School: General Information and Academic administration
1.1 School Profile
Sekolah Tunas Mekar Indonesia ECC, located at Jalan KH. Ahmad Dahlan No. 4, Pahoman, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia
Brief History
Based on the great attention in the world of education, in 1988 Hj Karlina Kirom( at that time as the wife of the Head of the Tanjung Karang Center) founded this school, Sekolah Tunas Mekar Indonesia ( TMI).
During his long trip from 1988, the TMI School moved several times. Not only that, the ownership of this school also chanhed several times. The Tunas Mekar Indonesia (TMI) which is located at Jalan KH Ahmad Dahlan No.4 Pahoman Bandar Lampung, in its initial year was built in a location far from the crowds. Narrated by a senior teacher at this school, TMI used to take place in the Palapa area of Tanjung Karang Center lasted until 1999.
In 1999, the TMI school contracted a building connecting the Petrol POM on Jalan Jend. Sudirman Pahoman. In the new place, the school’s training activities lasted for three years. It was only on April 1,2002 that a private residence school located on KH Ahmad Dahlan No. 4 Pahoman Bandar Lampung until now.
In general, the Tunas Mekar Indonesia( TMI) can be divided into three periods of management of the foundation. In 1988-1997, the TMI school was led by Hj Karlina Kirom, then in 1997-1999, the TMI school was under the leadership of Mr. Suryana( The owner of the Masomoro shop om the old Artomoro downstairs, the mall was renamed Central Plaza).
Furthermore, since 1999, the TMI School is under the ownership of several parents and guardians of students who are members of the POMG( Parents Association of Students and Teachers), who care about the world of education so that the TMI School is under PT. Tunas Mekar Indonesia. Initially, the shareholders of TMI School were only five people, but now it has grown to 15 shareholders. Likewise, the number of students enrolled in TMI. According to data provided by Mr. Andreas Yogi Santoso, as the head of the TMI Kindergarten, currently there are 122 pupils.
STMI Vision, Mission and Motto
1.2 Academic Support System
Specialist Teachers(swimming, academic teachers, english, dancing, religion, music, computer and others)
Each class has 2 class teachers and a limit of 16 pupils to have a more effective teaching and learning.
Aside from human support system, they also have facilities to assist the efficacy of learning.
FACILITIES
Conducive Classroom
Swimming Pool
Montessori Class
Music Room
Medical Center
Playing Area
Computer Laboratory
Hall
Mushola
Library
Canteen
1.3 Teaching System
STMI practices montessori teaching.The Montessori method views the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It attempts to develop children physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively).
1.4 Materials and other learning sources
Montessori tools( for practical life, sensory, language, mathematics, biology, culture)
They also sourced videos and other materials through internet.
STMI provides an examples of real life experiences and /or situations using real objects available within the environment.
Other materials, to utilize an efficient and total outcome of learning like books, activity worksheets, White Board and marker, and the commonly operated machine particularly used for technical and educational research( Computer).
1.5 Measurement and evaluation system
Each child will be evaluated using a progress report. These progress report is in a rating scale type of assessment. The progress report is divided into six sections:( religion and moral, social and emotional skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, cognitive skills, linguistic or social skills).
Each section has an array of descriptors in relation to their topic. The pupils will be rated accordingly to the effort they have presented inside the school. This progress report will be evaluated all through first quarter up until the last quarter. The ratings in description from oustanding level to need more assistance level are as follows Exceed Expectation (EE), Meet Expectation (ME), Improvement Needed (IN), Need Assistance(NA).
After assessing the child, the teacher will ask for the presence of the parent and relay the assessment to the child’s parent. Both the teacher and parent will discuss and provide agreement on how to mediate on the child’s progress. For the help of both teacher and parents offer to assist the child’s success.
There are different type of progress reports. The report that will be used depends on the child’s age. Each sample of progress report will be linked down.
1.6 General Curriculum
STMI teaching also follows the Indonesia Government's provisions regarding education. The government provided a set of guidelines to educational institutions to help mold the curricula of schools. A copy of the curriculum guide will be linked below.
1.7 Teaching Plan
STMI provides a weekly plan for the teachers in their school. This weekly plan is inline with the government’s curriculum guide. Inside the weekly plan, there is a school calendar, subject areas, list of attendance, anecdotal sheet and activity assessment.
With the help of the weekly plan, teachers will be able to create their daily lesson plan which they commonly known as Rencana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran Harian ( RPPH). A sample will be provided below.
1.8 Others
Contact Information
Early Childhood Care
Jl. KH. Ahmad Dahlan No. 4, Pahoman, Bandar lampungTelephone (0721) 240 986
Elementary School
Jl. Arif Rahman Hakim No. 36 Way Halim, Bandar lampungTelephone (0721) 708 634/ 772 896
Junior & Senior High School
Jl. Arif Rahman Hakim No. 30, Kedamaian, Bandar lampungTelephone (0721) 789 801/ 789 802
Email: info@sekolahtmi.com
Website: https://www.sekolahtmi.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SekolahTMI/
Pedagogical Contents
1. Teaching methods
The mode of instruction in STMI is in Bahasa, except in english class. Teachers as well the pupils talk using their native dialect and seldomly use english language. Most teachers have knowledge in using English dialect, but few are comfortable in using it.
Teachers engage students in more lively and meaningful instruction of learning. One instance was when the teacher let the children roam aroung the area and introduced the parts of the plants using a real plant found inside the vicinity. From time to time, the teacher asked directive questions to let the students explore the answer themselves.
2. Learning Materials and innovation
Teaching materials being introduced to the pupils were different and varied from one activity to another. These variations provided an effective teaching learning process within the class. The differentiated types of instruction varied from representations of real life objects using graphics or picture cards to realias, introducing the object using realistic and genuine natural form of the object. Sample scenarios where the teacher taught the lessons:
The class teacher showed different types of fruits available within the community. She started the lesson about fruits by presenting each kind using a real fruit.
The teacher provided worksheet wherein the pupils will be tasked to put color of the fruit printed in grayscale following the guidance of the photo beside it.
The teacher set out an activity using real dried twigs and branches of plants. In this activity, the children had to stick the cut out papers formed into leaves to the twigs using glue as the adhesive.
Using the papers in colors green for the leaves and stem, orange and pink for the tulip flowers, the class had an activity of paper origamy. With the guidance of the class teacher and support of the teacher aids, the children followed and made their own origamy of the flower tulip.
3. Sources of learning and technology
According to my cooperating teacher in STMI, she sourced her activities and other sources of aids inside the classroom such as pictures, videos and other type of media form that she can find through the internet. Sources of learning with the help of technology inside the learning area are as follows: Books These books were bought upon enrollment of each child. These books supplement the learning of the children and strengthen it.
They had a spot the thing book activity wherein their teacher asked them to get a certain hue from their box of colors and had to encircle the object stated by the teacher using the color the teacher chose.
Videos sourced with the help of the computerThe teacher showed the children a video clip of how the people plant and harvest the tulip. In the video, the tulips that were planted in a arranged array set by colors were being plucked with the use of machine.
Manipulative sensoral toys and materials available inside the room
Children built towers and buildings according to what their idea about things. The girl from the last photo had a drama play with the onlooking teacher and played a pastry and tea play. The block held by the teacher were attached together by the pupil opposite her. According to the child, she baked the cake and would then cut it into pieces and pieces of the block will be placed on a saucer.
Activity worksheets provided by the teacher.
4. Authentic Assessment
Authentic Assessment are performance-based assessment and since STMI is practicing the montessori teaching. The activities provided and supplemented by the school to the pupils were mostly performance based. Even their progress report, which is their type of evaluating the pupils’ progress is measuring the performance the children executed inside the learning area.
These are the school’s different classification of progress reports:
Observation on Teacher(s) in the classroom
1. Their planning for Teaching
In planning for teaching, the class teacher need to provide and present their daily lesson (Rencana Pelaksenaan Pembelajaran Harian (RPPH). The lesson plan is in line to the Weekly Plan provided by STMI, and it is connected to the Curriculum guide.
STMI held meetings before and after the classes and held at their faculty room. During the meetings at 7 morning, each teacher will raise questions and provide information about the activities during that day. After classes ended, the teachers will have another meeting at 4pm, and discuss about the classes and how well the activities being carried out.
2. Their preparing lessons and Materials
The preparation of lessons and materials will be prepared by the class teacher days prior the lesson be introduced and taught to the pupils. Mostly, the class teacher and the teacher assistants helped together to prepare for the materials needed for the activities and discussions to be presented in class.
3. Their teaching in class
4. Their measurement and evaluation
5. Your overall impression to the teacher performance
Teaching Plan
1 Curriculum related to your major
The government provided the community a guide in constructing the curriculum in schools. The curriculum guide being used in Indonesia is called Kompetensi Dasar Kurikulum Paud 2013. This is the link for a copy of their curriculum guide for Kindergarten.
2 Teaching plan related to your major
Weekly Plan: The weekly plan is provided by the school and the school curriculum connected their topic and lessons to the guide implemented by the government.
Daily Lesson Plan: The daily lesson plan is made by the classroom teachers. With the help of the weekly plan, the teachers will be able to construct their lesson plan.
Teaching Practice
1. Procedures of your teaching
The topics that were assigned to be discussed in that week is all about vegetables. First Teaching
The first thing we did on that day was the preparatory routinary activities. These were the activities where we recite our prayers, check the attendance, greetings, etc.
Our topic for that day was all about the leafy vegetables, at first I showed them the pictures but it did seem that nobody reconized most of the vegetables. So I introduced them the vegetables one by one and pasted it on board then labeled. I also underlined the first letter of each word names of the fruits because it will be handy for my next activity.
The next activity was a dyad activity. The pupils have to pick a companion and sit opposite one another. Each pair of pupils will be provided a set of picture cards and clips. The picture cards will be placed facing down and both pupils had to fold their arms first. When the teacher signaled for the game to start, one of the pair of pupils had to pick one card out of the scattered pile of cards, then identify the first letter of that vegetable and placed a pin on the correct letter below the picture. Each pupil will do the same alternately until they had answered all the cards.
The final activity was cut and stick the vegetable or fruit on the correct category.
Second Activity:
Final Activity:
Evaluated Teaching
Just like all the other days, we started our class with the preparatory routinary activities( the prayers, greetings).
Using the picture cards for review, I let them identify the pictures illustrated on the cards. When they were not familiar with the vegetable that’s when I reintroduced the vegetable again. The pupils who were able to answer me were the ones who pasted the picture cards on the board consecutively.
I gave them a group activity called “we are all in this together”, wherein one of their groupmate will be blindfolded and picked put a picture card to be pasted on the board. The other members of the group will identify the picture whether it is a leafy vegetable or non leafy vegetable and assist their blindfolded member by guiding the way using words.
After the activity that uses large motor, I provided another activity using fine motors through finger painting. The pupils were given a preprinted out copy of the corn, green paint and yellow orange paint. The children will stamp their finger prints on papers given following the kernels form.
First Activity:
Second Activity
A link for the video of the game “we are in this together” will be provided. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1j1E6l0mmHN9BWr1a6XBXI2OIx4uRi8Bt
Last Activity
2. Time management and organizing activities
Luckily, my assigned school was generous enough to let me use the materials and facilities within the school. Every after 2 o'clock, I will prepare my lesson plan and materials to be used for the next following demo teaching. Most often, my i cooperating teacher allowed me to spend my afternoon time for preparations.
I gave the children an interactive and fun filled novel activities. The novelty and newness of the activity caught the curiosity of most children. They were responsive and very active when I introduced my activities. My appreciation and awe to each child's attentiveness and accuracy to fulfill the task is overflowing. I am fully gratified and thankful for their accuracy because they helped me organize my time and manage my activities well.
3. Problem-solving
Prior to my demo teaching that will be evaluated by both my mentor in the receiving University and my cooperating teacher, I got really anxious about the children’s behavior(Will they participate or not?). I was extremely nervous that they will just sat down and wont participate for there were new people who came inside the room that day( my mentor and my buddy). Despite the frightening reality that it will happen, I did not secure a solution when that problem will arise. The same scenario did happened on the day that I will be evaluated. During the demo teaching, in able for me to get responses from the pupils I resorted to reinforce the behavior with stars and so they somehow became more responsive.
Other activities:
A video of the fruit puzzle:
4. Classroom management
In dealing children ages ranging from 2 to 6 years of age, activities inside the class must be exciting, full of wonders and they will be able to feel a sense of fulfillment when they have achieved what are asked by the teacher.
The activities that I had presented and introduced to the pupils studying in STMI were filled with fun and excitement because they were new and did caught the children's attention. When the pupils‘ attention were given to the activity, they will be readily eager to do the things you want them to do. For readiness comes with confidence, they were courageous and became initiator of the class. They were not ashamed of reciting and answered in front of teachers and their classmates. The outcome of it all was satisfaction. The children were satisfied and excited to share the activities they did during that day.
Another aspect of my classroom management was the star tokens. These star tokens can be exchanged with prizes like chocolates, stickers, erasers, pencils, etc. I introduced this type of system to be able to practice each child’s mathematical skills whenever they wanted to exchange their tokens into prizes. Each prize comes with its respective number of tokens needed for the trading to happen. It was fun-filled, fulfilling at the same time cognitively active.
5. Your overall impression in teaching
Despite the failures and problems I had surpassed, I am still grateful for the opportunity given to help and support in enhancing my capacity and capability to become a better and more equipped future educator. Through the failure comes lessons, and with that I have gained a newly acquired important skill to be an effective and competently qualified individual.
Teaching especially when dealing children, teaching must really be constituted through play and other enjoyable activities. Not only just playing and for enjoyment, the activities must also be of help in gaining knowledge as well as useful life skills for each child.
Building rapport is crucially of importance, for it will break or build the competence and capabilities of teachers to inculcate and instill the lessons that you want your pupils to acquire.
6. Others
Summary and Suggestions
1. Purposes of practicum
One of the reason this program is continually available to those students who are aspiring to be a future educators, the exposure to another type of setting with another sets of challenges that will arise and how we as future teachers ease and solve those problems.
Next purpose why there are a lot of students able to experience this program, is for them to apply continuously the practice of accurately adapt to be in a diversified community wherein you have to portray your best self so you can refrain from doing things that are not desirable in the views of others.
Another purpose is to be able to accumulate strategies and techniques that we student-teacher can apply to our respective communities. Since, we had stayed in a different setting for almost 4 weeks. A different area could mean a different and new way of applying teaching inside the class. When I observed inside the class, there was really a slight differentiation in terms of the curriculum and teaching strategy especially the sequencing of the lesson procedures.
There may be a lot of purpose to relay but the main point why this program incessantly working is for the participants to flourish to their fullest potential in regards to understanding culture and beliefs and be able to do a unified relationship despite the differences.
"We come from different nations, but bond as one."
The participants with the student buddies.
2. Procedures of practicum
The student-teacher program is divided into 4 types for the participant to render their service. For the first week, the participant had to be observing the class of the cooperating teacher the student-teacher was assigned. The next week, the student-teacher was tasked to provide assistance to the cooperating teacher inside the class. Another week had been assigned for practicum teaching or internship. This will be the span of time the participant executed teaching the pupils following the weekly topics provided by the school. The last week was set for the evaluations and reflections about the perceived experiences of the participant.
3. Outcomes of practicum
The student-teacher was able to collate a collection of differences as well as similarities. I am able to grab the opportunity of retaining the strategies and techniques that I had seen that can be also be of great advantage for me to acquire as a skill in teaching and apply it to my own community in the Philippines. The outcomes regarding my service may not be that outstanding but I believe that through that experience I was able to gain a thing that is not a tangible asset. It is a skill that will be of great importance to people like me who have aspirations to be able to become a teacher.
1.4 The challenges of practicum
There were a lot of challenges that affected me in the process but what triggered me the most were:
The language barrier, it really built a limitation for me to be able to communicate and build rapport to the pupils. The pupils were restricted to approach and talk to me because we were not able to fully understand each other well.
The transportation, it was my first time using motorcycle as a type of transportation and had to travel more or less 20 kilometers to and fro from the dormitory provided by my receiving University, University of Lampung. Most often, when I went back home using the motorcycle, my back hurts a little for staying seated on an unparalleled seating for a long time.
The difference of procedure in relaying the lesson, the wide variation of methods how in Indonesia and Philippine teach their lesson. Due to that reason, I was not able to get a spectacular teaching evaluation for I had applied the Philippine teaching procedure at class.
1.5 Overall impression
The program really helped people like me who were not really that thoroughly exposed to the difficulties and challenges that teacher experiences during teaching. It really was an eye opener to secure all possible problem that the teacher would undergo.
The problems aside, I really had fun connecting to new people, able to know their culture, to adapt to the commonalities and decent acceptable actuation that I should do.
I had been in awe by the Indonesia’s way of planning and executing the establishment’s designs. It really provided a sense of patriotism and culturally aligned sense of individuality.
1.6 Suggestions for future improvement
To the program provided by SEAMEO, I suggest they will maintain the program and able to reach more countries in Asia. I am hoping that all of the participants will have the support they need whether it be assistance financially or emotionally.
To my receiving university, University of Lampung, I suggest that they will have a more pre-planned schedule for the activities. I also propose that all participants of the Sea Teacher program will be assigned to a more accessible school. I want to add another suggestion in regards to the person buddy, I hope that there will be a constant companion specially to student-teacher who will be teaching in kindergarten and elementary.