WHAT I LEARNED

My confidence in handling class increased. Before I began the practicum, i was not even sure if I was capable of asserting myself as a teacher. Just the thought of that felt reallly challenging for me. However, as I gradually got to know my students, I also discovered how to take control over them. For instance, I took advantage of their their activeness and energy by manipulating it into a benefit instead of seeing it as a problem, as I had mentioned in the previous page. Through that I was able to gain control of the students, and once you have that control, you will immediately feel authority and confidence as a teacher.

 

I also learned to be more patient. All of my prior teaching experience was in the Philippine setting, wherein English is spoken as a second language. In Indonesia however, English is a foreign language, and many students have below average English skills, so I really had to make some adjustments as a teacher in order to accomodate the needs of the learners. So I spoke in simplified English, and sometimes even broken English, and I learned a few Indonesian phrases just to make things more easier for both me and the students. If you are to teach non-native English speakers, then you really have to adjust.