My teaching experience

My teaching experience started when I was a high school student. My mom introduced me to several teachers in my neighborhood. Because I studied at an Islamic boarding school, I taught only on my holiday. I began teaching at mosque. I taught elementary students. At first I was so embarrassed and I didn’t know how to start. But I tried to find out how a teacher starts the lesson, I observed the way while the teacher was teaching at class. I asked the teacher the steps to teach at class, and I asked the materials which were needed to be delivered in the class.

I tried to imitate the way teacher taught at class. Although I had been in the situation where the process of teaching and learning occurred as a student but I never been a teacher before. Being a teacher was not easy, but I enjoyed it. I taught the students without getting salary, my mom said “it’s ok, experiences are much valuable then money,” and I had no problem with it, besides I had got new friends and interacting with students was fun.

After I graduated from high school, my mom introduced me to a kindergarten teacher. While waiting for my college time I taught at a kindergarten. I taught there for about three months. I found that the kindergarten students were different to the elementary students. They needed more attention, and the way we explained the lesson was different too. At the beginning, it was hard to get closer to the students, because they had not known me before and it was the first time we met. It was something like they needed to have time to know me, to find out that I was not a dangerous person to them. After several days we could interact well.

I began my college. I took regular class at the English education studying program, Balebandung University, so I couldn’t teach at the kindergarten any longer.
 I had free time after my class at college, again my mom sent me to a Madrasah near my house to teach there. Because basically I was from Islamic boarding school, so the teachers there trusted me. In fact I was not as what they thought about me. I had to find out the materials and study before teaching. I started to struggle there, to struggle with the unique students. I had ever crying because of a student but I forgot exactly why. I had got my salary by the way. It was about Rp. 50,000,00 to Rp. 150,000,00 per month. I taught there for about four years.

One evening when I was explaining, there was a student who acted un-normal. He acted like a tiger but I kept explaining. He acted more strange. He roared and attacked his friends. Some of his friends said that he was possessed by a tiger spirit. It was funny, scary, and strange at the same time. The thunder and rain made it more terrifying. The reason why it happened was because the students played “jelangkung” at a garden near their school. I stopped teaching then I ran out to ask for help, because I didn’t know what to do. A grandpa who’s the owner of the mosque came and did something to him. After everything was ok, I informed his parents and he went home. I would never forget this moment.
After I graduated from college, I wanted to teach what I had learnt. I decided to resign and start to seek a job as a teacher of English.

I found that seeking for a job was not easy. I went to several schools around Baleendah, but no one could accept my application. People said that “if you want to be teacher at a school especially for the state school, you must have a link or someone who is teaching there.” Based on my experience that’s true.
I kept trying. I sent my application to SDIT Fithrah Insani 2, I went there with my friend. We sent the application together. Fortunately only my friend got a call. But she didn’t take it because she had already been teaching.

I sent my application to an English Course. It’s located in front of my old school. After taking several tests I was accepted. It’s my forth year I teach there. I started teaching English from kindergarten level, then elementary level, junior high school level, and now I am teaching high school level.
Teaching different levels makes me realize that the way we teach is different from one level to another. Their needs are different too.

To the children, we tend to be their mom at the course, teaching them slowly, no shouting, speaking gently, and of course being friendly. To the teenagers, we tend to be their friend. We have to understand their situation or their feeling before starting the lesson. We have to rise their mood up.

I also ever taught at a private junior high school for about two years. The situation at the school was unusual to me, considering it’s not a new school. There were only twelve to twenty five students each class. There were only three classes. I enjoyed teaching there but I didn’t find any improvement for my career. So I resigned.
Last year I heard that SDIT Fithrah Insani 2 needed a new teacher, then I immediately sent my application. I actually wanted to teach there because the location’s not far from my house and I wanted to be in an Islamic environment. And qadarullah I was accepted, it’s my second year I am there.
It was not easy to make yourself comfortable to stay in a new place. We always find problems anywhere, it depends on how we deal with it. I believe that Allah would never give a problem to person except Allah provides the solution to the problem.

I have got new amazing valuable experiences, new amazing students, and new amazing friends. I am still learning so many things. I am thankful to Allah because of his rahman and rahim I have got this opportunity. I hope that I am able to be better and better in carrying out this amanah.