The magnificent Yogyakarta and my journey as an exchange student.
- Nerry Ann Doctolero
- Nov 19, 2018
- 6 min read
Our University St. Paul University Surigao participated the SEATeacher’s program (Pre-Service Student Teacher Exchange in Southeast Asia) for the first time and I got lucky to be a part of this opportunity to travel to other country, to experience a whole different set of culture, race and as well as to share my knowledge and also learn from them.
A N O N L I N E C O N V E R S A T I O N
(With Mr. Herman Felani Tandjung)
Mr. Herman Felani Tandjung is the manager of our receiving host university, Universitas, Islam Indonesia, we set a time for an online interview for us to be able to know whether we will be qualified for this program or not. He asked about what level we preferred to teach and as well as giving us some situational circumstances for us to test our speaking skills in using English language.
It was more like a conversational type wherein we have to share to him what we do during our free time or what strategies we are going to employ whenever we will be teaching other levels. The online interview was quite a challenge in my part because I put too much pressure on it but it ended up well.
B O U N D T O Y O G Y A K A R T A
We had three flights from Butuan to Manila, Manila to Jakarta and Jakarta to Yogyakarta, I had a great time watching those what lies below and staring at those clouds, having fun with my classmate and experiencing such a long trip for the first time. It was fun and quite a beautiful exposure to different places that we’ve been to like Manila and Jakarta, though we have a short time in every airport, I saw the touch of their culture in every corner of the airport.
Jakarta Airport Adisutjipto Aiport, Yogyakarta, with our Indonesian
Buddies and Students from Thailand.
M E E T I N G T H E B E S T P E O P L E
(Week 1)
Today marks the day one of my visit here in Yogyakarta Indonesia as a practice teacher students under the SEAMEO program batch 6, we headed to the UII (Universitas Islam Indonesia) my receiving school and meet the coordinator and the manager of the University Mr. Herman Felani Tandjung with his warm welcome and an orientation about the do’s and dont’s.
G O I N G B A C K T O T H E R O O T S
(T r e a s u r e’s o f U I I )
Today we have a campus tour together with Sir Herman Felani Tandjung. My mind was opened about the importance of the history of the receiving school. UII a university that was founded on 1945 by Mohammad Hatta was built for the needs of the Indonesian people. He shared to us the history of the University (UII- Universitas Islam Indonesia) wherein he showed us the preserved ancient remains yet I had the opportunity to witness with my own eyes the wonder of the Kimpulan Temple that was built in 9th century.
The most important word of wisdom that I learned today from Sir Herman is that, we have to help each other building a nation with good leaders yet enrich the culture through preservation and integration.
SD M U H A M M A D I Y A H P AK E M
( A warm welcome)
Today we are being accompanied with the supervisors of our University host to SD Muhammadiyah Pakem, a private elementary school. We are being welcomed by their principal Rr. Aflati Fatimah, S. P.d. and together with their teachers. A toast of tea and a snack. After the short orientation, we have a campus tour around the school with Mrs. Fitri and I get to meet the students in grade one to Grade 6. So I learned that every grade there are three sections, A, B, C and D.
O B S E R V A T I O N
Observing Ma’am Pratiwi’s class SD Muhammadiyah Pakem’s students
O N D U T Y A S A T E A C H E R
I was teaching the whole week and I teach from Grade 1 up to Grade 6. I learned a lot of strategies that was an advice from my cooperating teacher like the PPP or Present, Practice and Produce which is a best teaching strategy for me to be able to reach to them and to teach them the basic concepts in learning English language and as well as its sentence structures.
I am beyond bliss for I was assigned in a very accommodating school, where in they provide an educational technologies and they also have facilities for computer class, the school is updated to the modern educational technologies yet they let me use this in my class. During my teaching I provide different activities after every discussion, I make sure that my activities is learner centered that is why most of my activities is more on speaking like a short dialogue or counting of numbers in front of the class using English language. I used different Instructional materials like puppet, still pictures, Flash card, Power point presentation, Video presentation or books for me to explain more and present more example. I learned new techniques every day because I have to employ different strategies in different setting or classroom because there are some students who likes to have plenty of activities and there’s this other students who are fond of listening and is quite, so to make them participate I have to use strategies like having a grouping activities to have a collaboration so they can participate in class and to encourage them to stand in front of the class to participate.
I am also implementing a strategy where in I have to give reward to whosoever is participating in class and listening to my discussion attentively, because for me this will boost their active participation but I also limit this because I don’t want them to participate because of the reward. I want them to participate because they understand something from me.
I N D E P E N D E N C E D A Y
(August 17,2018)
With the Drum and Lyre corps.
Indonesian National holiday, the Independence day is celebrated throughout Indonesia with parades, community gatherings, athletic events involving adults and children such as sack races, and multitude of cultural and performing arts festivals.
Traditions also include eating Indonesian crackers (known as ‘krupuk’) or fruit hanging on a string and climbing a pinang tree to reach the prize. The flag raising and celebration lasted for one hour and thirty minutes.
Pengajian Milad Muhammadiyah Searh terima siswa siswi kelas Ali bin
Abi Thalib Tahun Ajaran 2018/2019’
My assigned school, SD Muhammadiyah Pakem had a school program where in we are invited to present our cultural dance entitled “ Ang Bag-ong Surigao” in their school stage. The teacher and as well as the staff was so very generous and hospitable that they lead us and let us sit in the guests chairs.
After our presentation we had our lunch together with their traditional food which is named”Gudeg” and after our lunch, we helped the teacher in organizing the pack lunch, and they are so very kind enough that they gave us a big cellophane full of pack lunch for our dinner and as well as to share it to our doorm mate.
The said program of the school was conducted yearly and is done with awarding the most outstanding students in the school and they also invited a famous author to give an inspirational speech, and some sultan to share their words of encouragement. They have with them their parents, teacher, students and us. After our presentation The Vice President of Universitas Islam Indonesia called our attention to came up on stage and introduce ourselves as the Exchange student under the Seameo Organization Batch 6.
I am so blessed for their hospitality and kindness. It feels like I am home.
F A R E W E L L P A R T Y
On August 28,2018, the Batch 6 exhange students from Philippines and Thailand once again gathered at Universitas Islam Indonesia for a farewell party or a see you party. I was picked by Mr. Herman Tandjung to be the emcee and we presented our traditional dance once again.
That day was emotional because we will surely miss the moments, laughter and as well as the camaraderie that we built in our one month of stay as an exhange student. The one month of learning and sharing of knowledge was fruitful. I get to meet new faces, get to have some friends learn how to be professional and train to be a teacher who teaches at heart. Thank you SEAMEO.
Farewell Yogyakarta Indonesia ♥️
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