Blog June 13, 2013
When I arrived T e school on Thursday morning, I entered through a gate that reminded me of a hacienda in Mexico. There was a large sign over the entrance with the school name, Negeri 2. Negeri means public school. The building was shaped as a U with cars neatly parked I a row in the center of the entrance. The building has two levels. However, my eyes quickly darted to a window that contained 20-30 trophies in the window. This was certainly the signal that I was at high performing school. I guess this is an A school as described to me in my lecture on Indonesian schools in Jakarta. there were stone staircases to access the school premises. Upon arrival with Anni my host, I was ushered upstairs to the principal's office, where I entered a room with a round circular table. A small man with a wide smile greeted me in English. He was the principal. Following the introduction, several other teachers and the assistant principal filed into the room to greet me. They were beautifully dressed in Muslim headdresses and matching apparel. After introductions, I attended a teacher workshop. In this workshop, the principal and his staffed shared the national results for the 12th graders. It was very similar to the meetings we have in the states. Teachers were seated at individual wooden tables shuffling through papers, attentive to their phones, (I am unsure if they were texting), and some were on their Vasio laptops. I felt like it was an admin meeting you might attend in an American school.
How interesting to see teachers in another country behave the same way we do in our meetings. Teachers multitask here as well!!
During the meeting, the principal shared the results of the national exam at the school
In math 50 percent scored 75 which is the passing grade. In all the exams, the principal believed they scored lower because the exams now have different versions,meaning students cannot help each other according to the principal. However, one student scored a perfect 100 on an exam in English.
219 out of 285 of the students were accepted in the government university. Students who are not accepted can take the written test. If they are not accepted through the written test, then they can apply to a private university.
Following the meeting, I did a presentation on American Schools. The teachers were enthusistic especially when I got to the pages that showed photos, and the section that introduced my family. When I showed the picutre of my mother they all said AHHHHHHHH. Later I learned why. Family is everything to Indonesians.
When I arrived T e school on Thursday morning, I entered through a gate that reminded me of a hacienda in Mexico. There was a large sign over the entrance with the school name, Negeri 2. Negeri means public school. The building was shaped as a U with cars neatly parked I a row in the center of the entrance. The building has two levels. However, my eyes quickly darted to a window that contained 20-30 trophies in the window. This was certainly the signal that I was at high performing school. I guess this is an A school as described to me in my lecture on Indonesian schools in Jakarta. there were stone staircases to access the school premises. Upon arrival with Anni my host, I was ushered upstairs to the principal's office, where I entered a room with a round circular table. A small man with a wide smile greeted me in English. He was the principal. Following the introduction, several other teachers and the assistant principal filed into the room to greet me. They were beautifully dressed in Muslim headdresses and matching apparel. After introductions, I attended a teacher workshop. In this workshop, the principal and his staffed shared the national results for the 12th graders. It was very similar to the meetings we have in the states. Teachers were seated at individual wooden tables shuffling through papers, attentive to their phones, (I am unsure if they were texting), and some were on their Vasio laptops. I felt like it was an admin meeting you might attend in an American school.
How interesting to see teachers in another country behave the same way we do in our meetings. Teachers multitask here as well!!
During the meeting, the principal shared the results of the national exam at the school
In math 50 percent scored 75 which is the passing grade. In all the exams, the principal believed they scored lower because the exams now have different versions,meaning students cannot help each other according to the principal. However, one student scored a perfect 100 on an exam in English.
219 out of 285 of the students were accepted in the government university. Students who are not accepted can take the written test. If they are not accepted through the written test, then they can apply to a private university.
Following the meeting, I did a presentation on American Schools. The teachers were enthusistic especially when I got to the pages that showed photos, and the section that introduced my family. When I showed the picutre of my mother they all said AHHHHHHHH. Later I learned why. Family is everything to Indonesians.