So I'm going to brag a little bit for a minute.
On Friday of last week, I was informed that I had to take what's called the Ujian Kompetensi Guru. It's an Indonesian teacher competency exam. The test date was today (four days since Friday).
Over the weekend, I basically went through the five states of grief.
1. Denial. They aren't REALLY going to make us take an exam during finals week - the most stressful week of the year. They can't do that. If they are serious about this, I just won't show up. Not gonna happen.
2. Anger. WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME TAKE YOUR DUMB TEST DURING FINALS WEEK? I! AM! BUSY! THIS IS TOO STRESSFUL! And it is NOT FAIR to make teachers certified in other countries take your stupid Indonesian test! If you're going to force me to do this, then you should at least offer it in ENGLISH. Or give me more time to prepare! Or tell me what I should study!
3. Bargaining. If I score higher than the national average on this test, will your government certify me? Can I get a raise? Can I get a permanent visa?
4. Depression. Who am I kidding? I can't pass this test. The national average is only like 50%. I barely speak Indonesian. I know nothing. I hope I get dengue.
5. Acceptance. I guess if I HAVE to do it, I might as well do a good job at it.
I was busy Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, so I didn't really get a chance to study until Monday. I studied for EIGHT HOURS last night using any and all online materials I could find. I MADE FLASHCARDS. And in a matter of one day, I went from scoring 40% on practice tests to consistently scoring 70-90%. So I set a goal for myself. I wanted to score over 80%.
After all that hard work, I was scared I'd bomb the test. I was a bundle of nerves all day. After lunch, I headed to the test center with several other teachers and three translators (our one allowance) from my school. The test had two parts to it - pedagogy and subject matter. So my exam was a mix of pedagogical questions (which in many cases have totally OPPOSITE answers of what they would have on an American exam) and math questions. And it was entirely in Indonesian. I was not allowed to use a calculator, only scratch paper. And the room was super noisy as translators translated for my coworkers.
I finished the 2 hour test with only 5 seconds remaining on the clock. My score popped up on the screen. (Am I making this dramatic enough??)
46/60.
77%.
I fell just short of my goal. I was disappointed at first. Then a little horrified that on my school's grading scale, that is a D. I got a D in MY CAREER.
Then I realized a few things.
The actual national average for this year's test is 47%. Those are Indonesian trained college graduates who teach in the Indonesian school system. Scoring an average of 47%.
One of our translators told me his wife has been teaching in Indonesian schools for 33 years, and she only scored 62% on the exam.
The passing grade is 55%.
The highest score from our school (including Indonesian teachers) prior to today was 58%. And that record was held by an English teacher whose test was IN English.
The highest score from my province this year is 82.5%.
I know you're not supposed to compare yourself to other people, and I really hate it when my students do that. But man, that really changed my perspective. And now I'm pretty happy with my 77%. So I'm having nachos for dinner to celebrate! :)
15 December 2015
10 December 2015
Mornings with Mas Doni
Our school has a cleaning guy. His name is Doni. He cleans stuff.
I often run into him on my walk to work, because he's walking in the same direction. So we chat until we part ways.
I always have a tumbler of coffee in my hand. Today's conversation started out focused on that.
Him: How do you drink coffee so early in the morning? Doesn't it upset your stomach?
Me: Nope.
Him: Did you have breakfast yet?
Me: Nope.
Him: You're crazy. What kind do you like the most?
Me: Good Day. It's just coffee mix. So it's not too strong.
Him: Well, I don't.
Me: Huh?
Him: I don't.
Me: You don't what?
Him: I don't like Good Day. I like you.
Me: ................
Him: So.... did you drink any of that coffee yet?
Me: No.
Him: I see. I picked the wrong time to flirt.
Me: Try again this afternoon after I've had this coffee. Pre-coffee flirting has no effect.
Him: Yes, I've learned my lesson. Coffee first, then flirting.
Me: Yes. That is the correct order.
Him: OK. Well, have a good day.
Me: What?
Him: Have a good day! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!
Me: Oh, right. Thanks. Have a good day too!
I often run into him on my walk to work, because he's walking in the same direction. So we chat until we part ways.
I always have a tumbler of coffee in my hand. Today's conversation started out focused on that.
Him: How do you drink coffee so early in the morning? Doesn't it upset your stomach?
Me: Nope.
Him: Did you have breakfast yet?
Me: Nope.
Him: You're crazy. What kind do you like the most?
Me: Good Day. It's just coffee mix. So it's not too strong.
Him: Well, I don't.
Me: Huh?
Him: I don't.
Me: You don't what?
Him: I don't like Good Day. I like you.
Me: ................
Him: So.... did you drink any of that coffee yet?
Me: No.
Him: I see. I picked the wrong time to flirt.
Me: Try again this afternoon after I've had this coffee. Pre-coffee flirting has no effect.
Him: Yes, I've learned my lesson. Coffee first, then flirting.
Me: Yes. That is the correct order.
Him: OK. Well, have a good day.
Me: What?
Him: Have a good day! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!
Me: Oh, right. Thanks. Have a good day too!
07 December 2015
Ups and Downs
This weekend was fascinating. Let me tell you what happened.
1. Friday night I was asked to come to the secondary Christmas concert, sit with the 7th grade class, and make sure they behaved the entire time they were not performing. I do not teach the 7th grade class, but they have the reputation of being quite the handful. Things went more smoothly than I imagined they would. I just sat right in the middle of them and if anyone made a sound, I whacked them with my umbrella. No joke. I have never seen the 7th grade class behave so well. So that was fun.
2. Saturday morning, I had to proctor the SAT. As I stepped out the front door, a foot long snake darted away, down the sidewalk leading to my house. Since I was going the same direction, I just followed him at a distance. Snakes don't really bother me, but I have a healthy respect for them here, as most are venomous. I must have gotten a bit too close for the snake's taste, because about halfway down the sidewalk, he suddenly spun around, coiled, and began striking. I took two steps back and froze. My path was blocked by an angry snake. UGH. I ended up shouting for a guard to come get the snake. His weapon of choice? A broom. Helpful. He at least was able to sweep the snake off the sidewalk in order for me to get past and make it to school just in time to proctor.
3. After the SAT, a student's family invited me to their house for dinner. They live in another city, but they sent a car and driver for me. So I spent the evening with their family. It was a multi-celebration. It was grandpa's birthday, the 12th anniversary of moving into their home, and an early Christmas party. We feasted on turkey, ham, smoked salmon, clam chowder, stuffing, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, apple pie, pecan pie, cheesecake, and so much other food. I paced myself over 2 hours. TWO HOURS OF FOOD. And I had it allllllll! So so so good! And then they sent me home with three BAGS of food. So I hope you all remember what a martyr I am for living here.
4. Sunday morning, my church celebrated Christmas early. We do an outreach program every year, and this year is no exception. So we did our "family" Christmas service this week, because next week, we will be celebrating Christmas in our city's red light district. And then the week after that, most people will be gone, travelling for the holidays. Anyways, on the way to church, I was driving along at a nice brisk pace (but not too brisk because I am a responsible motorist), when I suddenly felt something on the back of my hand. My right hand. My throttle hand. I glanced down. IT WAS AN ENTIRE GECKO. Thankfully, I am also not scared of geckos. And thankfully, geckos are harmless. I am especially thankful for that since this one proceeded to run all the way up my arm, onto my shoulder, around the back of my neck, and into my hair. I was already pretty close to church, so I just screeched (not really) into the parking lot, and delicately removed my helmet as quickly as possible. I was very concerned about the gecko being under my helmet and me possibly squishing him ON MY HEAD. But no. He was ON TOP of my helmet when I took it off. He took a flying leap and scurried off, thankfully. He was definitely more shaken up by the whole ordeal than I was.
5. After church yesterday, we all had lunch together (we do this the first Sunday of every month). And while we were eating, a mosquito bit me! I must taste bad or something, because Indonesian mosquitoes VERY rarely bite me. And when they do, I don't itch or get a red bump or ANYTHING. It is glorious. But I am highly concerned about my SINGLE mosquito bite yesterday, because the mosquito that bit me is the variety that spreads dengue fever! I could tell by his little zebra striped legs. So now I am obviously very highly concerned that I will contract the bone break fever. That sounds like zero fun. Or maybe less than zero fun. That sound like negative one hundred fun.
6. I found a dead bird outside my house yesterday. And I found a dead green tree lizard outside my house today, in three segments. It was like take three steps, find another piece of the lizard. It was like Blue's Clues. If Blue's Clues were a horror movie. Anyways, I hope this is not an omen of the week to come.
7. But really, dead animals may have been an omen of the week to come. I got called into a disciplinary advisory committee all morning today. It was... difficult and awkward. But also honorable. Only two teachers were asked to attend along with all three members of administration and the student and his parents. It's nice to feel that my input is valuable. But having to decide an appropriate consequence in an area of discipline that we as a school have never dealt with before was a little bit gut-wrenching. Every person in the room agreed that what the student did was an expellable (is that a word?) offence. But we also agreed on the need to show grace and to allow for restoration to happen. Man though, finding the balance is tough.
8. I spent all afternoon in a totally separate meeting in which I intended to speak to a parent about her son's grades. But then we spent most of the time talking about her daughter (whom I don't even teach) who is really struggling this year. Most of what she said, I wasn't even aware of. Hurts that have been caused by other students at our school. Current problems her daughter is dealing with. How she feels like her child no longer loves life. It was hard to hear. And I was largely at a loss for words. And we were both speaking Indonesian, which is not either of our first languages.
9. But the day wasn't all rough. A student came to me and asked, "How can I pray for you?" And I asked him to pray for wisdom and that I don't get dengue. And he said, "OK, let's pray." And then he did. Right there in my classroom. He sat with me and prayed for me. So even on long and difficult days, I am reminded that I really don't have it all that bad.
1. Friday night I was asked to come to the secondary Christmas concert, sit with the 7th grade class, and make sure they behaved the entire time they were not performing. I do not teach the 7th grade class, but they have the reputation of being quite the handful. Things went more smoothly than I imagined they would. I just sat right in the middle of them and if anyone made a sound, I whacked them with my umbrella. No joke. I have never seen the 7th grade class behave so well. So that was fun.
2. Saturday morning, I had to proctor the SAT. As I stepped out the front door, a foot long snake darted away, down the sidewalk leading to my house. Since I was going the same direction, I just followed him at a distance. Snakes don't really bother me, but I have a healthy respect for them here, as most are venomous. I must have gotten a bit too close for the snake's taste, because about halfway down the sidewalk, he suddenly spun around, coiled, and began striking. I took two steps back and froze. My path was blocked by an angry snake. UGH. I ended up shouting for a guard to come get the snake. His weapon of choice? A broom. Helpful. He at least was able to sweep the snake off the sidewalk in order for me to get past and make it to school just in time to proctor.
3. After the SAT, a student's family invited me to their house for dinner. They live in another city, but they sent a car and driver for me. So I spent the evening with their family. It was a multi-celebration. It was grandpa's birthday, the 12th anniversary of moving into their home, and an early Christmas party. We feasted on turkey, ham, smoked salmon, clam chowder, stuffing, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, apple pie, pecan pie, cheesecake, and so much other food. I paced myself over 2 hours. TWO HOURS OF FOOD. And I had it allllllll! So so so good! And then they sent me home with three BAGS of food. So I hope you all remember what a martyr I am for living here.
4. Sunday morning, my church celebrated Christmas early. We do an outreach program every year, and this year is no exception. So we did our "family" Christmas service this week, because next week, we will be celebrating Christmas in our city's red light district. And then the week after that, most people will be gone, travelling for the holidays. Anyways, on the way to church, I was driving along at a nice brisk pace (but not too brisk because I am a responsible motorist), when I suddenly felt something on the back of my hand. My right hand. My throttle hand. I glanced down. IT WAS AN ENTIRE GECKO. Thankfully, I am also not scared of geckos. And thankfully, geckos are harmless. I am especially thankful for that since this one proceeded to run all the way up my arm, onto my shoulder, around the back of my neck, and into my hair. I was already pretty close to church, so I just screeched (not really) into the parking lot, and delicately removed my helmet as quickly as possible. I was very concerned about the gecko being under my helmet and me possibly squishing him ON MY HEAD. But no. He was ON TOP of my helmet when I took it off. He took a flying leap and scurried off, thankfully. He was definitely more shaken up by the whole ordeal than I was.
5. After church yesterday, we all had lunch together (we do this the first Sunday of every month). And while we were eating, a mosquito bit me! I must taste bad or something, because Indonesian mosquitoes VERY rarely bite me. And when they do, I don't itch or get a red bump or ANYTHING. It is glorious. But I am highly concerned about my SINGLE mosquito bite yesterday, because the mosquito that bit me is the variety that spreads dengue fever! I could tell by his little zebra striped legs. So now I am obviously very highly concerned that I will contract the bone break fever. That sounds like zero fun. Or maybe less than zero fun. That sound like negative one hundred fun.
6. I found a dead bird outside my house yesterday. And I found a dead green tree lizard outside my house today, in three segments. It was like take three steps, find another piece of the lizard. It was like Blue's Clues. If Blue's Clues were a horror movie. Anyways, I hope this is not an omen of the week to come.
7. But really, dead animals may have been an omen of the week to come. I got called into a disciplinary advisory committee all morning today. It was... difficult and awkward. But also honorable. Only two teachers were asked to attend along with all three members of administration and the student and his parents. It's nice to feel that my input is valuable. But having to decide an appropriate consequence in an area of discipline that we as a school have never dealt with before was a little bit gut-wrenching. Every person in the room agreed that what the student did was an expellable (is that a word?) offence. But we also agreed on the need to show grace and to allow for restoration to happen. Man though, finding the balance is tough.
8. I spent all afternoon in a totally separate meeting in which I intended to speak to a parent about her son's grades. But then we spent most of the time talking about her daughter (whom I don't even teach) who is really struggling this year. Most of what she said, I wasn't even aware of. Hurts that have been caused by other students at our school. Current problems her daughter is dealing with. How she feels like her child no longer loves life. It was hard to hear. And I was largely at a loss for words. And we were both speaking Indonesian, which is not either of our first languages.
9. But the day wasn't all rough. A student came to me and asked, "How can I pray for you?" And I asked him to pray for wisdom and that I don't get dengue. And he said, "OK, let's pray." And then he did. Right there in my classroom. He sat with me and prayed for me. So even on long and difficult days, I am reminded that I really don't have it all that bad.
02 December 2015
Secret Messages
When I got to school this morning, I found this posted outside my classroom door.
I have no idea who made it or why. But it gave me a good laugh first thing this morning. Naturally, I took a picture of it. Then I went in my classroom and started getting things ready for the day.
And then the enormity of that sign hit me. I work with teens. People who right now at this stage of their life are deciding who to follow and making choices that largely impact the course of their life. And every single day, they come into my classroom. Every single day, I get to be a part of their lives. They see what I do. They see how I live.
Am I living a life that points them to Christ?
That question has been on my mind for most of the day.
There is a dear lady who has been here in Indonesia for roughly 40 years. Like, she came over on a SHIP, y’all. She was never married, and she has no kids. But she is a pillar of the community here. Our paths don’t often cross, but when they do, I am always blessed.
She came to me at school today, near the end of the day, and said, “Can I give you a message? I might not see you for a long time, so I want to give it to you now. I was talking with a parent recently, and they were sharing their concerns with me, as parents do. They were worried about this school, and things that are happening here. But they named to me six teachers that they trust and that they believe are having a positive spiritual impact and influence on the students. You were one of the six. And I just want you to know that. Keep it up.”
Then she hugged me, and before I could even say anything, she was gone.
God works in mysterious ways, through the people we least suspect.
Speaking of mysteries, I found a fish lying in the school parking lot yesterday on my way home from school.
This seems very suspicious, since I live about 20 minutes from the nearest body of fresh water, and at least an hour from the nearest coastline. I suspect that fish have been secretly experimenting with teleportation. Get ready for them to take over the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)