Photo illustration: Tony Liong
This article is part of the Teacher's Note series on beginning teacher's greatest challenge in teaching.
Most beginning teachers are generally overburdened with tasks. I currently work as a primary school teacher, and I also feel overburdened.
Being a beginning teacher, I feel that the challenges of educating children in this digital age are innumerable and tough.
Teachers are expected be savvy in adapting to the school environment, creative and innovative in providing instruction, able to recognise their students’ skills, and most importantly, able to help develop student’s characters.
Beginning teachers must also learn to control themselves and be able to adapt to developments in education. For example, in carrying out learning nowadays, I have to use electronic audio-visual devices at least once a week. In this era of advanced technology, I must make the best use of the technology available to support learning process.
In class, I apply student-centred learning model. I always engage students in a discussion so that they can explore materials they have learned and make inferences.
In my opinion, the toughest challenge of being a beginning teacher is not in providing instruction but rather in adjusting them to suit the needs of each student, while also guiding and developing their characters.
In class, I always put forward decency and responsibility for everything that we do, mutual respect and appreciation, and be courageous in learning. Every time a student wants to answer a question, they need to raise their hand first. They need to respect their friend's answer. The act of courage, for example, is shown by taking turns in leading the class.
*This Note was written by BR, a primary school teacher in East Java.
**All articles published in the Teachers' Notes are the views of the authors. They have been edited for popular writing purposes and do not represent the views of RISE Programme in Indonesia or RISE's funders.
