Goodbye Andreas

I've just arrived from work, I usually feel so tired, but now I'm so happy that I have like a tons of spirit to type.

Today is one of my class, Talking English class 2 report book day. We normally don't study at this day. We could have free activity like playing games, going to karaoke, and even eating together. There were 4 students in my class, two pretty high school girls, first, fortu, a very kind girl that is preparing herself to enroll her study to Sydney and the second is evon, a cheerful girl that loves korea and looks definitely like korean, then two nice college boys, tius, a supertall boy with glasses that is a fan of gambling in casino and next, andreas, a little quiet student that likes to help her mother in her sparepart shop, they're all good kids (I'm sure of this). Andreas actually is studying in China, right now he is enjoying his 4 months holiday in Jakarta. He decided to join us learning English to spend that holiday. So sad that after only two terms, he is leaving to china soon, on 16th February.
Since today was the last day we were at the same class with andreas, we went eating together, tius drove us to a nice seafood restaurant around Pluit, it was "Sedap Malam". Those kids were really lovely, they kept asking me to choose everything, starting from the place to eat to even the menus. It was really happy moment, we shared stories, we told many jokes, we ate much mouthwatering food. Time flew fast, it's already 9, I needed to go back to office to take my bag and go home, so tius delivered us. Actually I wanted to be with them longer, but what to do, I couldn't, so it was our goodbye. I pray to god that things will be easier for andreas in china, I prayed that tius could study well in his college and never drive over 180kph (he told us that it ever happened -_-), I prayed that fortu could easily continue her study to sydney, and the last, I prayed that evon could have a way to study psychology as she's been dreaming of and have a boyfriend this year (as what she wishes).
Well, goodbye is always hard, even after only 1 month meeting. Actually I was a substitution teacher for that class, because the homeroom teacher there couldn't continue teaching. I 've taught them for less than 1 month, but I felt very comfortable around them. I'm so gonna miss 4 of us together kiddos :)

here we were!

let me share you some of the delicious food :9

Housewife=Babysitter

One day, as usual, me and my fellow teacher, debora were talking about our "today's classes" when I suddenly choked surprised. That day, she taught Red Class, a class for kids (around 6-7yo), about Job, she generally explained many kinds of jobs with a very simple english (what could we expect for 7yo kids to understand about occupation :D).
She started with easy one like "teacher is someone who teaches you in school or courses", "pilot is someone who drives an aeroplane", etc. Then she continued to some term that werent difficult to memorize but not easy to understand, like 'businessman', if we told them about 'business things', it would be useless, so we just said like "businessman is someone who is busy working in a company and wears tidy suit", one of the kid responded "miss, my father is businessman, he has got company", later we found out that his father is toys businessman, then debora continued to a new term, 'housewife', she started explaining, "housewife is someone who works at home, takes care the children and husband, like you and everything in your house...", a kid suddenly responded excitedly, "um, I know.. I know.. so housewife is like my babysitter..."
My friend, debora, was like about to laugh listening to that, but maybe when she saw the kid with a very bright smile thinking that he had given a really smart answer, my friend was touched. Later she added some explanation that housewife is from 'wife' but still the kids thought that housewife is babysitter because they had experienced all the things babysitter did and its exactly the same with explanation about housewife, and a bit pitiful that they couldnt think that housewife is actually 'mother' since they didnt feel that way (and most of their mother worked so they'e not housewife).
Well, later I found out most of mothers nowadays tend to give their children to a baby sitter, some of them could manage everything so well that mother+babysitter become a good combo, and the kid usually grows up done, but some others are too busy so they give their children up to the baby sitter. when they send their kids to a course, they tend to expect too much without noticing the kids development, one dayone of the teacher got a call from a mum, she was a bit upset when she found out that her kid couldnt write "three" properly. The kid had been in ILP for about 7month, its the seventh month, and her mum suddenly appear on the phone. The teacher explained, "We're very sorry for that maam, but thats normal for kid to forget the spelling easilysince they're just 6yo, even in bahasa they tend to make mistakes in writing, about three, although she couldnt spell properly, I'm sure she knows the meaning, for kids we focused more in memorizing the vocabularies, but of course every meeting we practice writing too. Your kid, she's quite good with her vocabulary bank." The mother was like "but my kid has been there for seven month!" well, the kids came with a very weak english and only got about one hour two meetings a week, then the mother expected her to be able to speak like native, impossible. "maam, its useless if you think that studying here is enough, kids memorizing easily, but forgetting easily too, that's why they need to repeat again at home, did you help her all this way?" the teacher add the explanation and the mother answered "well, I already ask the babysitter to do all of that, to help her, I have no time to help her in her study...",
Then, case closed! Her babysitter plus driver always came with her to the course, but they didnt even finish their high school, so how come the mother expect them to help her in studying english. That time I was a bit mad listening to that phone conversation story. We invited the parent to come on report book day once in two month to talk about the kid, but what we met mostly babysitters or drivers, yet the mother's complaining while knowing nothing about the kids progress, tsk...
Those were just some experiences for us as teacher r, thanks to them, I learned a lot :)

Happy (?) Birthday, You!

I have a song that never fails to make me cry.
Winter Child by Suzy



I always wanted to give this song to someone special like you. I can always feel your existence. You taught me many things. You've shown me how precious life is.
Since yesterday, January 23rd is the day when you were born, please consider this as a birthday present from your me.
It has been 9 years, time flies. No one talked about yesterday, I'm sure it's not that easy to forget so I think everyone was just trying to have the feeling of "moving on".
Many things have changed. I hope you're watching us there. Don't worry about things here, I've been in many bad situation but in fact I survive until now. Just hang on there until we meet again.
Well, you're now 9 years old, I wonder how big you are (although I'm not sure people grow up there). I don't know how you might think about me, but I'm doing my best right now, I'm going to protect things that I know you wish you could protect too.
Dear, I'm still wondering, should I give you a happy birthday?
I didn't know was that a happy birthday or not, but I feel happy because at least I have you. Whatever happened 9 years ago, I'm happy you were born, I'm happy that you're my brother.

About Ella

When I first taught last year, I did an observation to a class for 6-7yo kids, there were 4 students, 2 girls and 2 boys. One of the girl was Ella, the principal and the teacher there said that she was 'different', she almost never spoke anything in class. That time when I came to that class, she was even making weird acts. She kept sitting on the floor under her desk. Her room's teacher had already asked her to sit properly but it was useless, she had no response. When other students played game, she was silent persistently in her position. She didn't make messy face, she smiled, but she just didn't care about those things. Later during the observation evaluation with the principal, I was explained that students like Ella did exist. She's eager to learn but she had her own way. Well, if that's the case, I felt relief.
Some days of observation had passed. One day, I was given a chance to give Ella a make up lesson, a lesson for student that miss a class. We were sitting quietly in Bristol (name of the room) when I started my presentation about material that she missed. She was good that time. She paid attention to me. When I asked her to do the practices, she just nodded her head and did it. That lesson went well, but I just had a feeling "this is not right". A kid should talk much at her age. I asked her some question like things she like, but as expected, no response. I tried other questions but they didn't work either. I almost gave up until I saw her bag, it was tinker bell patterned. I pointed at it and said "I know that pretty fairy, it is tink", she smiled brightly and nodded her head then she mumbled something. I asked, "do you watch the cartoon? it is good", I could see that she became interested as she said "yes" directly.
I was having butterfly in my stomach, I wanted to scream, "I got youu kid!", but then I laughed realizing that I didn't even play any games with her from the start. During the practice, she needed her eraser, she didn't have it in her pencil case, "my eraser is in my x (mentioned name of another english course) bag downstairs", she explained. I was a bit confused, but I told her to stay there, then I went downstairs to the receptionist table, she said, "miss, ini tas x-nya ella miss, dia ambil les bahasa inggris dua, di sini satu sama di x satu, tadi dia dari jam 1 sampe jam 3 di x, langsung nyambung di sini". I was shocked. Ella? a 6yo kid took 2 english courses, I thought it was too much. I pitied kids these days.
After finishing workbook, I asked her about plan for the upcoming weekend (saturday is the next day after that day), she whispered telling me, "I can not go tomorrow, I have clay course from morning to afternoon", I responded spontaneously, "hey! tomorrow's saturday", she whispered quieter, "yes, but I have class, I can not go there from sunday to friday, I have other courses too". I was surprised, she was just 6yo and she looked busier than 23yo someone like me, I knew that after she mentioned many courses she took. "is that fun, your clay class?", I asked her. "yes, I already make two, I have mouse and duck, I want to bring here but can not...". She mumbled more, I was touched, not only because of her story but also because it was the first time I saw her speaking like other kid, although it was more like mumbling and whispering, I would like to scream, "I hear you", but I knew it would scare her so I decided to put my best smile and tried to give my best responses. She told me many things, "I am moving school next month", I became curious, "why? are you moving home too?", she didn't answer me, she took her book, write a school name next to another school name, then she wrote some explanation. I could hardly understood that it was like"no, mommy says my school now is not good, it is international school but still not good, my new school is better..." She continued telling things by writing things that turned out to be hard to understand by my old school mind, I did think that kids, they needed time to play too, why didn't we just let them develop in easy way. I fell in love with her that day, no matter how different she was.
After some days, I had a chance to teach her class, that time, while preparing the warmer session, I prayed to God that she would join. I hold her little hand and invite her. She stood with her friends full of doubt. I looked at her, wished that she could read my mind "you'll be okay kid!". I was fully happy when she could say the game password, "bingo!", although it was with a very low voice, I could hear her it was really satisfying.
Well, I could say that Ella was the first student that impressed me there. It could be true that there are many Ellas around, but what I think, maybe, if she could, she would like to say this (I thought of this at that time):
"I know I'm quiet student, I know I'm different than others, I know I don't talk much and sometimes I act weird, but instead of leaving me in my own world, PLEASE PUT MORE EFFORT IN ME..."
Since then I promise myself, I won't ignore any Ella, I'm going to do my best try for silent students like Ella, no matter how long it takes.

Being Lucky

(End of year event 2011 and new year event 2012)

"Someone who could figure out his/her passion is lucky"
(A quote from teh saphy)

I've been putting a lot of interest in English even since I first learned it in Elementary School. Then when I grew up, I found out that I really like the way one of my english teacher taught me. Later I was obsessed to be a teacher. It took a long way. I couldnt imagine that I still had chance to be someone I've always wanted.

When I graduated from university, I applied to some companies, the place where I should be. To be honest, I was afraid. I felt no confidence. I thought that I didnt have anything to give to a company, I couldnt even give my passion there. I didnt think that I was capable enough and most important, I didnt wanna end up there, a place where I didnt think I belong to.

Talking about passion, I thought I found where mine is. When I was in high school, I taught english for an english course, it was fun, I felt that as my passion when I felt that coming there then teaching was so much more important than the payment that I got that time.

When I was in University, I had another chances, teaching in a remote area and also teaching in my university. There was much sensation. I loved it, being in front of the class, sharing things I know earlier than the other.

A lmost a year ago, I finished my study in university when I was still wondering what should I do. I did applied to several international school (since I wasnt graduated from educational major, formal school would definitely refuse me) but I got dumped during the pedagogic test, it's like a test whether I'm mentally ready to be a teacher or not, but in fact, the test was all about teaching theory that I didnt know. In the end I couldnt join any school.

At the end of May 2011, a place where I can teach called me, and I've been being hired by them since then. Its International Language Program (ILP) Pluit. Simply said its an english course. I wasnt sure at the first time because english course that I knew is a place where teacher teaches grammar, and kind of boring, but since that's the opportunity to teach, I accepted that. First month, I did some observations in senior teachers' classes. I was trained alone, could you imagine, one day sitting alone in a room, watching teaching procedures CDs of ILP, then reading thick handouts about steps and stages of teaching in ILP, I was like, "WOW! this is serious!". I also did tandem teaching with my friend that was also newly hired there. I was a bit shocked, The students there were not the same like other students I've ever taught. They're special, the're demanding, mostly selfish, and not easy to handle (but it's in a good way). I was challenged. I couldnt wait for my own classes. During July 2011, I had been being trained in ILP center, yes, that was new knowledge for me, although it's franchise, but it's centered and all the material are controlled by one center, all teachers should first get fully training for 1 month because it has got own material and different teaching procedures, I cant just teach with my shabby methods, I have to follow the procedures and even steps and stages from the center. Well, that was great, they trained me not only to be a good english teacher but also a good teacher. I was also taught to teach not only material but also attitude for students.

Now here I am, Im a teacher of an english course, I can make my own living, and I'm happy. Everyday I create a lesson plan based on our material. For a teacher, lesson plan is crucial thing, its our masterpiece, teaching without it is like walking without any direction (thats what my trainer said). After finishing my lesson plan, I do a 'guardian angeling', a process where I consult my lesson plan to the principal that will check the steps and stages, correct my mistake and add some ideas to make it better. After that I will prepare all teaching aids for visual presentation in the class, then I'm ready to teach. Day after day, I've got many surprises, to tell you the truth, I've got desperate moments too, but the more it occurs, the more it makes me stronger to hang on, I've met many kinds of students, I've learned a lot from them, I can say that I'm getting better. I'm happy for finally standing in my own choice and fully supported by my father, mother, and sisters.

Back to my quote on the first part of this post, thanks God, I am lucky.