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INTRODUCTION
This is a journal of my School-Based Experince on the 16th to 20th August 2009 at
Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Sawa, Terengganu. I have chosen the school because I heard the
education system in Terengganu is very good and it makes me feel interested to see how the
system works.
Following that, I need to complete the given assignment from the lecturer throughout my
School-Based Experience. I have to work closely with my coordinating teacher and look for the
types of communicative activities used by the teacher, analyse teacher‟s instructional language
and questioning techniques. Also, I have to compare teacher‟s and learner‟s roles and identify
effective classroom management. Lastly, I have to collect samples of remedial and enrichment
activities and write journals based on the observations.
All of the reports are based on my experiences at the school through observations,
interviews, references and discussion with all the school‟s members. I hope this journal could
helps me in order to be a good-quality teacher one day.
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DAY 1 : Observing English Language Class
Date : 16th August 2009
Day : Sunday
I have sought permission from an English Language teacher and I was allowed to observe
standard three students in 3 Bestari class. It is the best standard 3 class among the four classes in
the school.
It was an hour period lesson and I looked at the types of communicative activities used by
the teacher in the classroom and teacher‟s instructional language and questioning techniques. I
sat at the back of the classroom so that I could see the teaching and learning process clearly.
Also, I took some pictures and interviewed the teacher for the records what I have observed.
The lesson started at 11 am with the topic „Plants‟. Teacher started the induction set with
questions and answers session. She asked the students about plants and their experiences with it.
Students‟ responses were really good and they love to share their own stories with the class.
Then, she showed a picture of a chili plant and described clearly about it. She told about the
structure of the plant, the colour, the habitat and the use of it.
After that, teacher divided students into five groups and asked them to draw and labeled
the chili plant on the mahjong paper given with the group members. Teacher gave students 15
minutes to complete the task. Then, a representative of each group presented the task and
explained about their drawings and share with the class members.
Later, teacher distributed exercise paper about plants to each student and they were
encouraged to complete the exercise with their peer. They were allowed to discuss in pair or in
groups. After they have done the exercise, teacher discussed the answer with the whole class and
let the volunteers to answer each and every question. Finally, the class dismissed after a short
closure.
On the whole, I could see that the teacher used many types of communicative activities.
In example, questions and answers session, group work and pair discussion. The students
engaged actively in all the activities and they seem like to enjoy the lesson. In addition, the
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teacher‟s instructional language was very simple and easy to understand. Teacher used simple
English words and tried her best to used very limited Bahasa Melayu words. She only used
Bahasa Melayu words to translate some complex English words. The teacher used the simplest
way of questioning techniques. She asked the questions that the answers were very familiar with
the students. It is because she wants students‟ responses as many as they could and to
encouraged them to involve in the communication.
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DAY 2 : Observing for teacher’s and learner’s roles
Date : 17th August 2009
Day : Monday
On the second day, I get permission to observed standard 4 Cerdas. At this time, I looked
for teacher‟s and learner‟s roles through teaching and learning process. I have interviewed the
teacher and recorded the data‟s through lesson observation form and captured pictures.
During the observation, I noticed that the teacher used two teaching strategies in her
lesson which is teacher-oriented and learner-centered strategy. Teacher-oriented strategy was
shown at the introduction session of the lesson, teacher referred English text book and started to
teach the topic entitled „Sports‟. Teacher read the comprehension dialogue and explained to the
students. At this time, teacher is a controller and performer while the student is the listener or
audience. Also, there was only one way of communication during this time.
Learner-centered strategy was proven when lesson activities started. During the activities
session, teacher asked the student to get in a group and read the dialogue. Then, they have to
choose a representative for their group to make a role-play based on the dialogue. At this time,
teacher‟s role was as an observer and a facilitator who observes and helps students during the
role-play. On the other hand, students‟ role was as a performer, presenter and controller. They
performed actions as in the dialogue; they presented their acting creativity and controlled the
situation. At this time, there was two ways of communication process because teacher also
helped students in the role-play.
As a result of my observation, both the teacher and the learners‟ roles were important
during the teaching and learning process. This is because both sides have to play their own role
effectively so that both sides could achieve their goal. In this class situation, the teaching and
learning process take place effectively because I could see the students were enjoyed doing all
the activities and the teacher said she reached her learning outcomes that day.
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DAY 3 : Observing Classroom Management
Date : 18th August 2009
Day : Tuesday
The third day observation was to find out how a teacher manages her classroom for
learning and the different teaching styles. On the day, I get the opportunities to observe standard
5 Pintar.
Before the class begun, all the students were line up outside the classroom because the
class was at 7.45 am which was after the school bell rang. After they have done their prayer, they
entered the classroom, cleaned up the class and sat at their own places. Then, teacher entered the
classroom and prepared for the lesson. Suddenly, there was a sound of a phone ringing, “ring
ring”. The entire student looked for the sound and then teacher asked what the sound was.
Actually the topic of the lesson of the day was „Getting Connected‟ and that was how the teacher
gained the pupil‟s attention. Then, teacher explained and gave an overview about the topic.
After that, teacher asked students to take out their „E-Book‟ or an electronic book and
searched for the topic. Students followed the instruction and read the comprehension dialogue on
the topic. Then, teacher read the dialogue and the whole students imitated her. Later, teacher
called some volunteers to act a role-play in front of the class. One boy and one girl volunteered
themselves to be in the play. The lesson continued with a group discussion about the topic.
Teacher divided students into four groups and they had to discuss with the group members about
the advantages and disadvantages of telephone. Students were allowed to move around the class
and chose their own working area. They could sat at the back of the classroom, had their group
circle or any kind of discussion style they had preferred. They used their E-book to access the
resources and teacher moved around the class to observe and monitored the discussion progress.
Also, teacher helped and support students who were weak and work slowly than the others. She
explained clearly to them about what they have to do and get the peers who are work more
quickly to help the weak ones. Not only that, teacher told the students to raised up their hand if
there was any inquiries and came over to the teacher to get the explanation.
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After the discussion time, teacher asked the group representative to present their group
work in front of the class. After all the group had presented their task, teacher asked all the
student to sat at their own places and kept all the apparatus or materials like the e-book, mahjong
paper and marker pens. Then, teacher let the monitor collected all the group‟s tasks and asked
them to put it on the class wall. Later, teacher had a short closure by giving a feedback about
their group work and gave reward to the best group presentation. Lesson ended with a reminder
from the teacher to students to complete their E-book exercise and students lined up outside the
class to go to the computer lab for the next lesson.
Based on my observation, the teacher was able to manage the inappropriate behavior. It
had shown when some of the students were talking during the lesson. Teacher called the
students‟ name and asked them what they were talking about. They automatically stopped talking
and focus at the lesson. Also, the teacher gave a compliment and a reward (sticker) to students
who showed a good behavior during the class. That was the way of the teacher to encourage
positive behavior in the classroom.
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DAY 4 : Techniques in Teaching Language Skills
Date : 19th August 2009
Day : Wednesday
On the fourth day of my School-Based Experience, I get the chance to observe Puan Baki
Setia English lesson. The purpose of the observation was to see her techniques in teaching
language skills.
As a result of the observation, I noticed that she is a good quality teacher. The way she
brought herself to class was very confident and organized. Her voice projection was very loud
and clear and that was made her looked very sure in her presentation. Also, she kept an eye
contact with all her students to make sure they were focused and listened to the lesson.
In addition, she asked question frequently and used facial expression and body
movements while teaching. In the other hand, she looked very assertive and care about the
students‟ needs. She marked any student who looked confused and not understand what had she
taught and repeated again until the student understood. Not only that, her production stages
looked systematic because she stood in front of the class, at the center where every student could
saw her. Sometimes, she moved around the class to monitor the students at the back. Also, her
presentation time was organized very well and she could control all her students in a time.
The topic of the lesson was „Animal and Us‟ and the students were learning about „Pet‟.
Puan Baki Setia integrated all the four language skills which were listening, speaking, reading
and writing in her lesson. She started the lesson with reading skill where all of the students read
the comprehension text in their E-book. Then, she used a radio and let the students hear to a
dialogue and animals sounds. She asked the students about the dialogue and sounds they heard
and let the students to guess what the sound was. Later, she got back to the comprehension
dialogue and called three students to read out loud the dialogue. After that, she discussed about
the comprehension dialogue with the students and explained to them what all was about. The
lesson continued with writing activity where student had to write a short essay about their
favourite pet.
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In addition, grammar and vocabulary also integrated in her lesson. She requested the
students brought a dictionary every time during English lesson. That was because she wanted her
students to learn grammar and vocabulary on their own. They were encouraged to search in the
dictionary for the word that they do not understand.
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DAY 5 : Types of Remedial and Enrichment Activities
Date : 20th August 2009
Day : Thursday
I have collected the samples of remedial and enrichment worksheets from the teacher I
have observed. The remedial and enrichments materials are for standard 5 students. I have
compared and contrast both worksheets.
COMPARISON
i. Both worksheets are based on students‟ ability. Enrichment worksheet is for students
who learn quickly and remedial worksheet is for students who are slower than others.
ii. Both worksheets are based on mastery-learning where the students have to master every
level from bottom to reach the top level.
iii. The reasons to complete the worksheets are to identify students‟ ability, level of
understanding, their strengths and weaknesses.
iv. Teacher could use the worksheets as a testimony of students‟ records of achievements or
failure, other than examination papers.
v. The worksheets are based on English syllabus and both are created by the teacher.
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CONTRAST
Enrichment Remedial
i. Set for the high-flyer i. Set for the weak achiever
ii. The task is difficult and challenging ii. The task is easy and straightforward
iii. Helps to polish students‟ strengths iii. Helps to enhance students‟ weaknesses
iv. Difficulty level of task increase when iv. The exercise repeats until students
student mastered a level master the topic/level.
v. To encourage students to be more v. To teach strategies for coping with
interested in learning. future difficulties.
vi. Enhance a student‟s education by vi. To close the gap between the students
bringing new concepts to light or using in the class.
old concepts in new ways.
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REFLECTION
Five days of School-Based Experience in Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Sawa, Terengganu
have given me a lot of information, experiences, knowledge, skills, and have changed my
impression towards many things such as students‟ ability, teacher‟s credibility, schools‟
environment and school‟s facilities.
I felt very happy and thankful because I have given the chance to observe and learnt
many things from the observations. I learned many things through the observation and interviews
on the first day. As a teacher, I have to know how to create the activities for my students.
Teacher should know the abilities of his/her students because not all of them have the same
abilities. Some of the students are weak and some are excellent. Also, teacher should know how
to make student involve actively in the teaching and learning process so that the teaching and
learning goals could be achieve.
On the second day, I could see the relationship or repo between the teacher and her
students. She tried her best to make the students engaged actively in the teaching and learning
process. Teacher‟s role was as a coordinator, instructor, and sometimes as a friend to the
students. On the other hand, learner‟s role was as a listener, an audience, a performer and
sometimes as a „teacher‟ to the others. I have learnt that as a teacher, I should know how to play
my role in the class. I have to create the activities creatively so that both sides (teacher and
student) could play their role actively in class.
The third day of observation of standard 5 Pintar has changed a bit of my impression
towards school‟s kids. My assumption was standard 5 students could behave themselves
appropriately in class because they were big enough. Actually, it was wrong because it was not
easy to control them! I learnt many things about classroom management from the teacher that
day. When the teacher walked in to the class, automatically the class were soundless and
everyone seem like were ready for the lesson. I have asked the teacher how she copes with the
students, and she said that as a teacher we should be assertive and be strict to the students in the
right way. Not only that, I have noticed that the way of the teacher „keep in touch‟ with the
students during the lesson were very good. She kept an eye-contact with the entire students in the
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class and always interacts actively with them. Also, she used a reward technique in avoiding
potential behavior problem.
My observation continued until the fourth day where I have to look for teacher‟s
techniques in teaching language skills. Puan Baki Setia credibility is very good and high-quality.
I have learnt many things from her teaching and learning techniques. The way she presented her
lesson in the class was very organized and systematic. She looked very confident with herself.
Also, her voice projection, body language and facial expression were excellent and interesting.
So, as a teacher, I should follow her style of presentation so that my lesson could be interesting
and motivating.
As a result of my School-Based Experience, I was very surprised when the first time I
knew that each student in standard five could have their own „E-book‟ or an electronic book.
They were using the E-book in their lesson without using a text book. The E-book was given by
The Ministry of State Education Terengganu to all the standard five students in Terengganu
started this year. The best part was it is free! How lucky they are. I felt very thankful and excited
during the five days in Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Sawa because I have given the chance to learn
many things from head to toe. I hope I could apply all the experiences, knowledge and skills I
have learnt throughout the School-Based Experience later, when I have become a real graduated
teacher.
