When Learning Meets Culture: A Teaching Experience to Remember

Today marked one of the most meaningful milestones in our SEA-Teacher journey—our first classroom teaching experience at SMK Raden Umar Said (RUS). After days of immersion and observation, it was finally our turn to stand in front of the students and apply what we had prepared. With a mix of excitement and nervousness, we embraced the challenge with open hearts.

We were assigned to teach a class of students under the multimedia and ICT strand, and our topic for the day was Mail Merge Automation in Microsoft Word. This lesson focused on how students can efficiently create personalized documents such as certificates, letters, and ID labels by merging data from a spreadsheet into a Word document. It was a topic that combined both technical skill and practical application—something that aligns perfectly with the vocational focus of SMK RUS.

The session began with a short introduction to the purpose of Mail Merge and its real-world uses, especially in office administration and design-related work. We then demonstrated the step-by-step process:

• Creating the main document in Microsoft Word
  
  

• Preparing the data source using Microsoft Excel
  
  

• Inserting merge fields into the Word file
  
  

• Previewing and finalizing the merged outputs
  
  

To make the session more engaging, we included hands-on activities, allowing the students to practice mail merging on their own computers. We walked around the lab, assisting them, answering their questions, and seeing the excitement on their faces as they successfully completed their first automated documents.

Despite some initial language barriers, the students were eager to learn and quick to follow the instructions. We used a combination of English, basic Bahasa Indonesia, visual guides, and live demonstrations to make the lesson easy to follow. It was incredibly rewarding to see their curiosity turn into confidence as they mastered each step.

What impressed us most was the student attitude and classroom culture. They were respectful, attentive, and genuinely enthusiastic. Even during technical errors, they remained patient and determined to solve the problem. The teachers and staff who observed were also very supportive, offering feedback and encouragement after the session.

🤝 Cultural Exchange in the Classroom

Aside from the lesson, what made this teaching day even more meaningful was the unexpected but beautiful cultural exchange that followed. After the class, the students gathered around us—curious not just about the topic, but also about us. They asked questions about the Philippines—our food, festivals, school life, and traditional clothing. In return, they happily shared with us bits of their own culture—from how they celebrate Independence Day and Eid al-Fitr, to the meaning behind their school uniforms and daily greetings.

We laughed together over the similarities and differences between our languages. Some students taught us how to say basic phrases in Bahasa Indonesia and Javanese, while we shared common Filipino greetings like “Magandang araw” and “Salamat.” It was a wholesome, genuine exchange—proof that learning goes beyond the curriculum when cultures come together with mutual respect and curiosity.

Reflection:
Teaching Mail Merge Automation at SMK RUS was not only a chance to share skills—it was a moment of connection. Today, I experienced the classroom not just as a space for instruction, but as a place where cultures, stories, and values can be exchanged. I learned that teaching is about building bridges—between concepts and learners, but also between people and nations. I will always remember the students of SMK RUS—not only for their eagerness to learn, but for the warmth, kindness, and cultural pride they shared with us today.