According to Scott Hayden, teachers have three loves; love of learning, love of learners and the love of bringing the first two loves together. My experience in SEA teacher program made me love not just my students but also the place where they live and the culture that they practiced. This experience of mine will never be forgotten.

Summary and Suggestions

Pusposes of practicum

They said that experience is the best teacher, indeed it is. My purpose for this practicum is for me to experience other places to teach, to enhance my communication skill using english language, to learn their culture and experience their place, but as I continue my journey in this program I realized that it was not just about teaching or about the place but also the people I met in Makassar Indonesia, this experience of mine taught me to open my life to other races and open my eyes that everyone is equal and every races have their own treasure.

Indonesia is a “non-speakenen country“… well there is no such word as speakenen in english, I confess that before this program begin my english speaking skill is not that really good but after this program I find myself proficient in using english language. This SEA teacher program taught me not just to improving my english communication skill but it also changes my perspective in regards with communicating to others.

Procedures of practicum

Before the program begin our school, the University of Mindanao and the other schools oriented their students that we have this kind of program, in which practicum students have the opportunity to teach and have their practicum experiece in other country, exclucively in Southeast Asian Countries.

For us to be qualified in this program, the student needs to be a 3rd or 4th year college and is enrolled in education program.

After the orientation the students who aspire to become one of the SEA teacher will undergo some interviews and other screenings. Moreover the choosen student must be ready physically, emotionally and financially.

Outcomes of practicum

Success isn’t always about greatness, it’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come. -Dwayne Johnson

It was a great experience that turns my life to greatness. This kind of practicum experience opens a door for me to achieve more. At first, I am hesitant to join this program because I can’t imagine myself teaching in other country. I know that I am not that good in teaching especially using english language as a medium of communication, and grabbing this opportunity takes really a lot of courage.

Untill now I can’t believe that I did it, that I was able to surpass all the challenges in this program. This experience opens my life for improvement and for achieving more in life, that I can do better and all I have to do is to believe and just continue.

Challenges of practicum

Challenges are what makes life interesting, it gives our life a wonderful favor. In joining this program you must be tough. Physically, emotionally and financially ready.

What makes this program challenging; first is that you will be far from your home, eventually your comforts. The food, the wether, the place is quite different and you have to adjust. For my first week in Makassar I got sick because my body is adjusting to the wether and to the food that they have here. The second one is the interaction with other people in Makassar, because most of the people here do not understand english and we don’t know bahasa also, so we have to use application to translate for us. The last one is the teaching materials, in Indonessia almost all the books are written in bahasa, not like in Philippines that the medium that we use in teaching Mathematics is english.

These are just the major challenges in this program that I have encountered and if you have plan to join these program you have to be ready for all of these and for more challeges to come. However this experience is worth it.

Overall impression

All of as crossed the bridge called learning according to an unknown philosopher, this SEA teacher program let me cross that bridge of learning, and it was a great experience of mine, this program helped me to become globally competitive and to be more aware of the educational system of other countries. Now, I could say that being one of the SEA teacher participant is a great honor.

Suggestions for future improvement

This SEA teacher program is indeed one of the most unforgettable experience that I have, and I have nothing to complain about, for we are well welcomed by our receiving university. I just have a suggestion that I hope the next batch will experience because we hadn’t experience this one in our time, I hope that there will be an official “welcoming back” ceremony that will be held for the SEA teacher participants so that they will be recognized. Thats all, terima kasih(thank you).