This past six months’s (July to January) course, Diploma Pendidikan Lepasan Ijazah (DPLI) was very busy, tiring, challenging but was mostly meaningful and and very joyfull. There surely many problem to face and obstacles to overcome and some were certainly beyond my control. Overall though, this course was success and very informative.
As this course comes to a close, I reflect on everything that I have learned about how to be an effective teacher. What I learned most from participation in the program was to occasionally gather as much information as I can about knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and skill that are required to perform my tasks effectively in the classroom, school and wider community, about how to be a good teacher, how I am going to teach and what ways I could adopt in my teaching practice. I believe that it is a big step in developing and enhancing my teaching skill, as I will be constantly put myself in the teaching profession.
After almost fifteen years hold the title as a students , I feel that this six months learning experience is the most valuable learning experience in my life. Even this is the shortest period of learning program that I used to joined, but I feel that my responsibility toward this program is a bit tough that the other learning experience that I have gone through. If before this I was study to ensure that I can pass with a flying colour in order to grab the job opportunity outside there, but for this program, it is very diffrent. The job is there waiting for me. And I am here to gather as much knowledges as I can to prepared my self to be be a good teacher, to mould the future of the children outside there.
When I started this program, I do not know why I want to be a teacher. I even do not know is it I am in the right path of my life, is it true that I want to be a teacher. The most important for me is this program ensures high level job securityt that I tired to search before. Six months experience of being a teacher (GSTT-Guru Sandaran Tidak Terlatih) does not grow my interest in this profession, instead it make me scared to enter into this noble profession. Looking back on those experiences, I feel unconfident with my capability to be a good teacher. But now, after almost six months joining this course, I relized that who I am now. What are my responsibilities and how big is it. I am now realized the meaning of the real teacher. Real teacher is more than a person who provides schooling for students and more than a person who teachs students in classroom. This course also show me that it is does not enough to have only the passion to teach, but a real teacher is someone who is able to lead, motivate and inspire the students. I think my greatest learning experiences during this course were knowing the roles of a techer. After joining this course, I can conclude that teacher is also parents, friends, mentor, motivator and also a role model for the students.
Beside knowing the meaning of a real teacher, this program also make me know who the students is. Students by definition is someone who is sit in the classroom, listen to the teacher and grab as many information from the teacher as they can. But this meaning is not appropriate to describe the meaning of the students nowdays. Students nowdays is more than someone who just listening to the teacher and impart the knowledge from the teacher and thraw it out in the examination papers. This courses has tought me that students is also a teacher for the techer. Students also can teach the teacher. Teachers nowdays does not have the autocratic power toward the students like before. Teacher nowdays does not have the full control to everything students do. Students nowday are allowed to take the leadership role in creating and leading discussions. Like the roles of the teacher and student have changed in a classroom, so have the relationships between a student and a teacher. Many years ago, as we have read and heard, student teacher relationships have been very formal, distant, and the teacher's judgement was accepted. There is a very big gap between teacher and students. With almost seven months of experience as a student in this course, I have come to learn the relationship between student and teacher can vary depending on many characteristics. Instead, to make the process of teaching and learning meaningful, there must be a good relationship between both, teacher and students. Since everyone has a different background and a different character, it is almost difficult to say how a teacher should relate to a student or vice versa. I do believe that student teacher relationship should be professional, yet not so professional that students fear to approach. Teacher, student relationship should be formal, yet inviting. Teacher student relationship should definitely not be judgmental, and it should allow the teacher to take time to get to know the student.
This course is also bring a different view on students achievement and outcome. Before this I see that students achievement is all based on their examination result. Student who pass with flying colour is considered as success while students who fail in their examination is regards as fail in their education. But, this course shows to me that examination result is just a mark to differentiate them with others students and to classified them into certain group. I am now realized that fail academicly does not mean the students is fail. And as a teacher, bring the students success just in academic field does not mean that the teacher was success in their career and was a great teacher. But if the teacher success to change the way of students life from bad to good and from good to excelleence, that teacher can be considered as a good, and was a wonderful teacher which is better than teacher who is only success in bring the students to perform academically.
Everything I have learned in this course will definitely influence my teaching practice. Through this course I have had the opportunity to discover some skill that I can use to grab my students attention, how I can make the learning process meaningful, what activity I can include in the teaching and learning process in order for students to feel enjoy learn with me and most importantly what could I have in myself in order for me to be the greatest teacher. This program has fully prepared me with the skill and attitude that a teacher should has.
My final thought about this program was this program has create my interest in teaching profession. It has change my perspective toward this course. If before, my main objective of joining this program was to find a job security for me, but now my objective has change. Instead of finding job security as the main objective, my future students is now are my priority. I am now realized that I hold a very big responsibility now, all my future students future is on my hand. I am the one who is responsible to mould their future beside their parents.
As a conclusion, I can say that I am glad to be choosen to be involved in this course. I have learned a lot, met some wonderful people and have benefited from th experience. Undoubtedly, I will try my best, put every part of myself not just to be the great techer, but also to be an amazing teacher, who every one can rely on. InsyaAllah...
but I would describe myself as a beautiful and interesting plump lady!