaya Salad). It was spicy and had a lot of mixture. I got the opportunity to make my own Som Tam, and I liked it very much. For me, myself, the Som Tam I made was delicious. I did not know about the other’s opinion.

Another long week had passed. It taught us many lessons, discipline, communication, patience, happiness, respect, adaptation, gratitude and many others. If I said we were tired, it was an underestimation of our feeling. Well, we were exhausted. However, it was worth the experiences and the lesson we gained in a week. Yes, let us welcomed tomorrow after some rest and a good sleep.