My Holiday Project

 

Well, I’m home now. It was Thursday morning when I arrived at home after a long and tiring journey for about 13 hours (Surabaya-Magelang). Actually this semester holiday was started at January 7^th, but I do have to delay my plan to go home because I have to attend the Department Agama Annually Training and Devotion which is this year held in Al Yasini Islamic Boarding School Pasuruan. As usual, I with my English Department friends have to practice to teach Al Yasini High School students. And it was little bit funny because I got the listening section. You know, I’m not really good in Listening but I have to teach them about the strategy to get a good mark in listening section. In fact, I have never got the perfect score in my listening class when I was in high school or now when I in Airlangga University. But Thanks God…, finally I could give the best for them because I give them listening practice through a song! ^_^. I choose The Climb by Miley Cyrus because I think the student is in the last grade and they need motivation to prepare the Final Examination (UAN). And beleive me, this song tells a really good motivated story to us.

After I comeback from Pasuruan, again, i have to postponed my plan to go home because I have to go to Airlangga Rektorat to sign for my fellowship, because a very big thankful to Allah that this year… I had chosen as one of receiver BKM Fellowship. Then after all of those thing were finished, I could go home with the very warm heart… imagining how my family will greet my arrival.

Then finally… here I am. In my comfort without window room (^_^), and writing this note. Since yesterday, my spirit to write had been raising and hammering on my lazy door. And suddenly I realize… how long I spend my life without writing anything at all? I forgot my old habit to produce tens of short stories a month (which is unfortunately were refused by all magazine). I forgot my child dream to become a famous writer. Yeah, everything that makes my life more colored had disappeared. But now, in this holiday, when I am free from million of college tasks, i feel that there is someone else inside myself who push me to write “something”, maybe she is someone who comes from the past. And I don’t know why I can’t refuse her ask. Then I think for a while before finally I decide to try make a project. A project that able to makes me serious and give a commitment to write. Yeah, I promise to myself that in this holiday, I have to produce minimum five short stories and a half of my first novel. The other side of me even think, that how impossible this project to do, considering how lazy I am to write in this three last years and the fact that this holiday is only about a month. But I know that thing that i have to do is writing and not thinking about so many others thing, and I will she whether this project will finish or not…

Finally … I get my first job!

This week is my week! How come? Because this week is my first time that I can practice my knowledge, yeah… I am an English private teacher now! ^_^ Well… maybe become a private teacher is sounds like something usual and not special for other, but for me… it’s really wonderful! Because I’ve been obsessed to be an English private teacher since I was in the third semester. And because I don’t have motorcycle, I got difficulty to become a private teacher. And finally, in this fifth semester, specifically last week … one of my lovely friend ( Savira) offered me an opportunity to give English private for junior high school student. And I spontaneously accepted this offer.

And yesterday is my first time doing this job! Well, unlike the other private standard… I teach three students concurrently. They are Dian, Indah, and Tri. We come together in Dian’s house every Wednesday night and Thursday night at 18.30.pm. At first, I felt nervous and worried because I was afraid if they were too smart or if I couldn’t explain about what they will asked. But in fact, everything is going well and I feel really enjoy doing this job. Because unfortunately, although they are in the highest level of Junior High School (9 grade), but they are still weak in English especially in grammar and pronounciation. I thought they have already understood well about the basic tenses in English, but what I found was very different from my first guess. Even they are still confused to differentiate which one is simple present, simple past tense, or simple continuous tense.

It is advantageous for me, because I only have to explain simple material. But then I thinking it through and suddenly feel so ironic. From what Dian has told me, I found that the English learning in their school is not an effective learning. Their teacher never gives a brief explanation about the material. The students only have to write the material in their book, and do some exercise in LKS or text book. And when their answer was wrong, their teacher never explains about the reason why their answer was considered as wrong answer. It’s kind of monotonous learning system that I also experienced when I was in junior high school. And I believe that there are many schools in Indonesia who are still use this system. One of crucial reason is the teacher who doesn’t have a good capability and understanding to teach student in creative ways.

I just wonder… how if every teacher understand well how to teach and make student love English subject? I think it will give the big progress in our education system. But unhappily, the fact is so different from what we are expected. I just hope that I can to be a good and creative teacher who can give the best for my students. Not only give understanding but also motivation that can attract their interest to study English deeply. ^_^