Being a teacher during the pandemic
made many new experiences in my life as a teacher. This year, I have been
teaching science, especially physics, at Mondial Junior High School in Semarang,
an English Nasional School. Mondial Junior High School is also a multicultural
school with various ethnicities, races, and religions, both teachers,
employees, and students.
At the beginning of teaching at
this school, I did not meet directly with fellow teachers and students, because
there was still a pandemic of online meetings and also remote teaching. Even
though I have experience as a teacher in several big cities in Indonesia and am
familiar with technology, I still have to learn with colleagues, the
environment, the latest technology, and even more so online teaching.
Activities at Mondial Junior High
School are not limited by space and time, even though the pandemic activities
are still running smoothly and are carried out online. Just like when it
started from Motion, namely the introduction to the learning environment in
School, Parents Orientations, Scout Day Competitions, Independence Day
Competitions, Socialization to parents about ANBK, youth oath day vents by
inviting guests who are experienced in the field of psychology (Lecturer of
Phycology at Soegijopranoto University) and guests are also experienced in
educating in 3T areas (frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped), as well as
virtual field trips. I think this is very good for providing experiences for
students. So students are not only continuously, but also filled with various
kinds of activities and information that will certainly add insight for
students.
Besides teaching physics, I was
trusted to be the homeroom teacher for class 8B. it’s not a new thing for me to
be a homeroom teacher, but it’s also easy to be a homeroom teacher. Checking
student attendance and morning prayers during online learning is the
responsibility of the homeroom teacher, besides that, what is more, important
is being able to communicate information with parents and also motivate
students. I am grateful to have colleagues and leaders who are open, willing to
help, and also motivate me in the process of becoming a teacher and homeroom teacher.
It's not a problem for me to teach
remotely, but I ponder whether the students understand what I teach well. Often
hearing Physics lessons are considered difficult and scary, I have the
principle that science lessons, especially Physics will be fun and easy to
remember if you do a lot of practice. However, this is an obstacle because of
the pandemic and it is not possible to practice in the laboratory, therefore,
to keep practising, that is by using a virtual laboratory and also providing
projects that can be completed using easily obtained items. Sometimes I as a
teacher also learn from students, by adapting my teaching method to the
student's learning style, so that students can better understand what I teach
and students are enthusiastic about learning.
Over time, schools can be opened and the first activity students enter school is grade 8 because ANBK is at school. I am happy that I can finally meet face-to-face with students again. Then gradually students enter school although in turn not all. So that now all students can return to school. I see a lot of changes in students when studying online and face-to-face. In face-to-face learning, students are more enthusiastic, and attentive, and I see this affects students' understanding. In principle, education is not sudden, it takes a process, for both teachers, and students, as well as the role of parents. Good collaboration between teachers, students, and parents will result in a good education.
Oleh: Margareta Sri Pinilih, S.Pd.
