Chapter 5 – Summary and Suggestions
1.Purpose of practicum
In Sea Teacher Project i have a great chance to practice. There are various purposes through the practicum in this wonderful project. It follows below:
+ To enable the student teachers to develop their teaching skills and pedagogy.
+ To encourage the student teachers to practice their English skills.
+ To allow the student teachers to gain a broader regional and world view.
+ To expose future teachers to diverse teaching and learning situations and opportunities, and the value of flexibility.
In my opinion, i think i meet all of purposes through my practicum in The Demonstration school of VRU (DS.VRU).
I also have some main purpose which i have to attend for my self:
+ Have more understanding about Thai education to experience about advanced education.
+ Make lesson plan in English and teach this lesson plan by English.
+ Improve my teaching skills and pedagogy by my mentor reflection.
+ Improve my English skills in my major and communication.
+ Exchange cultural.
2.Procedures of practicum
The procedures from Sea Teacher project
1st Stage: Orientation and class observation
2nd Stage: Teaching assistant
3rd Stage: Teaching in classroom
4th Stage: Reflection and lesson learned
In VRU and VRU i have a procedures of practicum which is follow the procedures of Sea Teacher project. But it have a bit different for flexible in school:
VRU:
+ VRU Orientation Day ( Meeting President, Dean of Faculty of Education, Mentor, and all of buddies)
+ Field trip
+ Farewell Party and Cultural Exchange
DS.VRU:
+ get my personal schedule
+ Meet my co – operating teacher
+ Observation
+ Prepare lesson plan
+ Practice teaching
+ Reflection from mentor and co – operating teacher
+ Sumary
3.Outcomes of Practicum
At the end of practicum in Sea Teacher project, Exchange students must to:
+ Develop teaching skill and pedagogy.
+ Improve English skills.
+ broaden their broader regional and world view.
+ Solve teaching and learning situations by themselves.
+ Learn more about advanced education.
4.The challenges of practicum
In Sea Teacher project we have a chance to teaching in English. During my practicum in DS.VRU I realize some challenges for me which I have to try my best to pass these challenges:
Language
The first challenge in my practicum is language because we who come from different country use different language.
+ My student can speak English fluently.
+ It is really hard to explain knowledge in English because it is not my mother language.
+ There is a lot new specialized vocabulary in my lesson.
+ My English skills are not good.
Although there are some problems in language, I improve it during my practicum:
+ I try to speak loudly and slowly.
+ I design activities in my lesson so that my student can be easy to understand knowledge.
+ I try to study new specialized vocabulary when I make lesson plan.
+ I practice and learn English everytime.
Cultural differences
One of challenges in my practicum is cultural differences
I don’t know something which I should do and don’t for polite in Thailand
It is really lucky when I get Sea Teacher handbook from VRU. There are various useful information for exchange students in this book such as: VRU map, VRU mentors and buddies, School host information, Local transportation. Last but not least, I see the content which is “Do and Don’t” in this book. I read carefully everything in this content.
5.Overall impression
My impression in Sea Teacher project is that I have great chance to join in international working environment which give me a ton of experiences.
Sea Teacher project create my effort.
Everyday I meet and work with everyone who comes from Indonesia and Thailand, they work really hard and they are talented people. Therefore I learn more about them and I always make effort to adapt with my work in this project to complete myself.
Sea Teacher project give me chance to develop my English skills
In VRU Demonstration school I communicate with everyone by English. Although my English skill is not good, I try my best to learn more to communicate with everyone. In my opinion, My English skill is improve. It is simply because I do everything in English in Thailand such as Communication, making my lesson plan in English and Teaching in English.
The best place to exchange culture is Sea Teacher project
we who come from different country in the word. Therefore when we meet together in Thailand, we have a lot cultural stories to say together. We say about currency, custom, dishes, economic, education etc. that is lesson about culture which is forever keep in my mind.
Sea Teacher create international teacher
I have new experiences in my major which is Biology Education. I have a great chance to learn more about Thai education. I learn the way to prepare a lesson plan in English, I have a great opportunity to teach in English, I get comments about my practice from my mentor. All of it makes me better day by day to become an international teacher who can able to teach in English.
6.Suggestions for future improvement
– After i joined batch 8 of Sea Teacher Project, i hope that this wonderful project can more develop to all of nation in The southeast of Asia.
– The project should have some shorter batches about 2 weeks. There are some universities which students can not joined over 2 weeks because the rules of their school which don’t allowed student to be absent over two weeks.
Sea Teacher project is perfect to me
Le Hoang Thuc 