The First Milestone in Writing and Teaching (Part 7)

It had been almost a week since I started writing this series of The First Milestone in Writing and Teaching. I'm planning on making this part THE LAST PART. So, deep breath, get the fingers ready, get it all out, and finally, MOVE ON. That's what I'm hoping to do.

Here we go.

This series started from the very beginning of how did I get involve in English for Teachers program with PGRI. I told the whole chronological details and I tried to see everything from every aspect I could think about. I stated my defenses as firm as I could but I also threw the ball back as hard as I could.

If I try to sum up this whole experience into a phrase, it would be that NOTHING IS PERFECT.

Before I go on further, there's one more thing I haven't yet mentioned and I need to get it off my chest.

When we had the second meeting of EFT on December 2nd, the idea of how teacher must understand the students, know what their thinking and everything, it was all being brought up. I might be over-sensitive, I mean to most of you that was actually considered a general idea, wasn't it? The common term for that is STUDENTS CENTERED I believe. It honestly could be for anyone. It wasn't brought up to offend any particular individual at all. You are all teachers so the message could be perceived and implemented by any of you. But, I couldn't help that I felt like I was being guilt, again, added to the fact and IT WAS ALSO BEING BROUGHT UP by the end of the meeting.

There were a decreasing number of participants on 2nd meeting compared to 1st meeting. That is a fact. On 1st meeting we managed to get around 78 participants, meanwhile on the 2nd meeting it was around 58 participants. The team, advisor, and some participants stuck around and held an evaluation on the same zoom room right after the class was finished. It felt like another hit for me. They just simply correlated the decreasing number of participants as a result of lack in promotion AND the way the appointed speaker taught the material.

Upon that case, here's what I've got to say.

The idea of comparison

I believe before we compare anything, we should set some parameters first. We can never say one thing is better than the other without clear grounded strong parameters. After that we could explore both sides, be it subjectively or objectively. The comparison will come up later after we find all the data that we need. 

I'm going to give an example, a feasible example. The EFT teams could have prepared and discuss everything they needed before having the zoom meetings. So, it didn't just about discussing who would take this week meeting and who will be speaker for next meeting. But, a deeper discussion was needed to make sure that everyone on team was on the same page.

Make the parameters of each meeting, work on the materials together, do brainstorming, give each other suggestion, find all the data necessary, ensure that the upcoming meeting would be better prepared from all aspects, then finally do the analysis, have the meeting, and then the evaluation. If we do that, there wouldn't be any confusion. Not to mention, that every single thing would be done objectively for the sake of the learning itself, not about personal or individual preferences.

It could help in clearing out the air and making each member of team bounded with one another. Each member could get to know the other better. The working environment could be more conducive.

I get it though. Working together with other people is not easy, working together with other people you meet every day is not easy, then imagine working with other people REMOTELY with people you had never met before or even known before. That would be even more difficult.

I can’t speak for everyone else nor can I tell everyone what they’re supposed to do. I can only do those to myself. For me, I WILL SAVOR EVERY MOMENT. I’ll just take everything I can; the goods, the bad, and all in between; they are all LIFE LESSONS. Life lessons are invaluable and they stay with me for as long as I live. They make me grow and develop more. Finally, growing and developing are ways so that I CAN BE BETTER.

Wow! That's all. I'm finished with this series, well, for now. 

Thanks for those who have stumbled in my page and stuck around. 

PS: Please don't be a silent reader. Any of your comments will be highly appreciated. Thank you. 

💖Vina