Week 7: Last Day of School
Wow, the time flew by so quickly! I can't believe that my time in Indonesia has come to an end. Now, I'm back in the states reflecting on how amazing and thrilling my time has been there. I've learned so much from my experience.
This past week was a bit of a weird one. I went to school on Monday, and at this point, all of my students were very aware that I would be leaving the following day. I did not teach any more lessons and just spent some time taking everything in. Later that night, I went out to a nice dinner with some of the teachers. It was a nice send off to be able to spend time with some of the people that made my experience unforgettable.
The next day was full of emotions and excitement. Not only was it my last day with my 6th graders, but we also celebrated Chinese New Year as a school. Classes went as scheduled in the morning, but in the middle of the morning, we had a Chinese New Year Assembly. The majority of the students at the school are Chinese Indonesian, so they would celebrate this holiday. The assembly was spectacular. The entire school piled into the gymnasium to watch the festivities. The 7th and 8th grade girls put together a welcoming dance. Then, students in the younger grades danced to Korean folk songs and Chinese songs. They were absolutely adorable. I did not have a clue what they were saying (it was either said in Korean or Mandarin), but there was so much joy on their faces and contagious energy. We also saw some acrobats that did some fun tricks for the students. One of my favorite acts was a group of expat teachers that sang a song in Mandarin entitled, "My Chinese is Not That Good." It was hilarious, and the lyrics were even better. Then, older students dressed in a traditional Korean hanbok and sang a song for us. The main event was a group of students performing a Tae-Kwon-Do routine. They did everything from K-Pop, to acrobatics, to martial arts, to breaking boards in crazy ways. The students loved the act, and it was a great way to end the assembly. The school wanted to emphasize the theme of unity within diversity within the assembly and within the community. We all wore red or wore traditional cultural attire, but we celebrated one another's heritage as well. It was a beautiful way of recognizing the diversity of the school but our oneness in Christ.
All throughout the day, I received letters, notes, and gifts from students. The first one I received was from a student that is typically quiet in a classroom setting, but is vastly intelligent. Also, he is very popular among his peers. Overall, he's a really great student. At one point he expressed to me that he wanted to become a teacher when he grew up. It truly warmed my heart. The day before, he had mentioned that he would pay for my plane ticket just so that I could come and visit them again. I knew it was a joke, but considering the socioeconomic status of all of the students there, I would not have put it past him to pull a stunt like that. Anyway, he gave me a note. It actually ended up being one of my favorite notes. Here it is. And, just to give a bit of context, the students have been working on using descriptive words and creating acrostics of their names in preparation for their final draft of their children's books and autobiographical essays.
I know that I'm going to treasure this forever. Years and years from now, I'll look back at this letter and remember why I love teaching. Even on those really dark days, these words and wisdom from a 6th grade boy will keep me up. I pray that I will never lose the passion of teaching as well. But with the wonderful experience that I had, I don't see that happening any time soon.
At the end of the day and at the end of my classes, I definitely felt a lot of love from my students. After class ended for each section, I was showered with notes and hugs. It was overwhelming, but it was so reassuring that I did what I came there to do--to make an impact on my students. I just felt incredibly lucky and blessed to have been their teacher. Many of the students have expressed their desire for me to come back, but you never know. Here are some of the letters and notes that I received from my students:
Also, at the end of the day during homeroom, the three different 6th grade classes came into my classroom for one last goodbye. Since school was technically over, students had their phones out wanting to take selfies and pictures with me. What really blew my mind was that some students asked me for my autograph. I felt like I was a celebrity, but I knew that that was one way that they were able to express to me how much I meant to them as a student teacher.
Then, we took a group picture with me and the entirety of 6th grade. As I left, the students kept saying, "We'll never forget you! Please never forget us!" Honestly, I don't think I ever will. I will probably remember this class more than any other class I will ever have in the future as a teacher.
After school was over, I had to pack quick, get dinner, and head to the airport to make it on time for my plane at midnight. The day went by so quickly, but it was one of my favorite days in Indonesia.
From this experience, I have learned so much, and I also have some advice for anyone who is considering coming to teach in a different country.
1.Be open to new experiences & embrace the culture.
This past week was a bit of a weird one. I went to school on Monday, and at this point, all of my students were very aware that I would be leaving the following day. I did not teach any more lessons and just spent some time taking everything in. Later that night, I went out to a nice dinner with some of the teachers. It was a nice send off to be able to spend time with some of the people that made my experience unforgettable.
The next day was full of emotions and excitement. Not only was it my last day with my 6th graders, but we also celebrated Chinese New Year as a school. Classes went as scheduled in the morning, but in the middle of the morning, we had a Chinese New Year Assembly. The majority of the students at the school are Chinese Indonesian, so they would celebrate this holiday. The assembly was spectacular. The entire school piled into the gymnasium to watch the festivities. The 7th and 8th grade girls put together a welcoming dance. Then, students in the younger grades danced to Korean folk songs and Chinese songs. They were absolutely adorable. I did not have a clue what they were saying (it was either said in Korean or Mandarin), but there was so much joy on their faces and contagious energy. We also saw some acrobats that did some fun tricks for the students. One of my favorite acts was a group of expat teachers that sang a song in Mandarin entitled, "My Chinese is Not That Good." It was hilarious, and the lyrics were even better. Then, older students dressed in a traditional Korean hanbok and sang a song for us. The main event was a group of students performing a Tae-Kwon-Do routine. They did everything from K-Pop, to acrobatics, to martial arts, to breaking boards in crazy ways. The students loved the act, and it was a great way to end the assembly. The school wanted to emphasize the theme of unity within diversity within the assembly and within the community. We all wore red or wore traditional cultural attire, but we celebrated one another's heritage as well. It was a beautiful way of recognizing the diversity of the school but our oneness in Christ.
All throughout the day, I received letters, notes, and gifts from students. The first one I received was from a student that is typically quiet in a classroom setting, but is vastly intelligent. Also, he is very popular among his peers. Overall, he's a really great student. At one point he expressed to me that he wanted to become a teacher when he grew up. It truly warmed my heart. The day before, he had mentioned that he would pay for my plane ticket just so that I could come and visit them again. I knew it was a joke, but considering the socioeconomic status of all of the students there, I would not have put it past him to pull a stunt like that. Anyway, he gave me a note. It actually ended up being one of my favorite notes. Here it is. And, just to give a bit of context, the students have been working on using descriptive words and creating acrostics of their names in preparation for their final draft of their children's books and autobiographical essays.
I know that I'm going to treasure this forever. Years and years from now, I'll look back at this letter and remember why I love teaching. Even on those really dark days, these words and wisdom from a 6th grade boy will keep me up. I pray that I will never lose the passion of teaching as well. But with the wonderful experience that I had, I don't see that happening any time soon.
At the end of the day and at the end of my classes, I definitely felt a lot of love from my students. After class ended for each section, I was showered with notes and hugs. It was overwhelming, but it was so reassuring that I did what I came there to do--to make an impact on my students. I just felt incredibly lucky and blessed to have been their teacher. Many of the students have expressed their desire for me to come back, but you never know. Here are some of the letters and notes that I received from my students:
Also, at the end of the day during homeroom, the three different 6th grade classes came into my classroom for one last goodbye. Since school was technically over, students had their phones out wanting to take selfies and pictures with me. What really blew my mind was that some students asked me for my autograph. I felt like I was a celebrity, but I knew that that was one way that they were able to express to me how much I meant to them as a student teacher.
Then, we took a group picture with me and the entirety of 6th grade. As I left, the students kept saying, "We'll never forget you! Please never forget us!" Honestly, I don't think I ever will. I will probably remember this class more than any other class I will ever have in the future as a teacher.
After school was over, I had to pack quick, get dinner, and head to the airport to make it on time for my plane at midnight. The day went by so quickly, but it was one of my favorite days in Indonesia.
From this experience, I have learned so much, and I also have some advice for anyone who is considering coming to teach in a different country.
1.Be open to new experiences & embrace the culture.
Being in a different country, culture shock will be inevitable. The way that they live is so much different from how we live in the United States, but their way of life is so captivating and beautiful. If you don't allow yourself to be uncomfortable, you're not experiencing the country fully. Also, in going to any country, please please PLEASE learn the language. It is so worth it. There will be difficult and wonderful times mixed in, but my greatest advice is to let yourself be uncomfortable. I've tried brain and feet. I walked in the middle of the road. I traveled south of Jakarta into an area where multiple locals asked to take a picture with me. I got lost a couple times. I even got to experience an earthquake during school hours. When you open yourself to new experiences and embrace the beautiful culture, it all becomes one big adventure that you wish will keep going.
2. Build lasting relationships.
I cannot stress this enough. If you want to have a fulfilling experience, get to know the students, other expats, teachers, and nationals on a deeper level. Even if you're only there a short amount of time, a little interest makes a big statement to them, and it makes your time more meaningful. During week 2, one of my students came up to my desk and told me, "Ms. Sarah, you're my favorite student teacher ever!" Of course, I figured that they would say something like this to any of the teachers, so I said, "That's really sweet of you, but why do you say that I'm your favorite? I'm sure you've had great teachers in the past." Her response was, "You've been the only one that seems interested in getting to know us." When our purpose becomes teaching the content, we could lose sight of the reason why we are teaching the content. Also, were it not for the other expat teachers, my time in SPH would have been so boring. They welcomed me with open arms and helped me get the best experience as a student teacher. I know that I've gained some pretty swell friends. Outside of the school, I started to form some great relationships. One of my favorite days was when I played volleyball with locals near their homes. It's still located in the city, but in a low income area. It made me fall more in love with the country and the community. If I decide to come back here, my primary goal will be to learn the language so that I can get to know the nationals. They're fantastic people.
Overall, this has been an incredible experience, and I will never forget the people I have met or the times that I had the opportunity to teach. I will miss Indonesia.
Sarah, it sounds like you had an amazing experience that you will forever remember with fondness. I know that my first student teaching class still has a special place in my heart, even all these years later. You have some great advice for others who may be thinking about an experience like the one you had. I'm so glad that you had this experience and that you took full advantage to learn about the culture and really got to know your students.
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