From Here to There: My Exchange Journey

This student teacher exchange program became one of the most meaningful experiences in my journey as a future educator. At first, I thought it would only teach me about classroom management and teaching strategies, but it gave me something much deeper than that. It taught me how to adapt, connect with people, and grow outside of my comfort zone. One of the things I will always remember is the kindness of the people I met throughout the program. From Ma’am Leslie and Sir Clem, who became like my second parents, to our mentors, cooperating teachers, buddies, guards, and even Tatay Edi who safely brought us everywhere, we were surrounded by people who made us feel welcomed and cared for. Being far from home became easier because of them. This experience also made me appreciate my family even more. Even from a distance, their love and support stayed with me every day and became one of my biggest motivations to keep doing my best. My message to future student teachers is to never be afraid ...

 My second demonstration day was with Grade 9 students, and honestly I was still very nervous even though it was already my second demo teaching. That day, I taught about formulating predictions based on viewed material. Before entering the classroom, I kept thinking about many things because Ma’am Leslie and Sir Jay Son were observing my teaching again. At the beginning of the lesson, I was still nervous and a little tense. But after starting the discussion with the students, I slowly became calmer and more comfortable while teaching. The Grade 9 students were calm but still energetic at the same time. They were not too noisy, but they actively answered questions, participated in discussions, and paid attention during the lesson. When I explained the material, the students listened really well and paid attention to the explanations. They also responded when I asked questions, so the discussion felt smooth and interactive. During the abstraction part, I showed them a video related ...

  My demonstration day with Grade 8 was really fun, but honestly I was super nervous at first. That day, I taught direct and reported speech. Before entering the classroom, I kept thinking about many things because Ma’am Leslie and Sir Isaiah were observing my teaching. I was scared of making mistakes or forgetting my explanation in front of the class. At the beginning of the lesson, I was still nervous while explaining the material. But after a while, I started feeling more relaxed because the students were very active and responsive. I feel relieved when i saw students are smiling and nodding their head.  The Grade 8 students were really talkative and energetic. They kept answering questions, reacting to examples, and talking during discussions. Sometimes the classroom became noisy because everyone wanted to participate at the same time. For the activity, I divided the students into groups and used peer-collaborative assessment. Group 1 had to change direct speech into repor...

  We had a trip around Ormoc City with Ma’am Violeta, Sir Isaiah, Ma’am Mair, and Sir Joseph, and honestly the whole day was really fun. The day started with meeting the Vice Mayor of Ormoc. At first, everyone was trying to act calm because it felt formal, but after a while the atmosphere became more relaxed. We listened to explanations, introduced ourselves, and took pictures together after the meeting. After that, we continued the city tour around Ormoc. While going around the city, everyone inside the vehicle was already busy talking, joking around, taking random pictures, and reacting to things we saw outside. Then we went to Alto Peak to eat together. The place was really nice, so before eating everyone immediately took pictures first. During lunch, the owner of the restaurant told us about Philippines History. They have a lot of books and historical things. After eating at Alto Peak, we visited the mobile library, and honestly this was the best part of the whole trip. The mom...

 After the observation session, we had lunch together with Ma’am Leslie, Sir Clem, Team Thailand, and Team Indonesia. The lunch was really fun because everyone was already more comfortable with each other, so the conversations became more random and noisy. We cooked Soto Lamongan and Martabak Mie together. The cooking process was honestly chaotic because some people were seriously cooking while others were just talking, joking around, and tasting the food before it was even finished. Then Sir Ivan brought halang-halang, and Ma'am Nikki brought spicy chicken, so suddenly there was a lot of food on the table. Everyone immediately got excited, especially when the food started running out quickly because people kept taking more. While eating, we talked about our observation experience, funny moments in class, cultural differences, and random things that somehow became really funny. Sometimes the whole table laughed because of one random joke. The spicy chicken from Nikki also became on...

Our first day of observation was honestly really fun and interesting. At first, I thought the classes would be quiet because we were only observing. But the moment we entered the classroom, I immediately realized that Class 8 and Class 9 students were very energetic and participative. The students were not shy at all. They answered questions confidently, reacted to the teacher’s explanations, and actively joined the discussions. Some students were also very funny and kept making the class atmosphere lively. What surprised me the most was how interactive the classes were. The students were not just sitting quietly and listening, they were really involved in the lesson. Even simple questions could turn into fun discussions because everyone wanted to participate. Sometimes the class became a little noisy because the students were too excited, but honestly, that made the classroom feel more alive and enjoyable. During the observation, I also paid attention to how the teacher handled the cl...

Deployment day finally came, and honestly, I did not know whether I was more excited or nervous. That morning felt different. Everything that we had prepared for suddenly became real. No more “soon.” No more “later.” This was the day we officially stepped into a new environment. Luckily, we were picked up by our buddies from Team Indonesia, and they instantly made the atmosphere feel lighter. The car ride was full of random conversations, laughter, and little jokes that helped calm our nervousness. It felt comforting to know that we were not alone in this experience. When we arrived at Laboratory High School, I quietly looked around and thought, So this is where our journey begins.  Not long after, we met Sir Isaiah and Sir Jay Son for the class distribution. That moment made my heart beat a little faster. Everyone listened carefully while waiting for their assigned classes, trying to stay calm while secretly feeling nervous inside. That day, we mainly met our cooperating teachers....