Photo illustration: Novita Eka Syaputri
This article is part of the Teacher's Note series on teaching experience as a beginning teacher.
For me, working as a teacher is both fun and challenging.
I am a Grade 3 teacher at a public primary school in Surabaya. I teach from 9:30 in the morning to 4:35 in the afternoon.
I used to think that a teacher’s job was only giving instructions. However, after being a teacher myself, I realised that a teacher has to do so many tasks.
Every day I have to prepare lesson plans, syllabus, and daily tests; make corrections on students' work; and put their scores in report cards. Corrections take a long time because I have quite a large number of students, 37 of them.
As a beginning teacher, I think teachers need to put their hearts into their work because they are dealing with intelligent children. Every day I teach manners and science to the children. It is not always easy and needs patience.
I am also involved in every activity held by the school, whether it is lesson-related or otherwise. For example, I participated in the new student admission programme, Independence Day celebration, animal sacrifice at the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice celebration, and other activities.
That's the life of a teacher. It looks easy, but it comes with a myriad of tasks.
Nevertheless, I think this profession is fun because I am always surrounded by children with different characters and personalities. I also find this job challenging because I have to give instructions, direct, and guide students to understand the lesson and become decent human beings in society.
*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.
