Watch Me, I am an Actress (in my own classroom)

I just love to teach. I love hearing the sounds of my students in the classroom, especially when we are discussing something. I enjoy my time discussing about the lesson with my colleagues. Oh i can write pages about what i love being a teacher.  Above all, i love the ‘acting’ part.

An actress plays based on scenario. She can do improvisation, as long as it still in line with main scenario. As a teacher, we do ‘play’ based on our scenario (read=lesson plan). Sometimes, we improvise when the class condition did not support our plan. But can you tell the difference?Yes, our ‘audience’ are students. The scenarios that we play and how we play them have great impact to our students’ learning.

When we observe teaching and learning process carefully, we can say that the process have the beginning, the peak and the end or closure. The beginning is when teacher opens the lesson. There are many ways to open a lesson. Teacher can start by asking questions, watch movie or discussion. Later, teacher can strengthen the opening by setting group work, class discussion, individual work or library search. At the end, teacher may ask more question, assign your students with worksheet or even give homework. But before a teacher begins all the activities, she/he needs to possess the knowledge of giving appropriate and effective instruction. Not only possesing the knowledge but understand when the instructions suit best in the classroom condition.

When i teach teacher candidates, at the same i also model or act out the strategy or model of instructions. By doing so, teacher candidates will be able to experience and assess whether the startegies or models are effective or ineffective. Furthermore, they are able to reflect them on their teaching and learning in the future. After all, the best theories, is the the practical one.

Mima (PETA Lecturer)