Day 7: growing relationships with mentors and students

It’s very sweet to remember today when my mentors both Miss Tisa and Mrs. Yanti telling their experiences as students and how they got to workplace. And by this time our partnerships as a teacher and prospective teacher, an experienced one with the one who is looking for experience have been growing very well as we begin to look on ourselves are as persons and of course as professionals.

I praise the Lord that He allows me to know and to be under the guidance of Ms Tisa. This morning we really enjoyed the conversations both about little matters such as how did she manage to work while she was in the university, her hobbies and hometown and the serious matter such as resources, classroom management and many other experiences in helping the students to learn. It's very fascinating for me to hear her story when she was teaching a kindergarten and she had a Spanish girl in her classroom and thus she had to suddenly learn Spanish and manage to talk with this little girl in an 'instant' language :). So far, I really appreciate Ms Tisa's ideas and approaches in teaching and I learn many useful knowledge and experience in her industrious classroom!

And I am always glad for Mrs. Yanti who has helped me so much in dealing with behavioral management in the classroom and for sharing her experiences in teaching Math for Secondary students. Sometimes, both Ms Tisa and Mrs. Yanti are humorist and I enjoy to stay with them and to listen to their feedbacks and encouragements.

One of students group which I teach these weeks is Grade 7.2. This group is unique enough with various students' characteristics and needs. What makes this group of 15 students more unique is their diversity of cultures and ancestors: Liza with her father from Netherlands and mother Javanese, Brody the Indo-Scottish, Christie the Indian, and many more Chinese and Koreans. This fact has enriched the teaching experience. For example, as a new teacher I am not very comfortable when students talk and being noisy because of something. Sometimes with a disturbed face I looked to them and said, "silent please!" but after reflecting on this, I tried to use more caring and positive one: "Chan-chan, may be you need help?" She then simply state her problem and then silent or while doing the guided practice, "Axel, need guidance?" and he looked at me and said, "Oops, No, may be later..." and he realize that he supposed to be on task. And I am very pleased that it worked and could build the caring-classroom atmosphere.



Glory to You, O God! Glory to You!