Summary and Suggestions
Purposes of practicum
SEA-Teacher program is a program that provides Southeast Asian universities with the opportunity to exchange learning and practice teaching in various countries in Southeast Asia. I am very pleased to be able to observe classes and practice teaching at Xavier University Junior High School. I have learned about the classroom culture that is different from Thailand and this is my first time teaching students and from teaching this time I have learned. I learned many things from this experience that I will apply to teaching in Thailand and teaching in the future.
Procedures of practicum
The SEA-Teacher program is divided into four steps:
Step 1: Observation
This is the time when I have to observe the class with the mentor to study the classroom culture, and learning methods here.
Step 2: Teaching Assistantship
In this step, I will help the mentor explain or answer questions when students have questions.
Step 3: Practice teaching
In this step, I need to prepare a lesson plan and have the mentor help check the correctness. Once it is correct, it will be practice teaching the class as designed in the lesson plan.
Step 4: Evaluation and Reflection
After teaching, my mentor and I would come and discuss what I had taught that needed improvement or suggestions.
The challenges of practicum
1. Culture
The differences between Thai and Filipino cultures are a challenge for me because some beliefs may have different weaknesses than in Thailand. Living a quaint life here is semi-European and crossing the street is very challenging.
2. Language
The challenge in language is that in Thailand, English is a foreign language, but in the Philippines, English is a second language. This made things very challenging for me as I had to constantly practice the language and practice speaking so that it was clear and understood by the students.
Overall impression
SEA-Teacher Project gives me a chance to learn about culture, beliefs, and teaching abroad. From participating in the SEA-Teacher project, I have developed myself to be more confident in the language.