Of Teaching II (Final Reflection)

So, this is gonna be the last reflection posted in this Micro Teaching Class. So glad that I ALMOST pass this class (hopefully I do ). It SEEMS that (or it’s more appropriate to say “IT COULD BE CLEARLY SEEN THAT”) I didn’t post my reflections regularly :D. Instead, I posted some of them at the last minutes of Micro Teaching Class. 

In some of my reflections, I didn’t only talk about learning methods done by my friends. I sometimes talk about my perspective towards education. Thus, in this final reflection, I would post not only my – and my friends’ – development in teaching method during this Micro Teaching Course, but also my changed perspective toward education during this Micro Teaching Class.

Before joining Micro Teaching Class, I thought that philosophical understanding of education was more important than education practical understanding. I thought, if someone had good knowledge on philosophy of education, he/she wouldn’t find difficulties in teaching. I didn’t think I had had good knowledge on philosophy of education, but after practicing teaching several times, I found out that teaching was not something which was just there (even if someone had good knowledge on philosophy of education, I guess). We had to do something about it. We have to keep practicing it in order to create synergetic learning. Teaching is a skill. Now, I don’t think having good knowledge on philosophy of education could guarantee the existence of good skill of teaching practice.

However, even though now I don’t think that the understanding of philosophy of education is above education practical understanding, I still think that each can’t stand without another. My problem is, even though I have been given many teaching methods and chances to do practice teaching, I don’t think I got enough knowledge on philosophy of education – in PBI in general, and in Micro Teaching class in particular. I remembered I only got philosophy of education subject in the first semester on Pengantar Pendidikan. In that subject I learned Driyarkara’s thoughts. After the first semester, I learned many subjects related to methods in education, but I didn’t get much Subjects related to philosophy of education. Whereas, I think this philosophical thing is important to remind us about fundamental questions such as: Why do we need to teach? What is teaching? What is educating? Why should we teach? For money, for better humanity, or else? I don’t know, I’m just a bit scared to imagine doing something without really know why I do that, or do I really love to do that, or what I am actually doing. Sometimes, Mr. Pras reminded us, though. And I was inspired when once he said that teaching was his passion. It made me think what is teaching for me, too.

Above, I talked about my perspective towards education. After this, I would like to share the skills – I thought – I have developed in Micro Teaching Class. One of the questions given to the students for this final reflection is: have I had the characteristics of a good teacher. Wow, that was a wide question and I think it needs long answer too. “Good” is something which can be defined with many things. But to answer that question, I would pick “good” definition from one of the handouts given to me in the beginning of Micro Teaching Class. Actually that handout didn’t talk about the definition of “good” teacher. Specifically, that handout discussed the characteristics of an effective teacher.

There were three general characteristics of an effective teacher mentioned in that handout. The first one was: teacher should involve the students in the learning process by let the students work and let the students have clear expectation on the learning. The second one was: teacher doesn’t was time and tries not to make the students disrupted and confused. The teacher should have discipline plan, start the class immediately, and have assignments posted. The third one was: teacher is work-oriented but could create relaxed and pleasant climax.

I wasn’t sure whether I had reached the first characteristic or not. In my first teaching practice this semester, where I taught speaking, the observers said that I didn’t involve my students. I thought I indeed didn’t really involve them to speak whereas that was speaking class. In the second and third teaching practice, I didn’t teach speaking anymore. I taught listening and structure. In that kind of classes, I didn’t have to involve the students to speak. I had to involve them in the learning by asking them doing other activity besides speaking. In those classes, there were no comments stated that I didn’t involve my students in class. But, since I haven’t taught speaking again, I couldn’t make clear comparison related to students’ involvement in class, especially their involvement in speaking.

I think I have developed the second characteristic of an effective teacher. Even though some of junior students I taught said that they couldn’t catch some of my points, I had tried not to waste my time with them. I had discipline lesson plan and I implemented it. I started the class immediately and I gave the students assignments.

Related to the third characteristic, I’m not sure, though. I indeed had work orientation, but creating relaxed and pleasant class was the difficult point to reach, especially when I taught structure. I could now understand why structure class could never been brighter (^.^). If we would like to play song or video, for example, beside the time is usually not enough, the song or video related to the material is rarely found. Rei – my partner in Structure class – and I tried to give the students song, but we canceled our plan because the time would not be enough for that. But, relaxed and pleasant atmosphere doesn’t always have to be created by media because above all, teacher is the one who should find a way to create that kind of class. I thought I still find difficulties to do that.

Since I, however, have developed some characteristics of an effective teacher, if I was then given this question: have I been a better teacher, I would say, yes.
In Micro Teaching Class, we were asked to help our friends to develop by being in class, acting like students, observing their teaching practice, and commenting on that. Related to those four aspects, I thought I have helped my friends, somehow. However, sometimes, I was absent, or, even though I was in class, I sometimes became a really passive student (it was a challenge for my friends, though, to deal with passive students, but sometimes I felt bad about being like that, XD). Sometimes when I had to observe, I was also sleepy. Thus, my observation was not that maximal. Sometimes I do my best to, though.

I think my friends also help me a lot to develop. In some of my reflections, I said that, my friends really behave like students and I had to improve my lesson plan in order to make them ‘understand’ the material. I honestly had to work harder than I thought that time.

Related to their comments, when they commented on what run well in class, I sometimes felt happy. When my friends commented on what didn’t run well in class, I seldom felt mad. I tend to feel disappointed, not with my friends who comment on that, but with my self. Their comments had really helped me to encourage my self to teach better.

The last question given to me for the final reflection was: what grade I deserve. Honestly, I really don’t know how to answer that difficult question.