Sharing Session

The last PETA class was little bit different with the previous PETA class because we had a sharing time at that day. At first we had to make a picture which is explain what we felt on that day. Well honestly at that time I was really sleepy so I just drew a pic of a sleepy girlJ. After that we had to share our pic to each other. The next was a picture which is describes what we felt if we heard about ‘test’. I made a picture which is tell that I will feel shock if I heard about the test when I don’t have any preparation before. Some of my friends told that they feel ready if they have to do a test and some of them felt same with me.

After that we discussed about what kind of test that we want to measure our understanding or knowledge about a lesson. I said that I prefer paper and pencil test to presentation because I can more explore my mind through writing without feel any nervous because if I had a presentation test it will make me feel nervous and it make me looked not prepare myself for it. The paper and pencil test that I want is a test which the answer is definite or like analytical question which we can answer analytically because I think it is a suitable kind of test to measure our understanding about the lesson.

We also discussed about the assessment and the assignment that we had in PETA class. Well honestly I felt excited at first time we had to make a reflective journal, but after a few meeting I had felt bored because I only do the same in every week. Maybe it will be more interesting if the activity is different every week and when we write the reflective journal, we not only get a comment about our grammar but also about our ideas that we had write in that reflective journal. I m sure it will be more challenging if we can explore our idea about the principles of effective teaching and learning.

           

Developing A Good Lesson Plan

            Well, last Tuesday was the first class of PETA after mid examination days. We were sharing about the mid examination of PETA and it was so surprising for me. Well I think it was not only for me, but also for all of my friends because we had to make a lesson plan. I had had a think that the question must be a difficult one because it was an open book test. As usual that open book test offer the high order thinking skill questions that needs our analysis to solve the case that given in the question.

            Although the question was surprising enough but it didn’t mean that it was so difficult. Actually I had ever made the lesson plan itself about three times. First is when I had to present the microteaching with my group and the second and the third are when I had to make a lesson plan to teach in ten and eleven grader of senior high school during the School Experience Program. So I just designed the lesson plan with same activities as what I and my partner did in teaching at senior high school.

            Then last meeting I and my group got the topic to discuss and it was about Developing a Good Lesson Plan. I think it will be better if we get about this materiel before the mid test. From that discussion we knew that there are four important components in designing a lesson plan. There are goal (objectives), material and tool, instruction and assessment. I think the reason why teacher has to make a lesson plan before teaching in class is to manage the teaching activity itself. For example about the goal which means the capability that students will get after learn about the topic.

            From the discussion, our group concluded that a lesson plan is important for a teacher to guide them in teaching so that both of students and teacher will walk on the track and also can manage the time for doing each of activities. Although I said that there are four most important point in lesson plan, teacher can still to add or delete some point depends on what they need. 

The Reality: Teaching Assistance

              Well, last session in PETA was interesting for me because all of us shared about our experiences during the School Experience Program. There were many funny story from my friends about their SEP. Most of them told about their master teacher during became assistance of teacher in their school. Well, actually I also had some story about my master teacher. I think my master teachers in school underestimated their students there. Why? Because they often said that we don’t have to give difficult material for teaching because they always said that the private students in that school were different with the students in public school in understand the materials. They said that the students there can’t be forced to understand the material, not like the public school students. They also said that the behavior of students there are not same like public school students. But when I went to the classroom and taught them it was not like that. Well some of their statement was right. Their behavior was not too good especially while their teacher taught in the class because they didn’t pay attention to the teacher explanation. The students prefer to talk with their friends, use BBM, sleep, even they prefer to fill the crossword puzzle in class.

            I was feel afraid that they will not pay attention and be cooperate with us while we were teaching, but in fact although they were noisy, they still paid attention to us and they wanted to cooperate with us to finish the tasks which designed for them. I felt happy because of them. I and my partner, Fitri tried to design the activity which can make them to be active in class because we though that they are active students. So we used the group interaction and guide discovery in our activities. Actually we only reviewed the material so we did not have to explain too much. Well we were lucky because we don’t have to explain something which maybe can make them bored. So I think guide discovery and group interaction is really appropriate model for active learning, but to combine all of the models is the best way for teaching.

I just want to tell to you all that we can’t underestimate our students because there is nobody perfect in this world. Even maybe your students are better than you and you can learn many things from them.

It Has Just Begun, Teacher! ^_^

                Last session my groups and the other groups had practiced the microteaching. We presented our lesson plan by acting out as a teacher for senior high school students. When one group was presenting their lesson plan, the other groups were asses and guess what the instructional model that they use. All groups were done it very well. They gave many interesting activities and can grab the students’ attention.

            Based on the groups that presented their lesson plan in my class, most of them were using group interaction and guide discover instruction model in giving instruction. I think in teaching we can’t apply or use only one kind of model instruction because it will be so boring for the students. Maybe some students will feel comfort with one model but maybe the other students will feel bored. So we have to combine the model of instruction in teaching like we can use the direct instruction model at the first activity and then in the next activity we can use group interaction model.

Although I said that there was quite easy when presenting our lesson plain infront of the class which is the students are our friends, but I think it will be not as easy as like this microteaching when we really teach in real condition. I mean when we did the microteaching, the students were our friends so they can easily understand the activities but in the real teaching activities the students sometimes maybe can not understand the material that we delivered. I don’t mean to underestimate or make you scare about the real activities about teaching, but actually that is my worry. I worry if my students then can not understand my instructions because I can’t explain it clearly to them. So I think I will really need your help guys to give me suggestions how to feel comfortable in front of our students and can give the material and the instruction clearly. J

The Instruction Model

In teaching we always use the teaching instruction to give instructions which appropriate with the lesson to our students. As a teacher we can’t give the instructions randomly. We have to have a purpose behind our instructions. So that’s why I’m as a teacher candidate has to know about kind of teaching instructions.

            First is The Direct-Instruction Model is model of instruction that have the reviewing of previous learning, presenting material clear and in logical steps, teacher as a guide while practice with students, teacher gives feedback correctively, providing independent practice, and reviewing to consolidate learning. I think this method has balance characteristic because students will guide by the teacher when they do the practice but after that students have to do the exercise by themselves or individual practice. The presenting materials in this model also have to be presented step by step clearly. So students can understand each step and finally they can do their exercise by themselves.

            The second is Group Interaction Model is model of instruction which apply group work to the students to do the exercise. In group instruction model students will have face to face interaction with their friends, and they have to discuss with their partners to reach the group’s goals. Students also are expected to have individual accountability after they learn about the lesson with their group. In this model students are also expected to have good collaborative skills and they can do reflection about how their group has worked.

            Next is Lecture Discussion Model. In this model lecture is instructions which students get orally from the teacher. This model has phases like introductions where teacher have to attracts attention and tell the students about the activity background of the knowledge. Then is presentation where teacher start to explain the students about the material the next is comprehension monitoring, in this time teacher will give questions to the students to measure or check students understanding about the materials. Then is integration, review and closure.

            The last model is Guided Discovery. It’s a model of instruction which involves teachers’ scaffolding and students’ constructions of concepts and the relationship among them. (Eggen & Kauchak, 2006; R. Mayer, 2008). The guided discovery has five phases. There are introduction and review, the open-ended phase, the convergent phase, closure and applications. In this model teacher spend less time to explain and more times to ask questions about students understanding. So student have more opportunities to ask what they have not understood yet.

            Those are the model of instruction in teaching. For me the most effective model among those all is group interaction model because this group is the most balance model. Students will have communication with their peers to do the exercise together and at the same time they also have interaction with the teacher when they get the materials. In this model students not only can understand the materials but also can know the other perspective from the other group members and can share to each other, but in the end they also can solve the problem about the materials by themselves.

            So, what model that you will choose guys? Or maybe you will create your own model in give instruction? You can because remember “there is nothing absolute in this world”. J

Reflective Journal P.E.T.A "planning instructions"

Today I learned about planning for instructions. Actually while I learned about planning for instructions I also learned about how to make lesson plan. At the beginning of the class I watched a video about the teacher of elementary school students while teaching her students. In that video I saw that the teacher use thematic method. This method is good for applying in elementary school especially in 1^st and 2^nd  because the materials that given to students in that grade are still synchrony one to another. but there is a challenge for the teacher to create the interesting activity which can include all objects that they want to reach. The activity which is good is activity that can stimulate the students to think creatively.

Sometimes in many cases that we can see everywhere that the teacher still can’t make an activity which can involve all students in a group not only the representative or only some of students in that group. Teacher also has to be able to stimulate students’ critical thinking. Teacher can give them questions or assignment that can exercise their cognitive skills such as:

1.       remembering

2.        understanding

3.       Applying

4.       Analyzing

5.       Evaluating and

6.       Creating

That’s why we need to make a lesson plan before we teach. It can help us to teach effectively in managing the time and give the assessment and assignment with clear instructions and also has clear purposes behind the activities. So, to be a teacher is to be a well prepared person. We can’t teach our students without any preparation before because some of the materials will not delivered as well or maybe the assignment that suddenly give to the students will not has any relation with the purpose of the lesson itself.

Reflective Journal P.E.T.A "Introductoction"

Last Tuesday was my first day in Principles of Effective Teaching and Assessment class. In this class I will learn more about how to make effective activities for teaching, how to be an effective teacher, and make effective assessment too. It’s not easy to be an effective teacher I think. To be a teacher is not only to teach by tell our students what information that we know but also have to be able to create and provide the atmosphere for good learning process that can make our students feel more enthusiasm while studying. That’s why as a teacher I have to be able to design the appropriate and effective method and have to be able to apply it in attractive way in front of my students. It’s not mean that we have to be an attractive teacher or funny teacher that act like clown to make our students feel enjoy in our class. Sometimes a calm teacher or silent teacher who can’t do act like clown also can be a favorite teacher for their students.

So based on my discussion with my group in this lesson that an effective teacher should be creative to make interesting assessment and activities, should be a good model for the students. Also the effective teacher has to use effective teaching method. In this century which is all about technology, the teacher should have ability to operate or use the technology that appropriate and can help the learning process become more interesting. Also in this time the effective method are not like the old method in last time. Nowadays is the time for the teacher to give more time for the students to learn and elaborate what they have gotten. The teacher is just to provide and create the good situation and condition that will be comfortable and help the students can learn more easily.