Thinking about Teaching and Learning

It has been a busy week. Our Language Center (LKP MLC) has rolled on to our last Learning quarter of 2014. Busy day's for everyone! As I mentioned in the previous blog entry, I am taking on KIDS class with the additional 2 BASIC Classes. I have already updated our Basic Curriculum but KIDS class is totally new for me. It was kinda scary actually.... I don't think I tune-in well with KIDS. However, I have enjoyed preparing all the bits and pieces of lesson planning and prepping. A bit too much maybe. So far I have taught 1 meeting for each class and they (the Kids) are alright... Looking forward to energized myself and thus will energized them.


We were also busy refurbished our front living room to be our 3rd classroom. We are blessed with so many enrollment.Plus, the application of Indonesia's 2013 Curriculum in schools has made students unable to attend 3PM classes. This is due to the fact that under the new National Curriculum, Students finish classes at 2 - 2.30 PM and it takes them about 1 hour to get home and another hour to come to the Language center for their classes. Thus, we now have 3 simultaneous classes at 6 PM.

On a different note, our Little Girl Tania is turning 4 next month. Simon and I debated a bit about whether we should send Tania to playgroup or not. Simon firmly believes that Tania should enjoy her childhood and not to bother with increasingly demanding 'formal school' routines. I am totally with him on that. However, as Tania's Bahasa Indonesia has not developed beyond simple survival level, I think going to preschool will helped her language acquisition and social skills. For such your age, I believe Tania will benefit the language immersion approach AND she gets to make friends.

However, we finally reach an agreement that Tania will officially enroll next year and she will attend our formal playgroup (we also run a playgroup and pre-kindergarten education center in the village of Waai), whenever she wanted to. Her Aunts, who is the headmaster, said she will provide Tania with uniform too as to make her feel as part of the school and helping her transition phase. I'll say that Tania is a very blessed girl. Not all kids is fortunate of these practices.

Then it dawned to me as I am preparing teaching materials for my KIDS class... I should start Homeschooling Tania. I mean, Simon and I have used the approach of learning and teaching through playing, doing and discussion with her. She already loved books and creative activities such as coloring cutting etc (just as kids her age should). She loves keeping me company while I prepared my lesson plan and materials. She will draw pictures, makes cards, color, gluing etc. I let her have fun with the bits of paper and what ever I am working on.

little fairy princess making googly eyes from perforated papers

But I think, we should be more structured. Tania is a bit more advanced than the KIDS class students of MLC. They are all elementary school. and the materials I am aiming is for learning English. As for Tania, I need to help her learn basic skill: reading, counting etc and all the practical skills. Thus, This morning I have begun to plan homeschool plan for Tania. God's willing this will help her and helped me too. -- Tune in for my next entry on Tania's Homeschooling - If ever the plan materialized :-))