REFLECTION : MEETING WITH MR. ALI JUFRY (PEARSON)

I would like to say that meeting face to face with Mr. Ali Jufri from Pearson is like one and a half hours worth one and a half years online. Why did I say that? Because it happened with releasing all the burden in our mind and heart about Pearson's material and the methods of teaching.

As new things both teaching materials and methods from Pearson that are applied in Puhua School now need lots of reassurance, encouragement, motivation, guides, and also role models for me and maybe for other teachers. We need more guidance in applying all the new things.

Mr. Ali's presence at school was kind of a great moment that we are waiting for. So that we provide lots of questions that bear in our mind due to some problems we are facing in the class before his coming.

And that would be something when the first thing he gave in the meeting was asking a kind of question like what in your mind is about Active Learn? So, we released all of our burden buried inside of our mind and heart.

Regarding his question, I told him that the Active Learn materials are so great since they provide very deep reading and writing skills. I’ve never had experience before in using any kinds of materials. However, those materials are also our problems too since there are no obvious guides to make sure of our answers of all activities in the book. We, as teachers, try to grab our own ideas and perspectives dealing with the answers of those activities in every section. And in the meeting Mr. Ali gave us a kind of illumination that teachers should not be worried about the book. As he tried to explain all about our problem he just showed us how to overcome our problems. Mr. Ali told us that the book doesn’t provide the key answer in order for teachers to find their own creativity in answering the questions of each activity. There are many possibilities to develop student’s answers to every question.

Besides, he also played a role as a teacher and we played as students. In this role playing, he gave us ways to teach using Inspire English in an easy but creative way by asking the students to find out the synonyms of adjectives, adverbs and other kinds of words. This way can be done by a teacher in teaching to save time with an abundance of materials.

He added in his encouragement that teachers should not teach all the activities in each section but we can make it short or simple but creative without getting out from the topic of the discussion in the activities. We can also use power point presentations to sum those materials to make students more active in the class.

To end the meeting, Mr. Ali asked the teachers to plan a meeting for teaching the next meeting with students. That was a kind of challenge for us to practice how to plan a simple and creative teaching using the book. It was all done great since Mr. Ali also gave us more encouragement to the teachers in handling the next meeting with the materials from Active Learn. He suggested some tips too.

I really hope it will happen again in the future since it could drive us to make the best ways in teaching the students using Pearson’s material. #ReflectionofMeetingwithMr.Ali

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Refleksi Peringatan Bulan Bahasa

Sebagai guru di Secondary Puhua School saya merasa bangga sekalaigus gembira atas terlaksananya kegiatan Bulan bahasa kali ini. Kegiatan Bulan Bahasa yang diselenggarakan secara daring ini ternyata tidak kalah serunya dengan kegiatan terdahulu yang dilaksanakan secara langsung di sekolah. 

Kegiatan yang melibatkan semua guru dan siswa ini terlaksana tidak hanya seru, namun khidmat dan melibatkan semua siswa dari pra perayaan yaitu berupa kompetisi berbahasa yang diikuti oleh seluruh siswa dari lower hingga upper level dan juga pada acara perayaan. 

Untuk mencapai sebuah acara yang seru tersebut tentunya dibutuhkan persiapan yang matang. Hal ini membutuhkan pemikiran, kerjasama, dan kontribusi dari masing-personil yang ada dalam kepanitiaan yang terbentuk. Tidak hanya itu saja, sebelum acara dilaksanaan beberapa kali rapat persiapan untuk menentukan jenis, teknis dan kriteria lomba dan acara peringatan Sumpah Pemuda berupa gladi yang dilakukan hingga beberapa kali baik yang dilaksanakan secara intern panitia dan kepala sekolah dan acara gladi bersih dengan SMT yang melibatkan Ms Novi dan Chen Tao Laoshi dan tentunya Bu Capri Anjaya untuk mendapatkan berbagai masukan dan feedback agar acara yang ditampilkan layak untuk ditampilkan.

Setelah semua persiapan selesai baik lomba maupun gladi bersih, tibalah saatnya pada tepat 28 Oktober 2021, acara pun dimulai pada period kedelapan hingga period kesepuluh. Semua siswa, guru, kepala sekolah dan juga SMT bergabung di acara tersebut. Acara yang digawangi oleh MC yang bertugas pada hari itu, Mr Didik dan Ms. Retno yang mengawali dengan ajakan-ajakan pada siswa untuk membuka kamera dan memasang virtual background dengan nuansa abu-abu untuk membawa suasana tempo dulu dan mengajak perserta untuk aktif dalam keseluruhan acara yang diselenggarakan secara virtual melalui zoom meeting. 

Acara dibuka dengan suasana tempo dulu dengan retro sosiodrama kongres pemuda Indonesia kedua yang diperankan oleh hampir semua guru secondary. Selain itu tampilan virtual background abu-abu dengan latar tempo dulu di layar masing- masing membawa suasana yàng menyentuh dan mendukung sidang seolah-olah terjadi di masa tahun 1928. Sidang kongres pemuda 2 yang diketuai oleh Sugondho Joyopuspito yang diperankan oleh Mr Teguh Sugeng Apriawan menggema di semua ruang siswa yang berada di rumah masing-masing. Suaranya yang lantang dan bergetar mengikuti semangatnya yang membara yang seolah merasakan perjuangan para pemuda tahun 1928 dan diikuti oleh para anggota sidang yang juga tidak kalah semaangatnya. Suasana sidang yang kidmat dapat dirasakan oleh semua siswa di segala penjuru dan semoga mampu menggetarkan semangat para siswa untuk dapat menjadi generasi penerus yang melanjutkan perjuangan para pemuda tahun 1928.

Acara juga dibuka dengan sambutan kepala sekolah, Mr. F. David Ludiranto untuk memberikan pesan-pesan penting tentang makna sumpah pemuda dan tujuan dilaksanakan acara tersebut. Rangkaian acara lain untuk mengukur seberapa jauh siswa dapat berkonsentrasi dengan penampilan sosiodrama tersebut, siswa diberikan 20 pertanyan menggunakan aplikasi Quizizz. Link untuk setiap levelnya diberikan melalui chat box dan diberikan hadiah untuk 3 pemenang dengan skor tertinggi. Dengan keterlibatan siswa ini diharapkan siswa mampu menghargai kreatifitas acara yang disajikan.

Dan merupakan acara yang tentunya paling dinanti siswa adalah pengumuman lomba berbahasa yang diikuti seluruh siswa. Lomba yang diikuti siswa merupakan lomba berbahasa yang semuanya dibuat dalam bentuk video dalam tiga bahasa yaitu bahasa Indonesi, bahasa Inggris, dan bahasa Mandarin dengan jenis lomba yang berbeda. Untuk bahasa Indonsia dan bahasa Inggris dibedakan dengan pembagian tertentu. Ada yang pembagiannya berdasarkan lower dan upper ada juga yàng berdasarkan basic dan mahir seperti untuk mandarin dan bahasa Inggris lower. Khusus untuk semua juara satu dari semua kategori, ditayangkan cuplikan videonya yang ternyata memang merupakan karya terbaik yang luar biasa. Dilanjutkan penayangan semua pemenang dari juara 1 hingga 3 untuk setiap jenis lomba dan levelnya. Semua siswa yang menyaksikan tampak berdebar saat pengumuman lomba ini. Dari kegiatan lomba ini diharapkan siswa mampu mengekspresikan dirinya dalam berbahasa dan mampu bersaing secara positif dan berprestasi.

Seluruh raangkaian kegiatan dirangkum dalam bentuk renungan dan refleksi seluruh kegiatan. Renungan dan refleksi dibawakan oleh Ms Mekar yang sekaligus PIC acara kegiatan ini. Dengan gayanya yang puitis, Ms Mekar memberikan sebuah renungan tentang bagaimana perjuangan dari pemuda jaman dulu perlu dilanjutkan dan persatuan di negara ini terus untuk diperjuangjan. Kegiatan perayaan Sumpah Pemuda yang mengusung tema Pelajar dulu, kini, nanti ini menjadikan acara yang cukup bermakna dan dapat memberikan pembelajaran buat kita semua baik dalam memaknai sumpah pemuda itu sendiri, perjuangan para pemuda jaman dulu, dan bagaimana kita sebagai pemuda dalam menyikapi perjuangan kita untuk tetap mempersatukan bangsa ini dan juga tentunya mengisinya dengan berkreasi positif untuk membangun negri ini. Hal lain juga tentunya banyak hal yang perlu ditingkatkan dalam berbagai segi karena tentunya acara terebut akan lebih baik lagi setelah kita mampu mempelajari kekurangan-kekurangannya.

Ke depan, tentunya kita akan melaksanakan kegiatan serupa sehingga kita mesti memikirkan kegiatan serupa yang lebih baik lagi. Mungkin seandainya sekolah sudah melaksanakan kegiatan tatap muka, sekolah akan lebih bisa melibatkan siswa dalam berbagai rangkaian acara. Dan sangat memungkinkan kepanitiaan akan secara langsung dipegang oleh siswa sehingga siswa akan dapat belajar untuk mengorganisasikan sebuah acara. Ini tentunya akan lebih bermanfaat bagi siswa sebagai sarana pengembangan diri. 

A Boy with A Little Dream

This was about a boy named Ayo. The boy was born in a small village on the border of three regencies, Brebes, Banyumas, and Cilacap. In his childhood he did not have high dreams like his friends. Only the figure of a teacher he admired. Teachers who can make him read, write, sing, make crafts to teachers who can make him happy and also afraid if he didn’t do his homework. He didn't expect much from a simple life in the village except to be able to continue his education in junior high school because his three sisters only studied in elementary school and ended up getting married early. Likewise, almost all his friends have enough getting their education in an elementary school to prepare for the next life.

His hope to continue his education was almost dashed because he had to face reality that it was not that easy to make sure his parents about pursuing his higher education. Luckily a teacher had saved him and managed to persuade his father so that the boy could continue his education.

The period of education in junior high school went on with difficulty but finally ended and managed to hold the high school diploma that was so dreamed of. The encouragement from his sisters who did not go to school was very meaningful as well as financial support from one of his older sisters who had a small business in the village.

It became a very extraordinary thing and everything happened unexpectedly when the boy got support from several relatives to continue his education in high school. It was no problem for him to attend the only school in the sub-district town of Gumelar. The only high school that exists and is just starting out with small numbers of students and poor facilities. For him, being able to go to high school had become something to be very grateful for because not all of his friends can continue their education to high school. He finally enrolled to SMA PGRI Gumelar the only school in town.

However, something happened until one day the boy had to decide not to continue to the high school. His parents and relatives did not understand what he was thinking. His passion to study in high school suddenly subsided and took another decision. On the first day of school, the boy did not go to school to continue his dream. He decided to change his direction of dream by going to the big city, Jakarta to try his luck and intended to find work. He thought it would be the best way to grab his future. The decision was taken after he received interesting information from a relative and made him change his mind and make a crazy decision.

Unluckily, it can be said that his departure was not the best decision so that after approximately three months in Jakarta, the boy who graduated from junior high school had to return to his village to feel guilty and ashamed of his parents and siblings because it turned out that the promised job did not come true.

A few months unemployed at home, reflecting on his regrets and the boy intended to return to the city for a second try. It was luckier this time because the jobs offered actually existed. A few months working in a kind of shampoo factory, the boy still felt how his job was not what he dreamed of. He realized that school was the best he had to go through in his teenage years. “I have to go back to school. I want to wear a gray and white uniform.' Until one day a letter came from his father, asking him to go home and return to the school he had enrolled in before. Apparently God heard the prayer of a child who was stranded in the world of work that was not yet time. His desire to go to school never stopped. The decision to work was just an emotional decision that he had turned out to be the wrong one.

There’s nothing to be regretted in this life. There is still a chance to arrange his dream. Walking miles to go to school with sweat on the forehead and staggered feet to be able to achieve his high school. He finally achieved a high school graduate with all of his struggles.

Finally, the boy was then walking gallantly towards a small town, Purwokerto with a high school certificate in his hand. His parents, who had realized how much their only son needed an education, sent him to a course for the next provision. A course institution called Gamacom became his choice. For a year he struggled with new things by studying office administration. He obtained various course certificates such as computer, accounting, English, typing and certificates of expertise in other office administration fields.

Armed with a course certificate that he obtained for one year, the boy began to explore himself to try his luck working in the city. Departing from several supermarkets, then stranded in a photo studio which made it a pretty promising job at that time. Approximately three years the boy struggled with the world of administration in the photo business.

On October 10, 1997, the boy bravely married a girl he loved at the age of 24. He thought he had already earned and decided to have a family. Unfortunately, no one thought that the 1998 incident shook all aspects of life, including his family. It had to be crushed by the beating of the country's economy which was also chaotic at that time. The wife he loves only got the first three months of salary from her husband's job because after that she has to be laid off from her workplace. Photo studio companies were forced to fall out of business because of the crazy monetary crisis.

The worsening economic condition of the country worsened the condition of the boy's family until the child of the marriage was born. Many kinds of work had been done to survive. Several times the boy worked as a salesperson in a company and also a salesperson of selling snacks. Uncertain income coupled with increasing needs made him no longer strong enough to support the household economy until he finally decided to try his luck to become a migrant worker in neighboring Malaysia. But God did not allow it because the health conditions did not meet the requirements.

The wife, who felt that she had good English skills at that time, tried propose to register to become a women worker in Taiwan. With compulsion and agreement from all families, the wife finally flew to Taiwan to help her husband, who at that time was very difficult to find work even though he was just for a shop assistant. High school diplomas and courses that are very proud of as if they have nothing anymore.

The obstacles of life seemed unstoppable but the little family had a strong belief that all them would surely end. The husband, who was in the small town of Purwokerto, still continued to peddle the product of a snack manufacturer with his old motorbike. He travelled around the town to the outskirts of town knocking on small shops to offer his luggage that hangs on the back of his motorbike. His sweat was always pouring out between the heat of the city of Purwokerto. The only hope was being able to go home bringing a little profit to be able to buy the baby's milk.

Luckily, his wife who was in another country got the kindness of her employer. Many things were learned while in Taiwan, from learning life, struggle, and learning the language. This made her keep the spirit to fight for the little baby who was left with his husband and parent in-laws.

Until one day when the wheel of life continues to spin and that's when God has given incomparable goodness. The village boy tried to get up his courage to continue his studies at a private university in Purwokerto. There was a kind of subtle whisper that he should major in English Teacher Education. A ray of bright light began to reveal the dark veil that will save his little family. While studying the village boy got a better job, by becoming an English tutor at a course institution.

The period of education at the university finally ended with all the struggles. The boy got a job as a teacher at a public high school on the outskirts of Purwokerto as an honorary teacher. Armed with a bachelor's degree in English Education, the village boy who was once abandoned has now turned into a teacher who is certainly very proud of his family. Moreover, his three older siblings only graduated from elementary school and did not think that his younger brother could become a teacher. The teacher, who in the village used to be, was a figure who was greatly admired by all the villagers including himself because of his very noble and respected profession. Teachers are able to be an example in society in any field other than their work at school.

Now, the village boy has become a teacher at a well-known private school in the small town of Purwokerto. A school with SPK status called Puhua School which implements a national curriculum as well as a foreign curriculum that offers the best education for the people of Purwokerto and its surroundings. In his age now he was determined to continue devoting himself to become a teacher. The teacher figure he once admired when he was still in the village. It’s not that easy to change his life but he said that it is never too late for him to continue learning and improving himself. In his resolve, 'I must always be a true learner and be of benefit to others. It's never too late to keep learning and doing good."