Summary and Suggestions

The following is a summary and impression I received during my experience in the SEA-Teacher program in Japan.

What sort of challenges did you experience during your participation in the SEA-Teacher program in Japan? The most challenging obstacle in this SEA-Teacher program is the language barrier between me and my students. Especially for my lesson - chemistry - which is full of technical and scientific terms. For facing this challenge, I have three strategies: 1) Use easy English words as the substitute of the "ideal" word, 2) Use pictures and demonstrations to explain my lesson, and 3) Use Japanese words for specific and important terms.

What is the most enjoyable activity in the SEA-Teacher program in Japan? In my opinion, the most enjoyable activity is the teaching practice itself. I was looking forward to improving my teaching skills and this program allowed me to do it. I have many helpful feedbacks and references for my future teaching experiences. This teaching practice activity is also allowed me to learn many things about educational systems in Japan so that I can compare it with my own country. Another enjoyable activity is when I joined SEAMEO Symposium in UT Tokyo Campus. As someone who eager to learn new things, this opportunity enriched my knowledge, especially in the educational field.

What factors did you consider in planning your lessons for your UTSS classes and how did you apply them in your teaching? In planning my lessons, factors I considered the most characteristic of Japanese students in general and the objectives of the lesson itself (based on the curriculum). I've found that general Japanese students have similarities with Indonesian students in the level of understanding, but pretty different characteristics in terms of behavior and manners. This similar level of understanding makes me know how to set the indicators for each learning objectives. And about the characteristics, Japanese students were more appreciative and polite to the teacher but at the same time have these kind of individual characteristics. So that's why I want to improve the collaboration and collaboration among students in Japan. I chose cooperative learning as my learning model.

What do you think are the benefits of participating in the SEA-Teacher program in Japan for students? This program is absolutely beneficial for those who want to learn "the art of teaching" and multicultural diversity as well. This program also helps students to improve their multiple intelligences, such as linguistic, emotional, social, etc. This program also teaches students how to be a good global citizen in this globalization and digital era.

What did you learn from the teachers / officers? (UTSS, UT) I learned a lot of things. I learned about educational systems, teaching methods, teaching strategies, educational psychology, how to manage classrooms, how to manage schools, how to create the best atmosphere for study, etc. And beyond my expectations, I also learned about Japanese history and the history of lesson study from Prof. Isoda. Lesson study is a very famous thing in my major. We even have a specific research group about it.

What improvements would you suggest (e.g., regarding dormitories, facilities, program details, etc.) to make your participation more comfortable and effective? I wish that we would have more teaching practice hours. I just have about 10 hours of teaching practice meanwhile SEA-Teachers in other countries have about 20 hours of teaching practice. I understand that it must be because of this program is the pilot project and the timing is too close to the end of the school term.

Overall, it is truly an honor to be in this program. I hope my feedback can improve many aspects in the next program. Thank you so much for the opportunity!