A Week Full of Thinking
This week has been not good. This week was the first week back to school. And in contrast by the teachers' conditions, most of the students were so happy and enthusiastic. Not the teachers were not happy to come back to school, only our bodies were adjusting to the routines again. Hmm, I can see that teachers' routines on holiday can be totally different from students' routines. Heheh.
Well, the first week of school to me was signed by a lot of thinking going on in my mind. Last month, an opportunity for studying a higher degree had come to me. There was this team, the alumni of The University of Queensland, who were looking for those who interested in studying in that university. They would do some sort of presentation and they could help the prospective students to register for the uni. Even though they couldn't help with the scholarship stuff, they were willing to share the information regarding the scholarships we could pursue. I thought, hey, it's interesting! After being rejected by an American- Indonesian institution for one of their programs held in the U.S, I was thinking this was a great time for me to start over again. So, I attended the presentation session and I started doing some research regarding the university and the major I was going to take.
The University of Queensland has Education program for those who are interested in getting the undergraduate, postgraduate, or even Ph.D degree. I learned about the programs and the qualifications. Well, they do not have the Early Childhood Education program (the one I was interested in lately), but they do have this program called Supporting Diverse Learners for young learners. As I studied the description, I knew that this program was intended for students to learn how to support children with learning difficulties as well as those with special needs. And my thinking process had been started since then.
I have been teaching for a almost five years and each year I have always come across a child with special needs or learning difficulty. For example, in my first year of teaching back in 2011, there was this child who was not able to speak a single word at all. He was 4 years old at that time, so the non-ability of speaking might have indicated something. Along with that, the ability to receive lessons was under average. He could not show the ability to grip a pencil and do some scribble. However, by not being able to express himself, his calmness was something that me and my teaching partner can rely on. At least, he could join the full session without throwing a tantrum whatsoever. He was with me for two years and had gone up to the primary. Another experience was with a boy in 2013. Whenever it came to reading or writing or counting or something related to worksheet, he would not be able to do it. He was always distracted to something. I had tried many ways to make him focus, such as using counters to make counting visible for him, but still he couldn't focus. I told the parents about it, but the parents seemed relaxed and lied back. And now, I'm dealing with a speech-delayed child who can only speak a little words compared to children his age. I've never been working with a special needs teachers before so I never know how to work with those children.
The point is I feel the need to learn more about these learning difficulties and special needs things. Moreover, I heard in Indonesia the trend of the need for inclusive schools is upward. The need for the teachers is in great demand as well. Plus, there is this government policy which oblige public schools to be inclusive schools (which I heard from my friend, I need to do some research on this). Oh, and to make me more enthusiastic, one of the requirements to apply in Supporting Diverse Learning program in UQ, is related work experience for 2 years. I've been teaching for five years and have been coming across the children with learning difficulties and special needs. So, is this a good way I am leading to? Is it good for me? Is it the thing I really want to do in the future? In fact, I remember I quite enjoyed working with those children with special assistance. Now, I'm enjoying as well working with this boy in my current school. The thing I sometimes do not enjoy is dealing with the normal ones instead. Haha. I mean, preparing the learning materials, watching the children playing for quite a long time, chasing the children here and there. That's too much sometimes.. Nevertheless, I still love them and love what I'm doing, though. Haha. So....
Should I take this pathway instead? Studying further regarding special needs and learning difficulties? Should I?
Bogor,
10th April, 2016
*oh I love this is the tenth already :)
Well, the first week of school to me was signed by a lot of thinking going on in my mind. Last month, an opportunity for studying a higher degree had come to me. There was this team, the alumni of The University of Queensland, who were looking for those who interested in studying in that university. They would do some sort of presentation and they could help the prospective students to register for the uni. Even though they couldn't help with the scholarship stuff, they were willing to share the information regarding the scholarships we could pursue. I thought, hey, it's interesting! After being rejected by an American- Indonesian institution for one of their programs held in the U.S, I was thinking this was a great time for me to start over again. So, I attended the presentation session and I started doing some research regarding the university and the major I was going to take.
The University of Queensland has Education program for those who are interested in getting the undergraduate, postgraduate, or even Ph.D degree. I learned about the programs and the qualifications. Well, they do not have the Early Childhood Education program (the one I was interested in lately), but they do have this program called Supporting Diverse Learners for young learners. As I studied the description, I knew that this program was intended for students to learn how to support children with learning difficulties as well as those with special needs. And my thinking process had been started since then.
I have been teaching for a almost five years and each year I have always come across a child with special needs or learning difficulty. For example, in my first year of teaching back in 2011, there was this child who was not able to speak a single word at all. He was 4 years old at that time, so the non-ability of speaking might have indicated something. Along with that, the ability to receive lessons was under average. He could not show the ability to grip a pencil and do some scribble. However, by not being able to express himself, his calmness was something that me and my teaching partner can rely on. At least, he could join the full session without throwing a tantrum whatsoever. He was with me for two years and had gone up to the primary. Another experience was with a boy in 2013. Whenever it came to reading or writing or counting or something related to worksheet, he would not be able to do it. He was always distracted to something. I had tried many ways to make him focus, such as using counters to make counting visible for him, but still he couldn't focus. I told the parents about it, but the parents seemed relaxed and lied back. And now, I'm dealing with a speech-delayed child who can only speak a little words compared to children his age. I've never been working with a special needs teachers before so I never know how to work with those children.
The point is I feel the need to learn more about these learning difficulties and special needs things. Moreover, I heard in Indonesia the trend of the need for inclusive schools is upward. The need for the teachers is in great demand as well. Plus, there is this government policy which oblige public schools to be inclusive schools (which I heard from my friend, I need to do some research on this). Oh, and to make me more enthusiastic, one of the requirements to apply in Supporting Diverse Learning program in UQ, is related work experience for 2 years. I've been teaching for five years and have been coming across the children with learning difficulties and special needs. So, is this a good way I am leading to? Is it good for me? Is it the thing I really want to do in the future? In fact, I remember I quite enjoyed working with those children with special assistance. Now, I'm enjoying as well working with this boy in my current school. The thing I sometimes do not enjoy is dealing with the normal ones instead. Haha. I mean, preparing the learning materials, watching the children playing for quite a long time, chasing the children here and there. That's too much sometimes.. Nevertheless, I still love them and love what I'm doing, though. Haha. So....
Should I take this pathway instead? Studying further regarding special needs and learning difficulties? Should I?
Bogor,
10th April, 2016
*oh I love this is the tenth already :)
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