Self-Reflection on Learning Experiences during Practice

Teaching
Me as a student teacher
I realized it is completely a different world to become a student teacher
compared to being a typical student. This is where you get yourself involved
in the gray area of teaching. Yes you are considered as a teacher because
you are under the practicum program but at the same time, still a student
who has a lot more to improve and polish in the field of teaching.
I changed myself at how I handle things especially those in class. I have to
be rational and fair in handling classroom situations which are new to me.
These are classroom situations which we do not find in demo teaching. In
demo teaching we have people who act as students but in the real
classroom, the real students are different. I had to prepare myself to face
these kind of situations. In demo teaching, our acting students follow
everything we tell them to do. Our acting students are not noisy, they do
not stand up and roam around. In the real classroom it is the opposite.
I realized I became more organized in preparing the tasks that I need to do. If
needed, I worked ahead of time. I had to make sure that everytime I come to
class I am prepared with everything, anything that the critic teacher might
comment about me and the students might ask me. I figured there was no
room for unpreparedness. Being a teacher where your students rely on you
and trust you, you have to be a role model for them.
I became more confident both mentally and physically. A teacher needs to
look presentable at all times; as it is part of our profession. We have to look
confident in every way we speak, in the way we walk, the way we answer
and give lecture.
I experienced changes within myself not only with how I deal matters in
school but also outside the school. I realized I cannot be like before. When we

were younger I and my friends would sometimes go out for a drink but
nowadays, I really hesitate in doing so because as a teacher we have a
professional code of ethics to follow.
I also knew how important it is to be humble and open-minded to the
remarks of my critic teacher, as they are all constructive criticism which will
help me as I go along.
Inside the Classroom
Indeed, the experience in demo teaching is much different from the real
classroom. What I have observed in demo teaching activities before is that,
the teacher demonstrator is very well-prepared with activities and
icebreakers to keep the class active the whole time. The acting students are
also very obedient. In the real classroom however, the student teacher may
or may not be at all times prepared with full of icebreakers, games, or
activities. The motivation part may be, but for the rest of the lesson to be
done in several sessions it can be hard for the student teacher to keep up
with the interest of the learners.
In my case, I usually start my class with a prayer, and get the students to
settle down. This part takes a while, since some students are still busy
roaming around while some go out to get the books in their lockers, while
some are still busy having a chitchat with their friends. Afterwards, I would
have to keep the classroom clean, ask them to pick up pieces of paper,
arrange their chairs, and keep their phones. Easier said than done. While
some may be obedient, some students still require a bit more
encouragement than others, and perhaps, more patience as well.
When I give my lecture, I really dont like sitting down. If a teacher is
physically healthy, I would prefer a teacher to stand up and walk around the
class while teaching. I personally dislike those that sit at their desks the
entire period. Whenever I talk, I stand in front at first, and during further

explanation I roam around to make the students feel my presence not only
as a provider of information, but also a facilitator. It is just like the principle of
learning, we dont present the world in front of the students - we walk with
them.
During activities, I make myself approachable by telling my students to feel
free to ask me if they have questions, and I visit each group one at a time to
check on their work and ask if everything is going well. I loved working side
by side with the students. It gives a deeper connection with them in the
learning process.
I also loved teaching them more than what could be found in the book; like
bringing something new to something already familiar to them. They get
interested in those kind of things.
When I know that my students answer is incorrect, I usually dont tell them
at once it is wrong. I paraphrase and expand the idea that will lead them to
the right answer. I like letting my students tread the path in finding the
correct answer. Or, if they cannot provide any answer at all, I ask somebody
to help them instead.
I have felt that, and heard directly from my students, that they have begun
to like me as their student teacher. They would always greet me and talk to
me and help me whenever I ask them to do so. I even shared my Facebook
account with them, and some, my League of Legends account. I realized that
a teacher must really know how to cope and utilize the latest trends to grasp
the interest of his or her students.
There were also times when I scolded my students for being too noisy, not
paying attention, or roaming around. I realized that when we discipline our
students, we need to be firm. We dont need to nag but we need to be firm
and consistent. I am thankful that I have a very long patience when it comes

to this, probably this is what I gained from my 5 years of working as an

online English trainer where patience is a must.
As all of these are happening inside the classroom, my critic teacher would
be sitting at the back, scribbling fiercely (just kidding) on my Learning Plan.
And while I am lecturing in front, I am thinking, what must she writing about?
What could be wrong this time? I dont know, Im just doing my best now.
Best to see her afterwards for feedback.
Honestly, I really did not feel that much fear towards my critic teacher
compared to how I anticipated I would feel before the start of our practice
teaching. She was very approachable and she did not give us too much
pressure, although she required us to be always prepared, which I always
was, and is of course definitely a must for every teacher. She was also very
objective in providing feedback. She laid down our strong and weak points to
us reasonably.
I believe that I have been successful as a student teacher inside the
classroom, and I have facilitated my students effectively in learning English. I
hope to be a better one when I go to the off-campus practice teaching phase.

Me as a Co-student Teacher
Before we started our practice teaching, everyone was nervous. Even though
we have had enough experiences on demo teaching, we knew practice
teaching was different. We all shared the same sentiments. What if our
student asks us something we dont know? What if our critic teacher scolds
us because we are not good enough? What if my preparation is lacking?
What if I get mental block while discussing in front?

These sentiments became common among us and because of practice

teaching I was able to share a bond of friendship with the other student
teachers to whom I shared my everyday experiences with.
Among the English major group under Maam Alcantara, we kind of agreed to
help each other during this phase. However, I knew deep inside that we will
still go our own ways and work individually and depend on ourselves solely in
the long run. I thought, this is practice teaching, yes we will want to help
each other, but we will also have to help ourselves first to become enough.
So we did work independently from then on, although there were some
student teachers who asked for help about what activities to give to their
class, or what materials to make for their topic. Others even copied other
student teachers work, mine included. It was not a big deal, I was glad to
share what I can help them with, but I also reminded them the importance of
being able to prepare with ones own work.
And then yes, because of this independent work among us there was a
minimal feeling of competition within. Well, I think it is just healthy
competition, which is good because it is challenging, and maybe because
this batch is also a competitive one. Everyone wants to be good, then better,
then best.
As for myself, I am in no competition with anybody, I am only in competition
with myself. For it is myself who will determine who I will become, not my costudent teacher, not my critic teacher. I always compare myself to how I did
before, how I did now, and how I shall be as time goes by. There is no
becoming best or perfect, we just get better and better as time goes by.