Procedures of practicum
I traveled to the Philippines on November 1, 2024, and arrived at Saint Mary's University on November 2, 2024.
In weeks 1-2, I attended a welcome party, met with the university president, and had a meeting with the school principal. I then began observing classes in the assigned school and got to know my mentor teachers and buddy friends. I also had the chance to try many different foods, some of which were familiar and others quite unusual. I learned about Filipino ways of life and exchanged cultural experiences with my friends from Indonesia.
Week 3, I began preparing lesson plans for my teaching and received a lot of valuable advice from both my mentor teachers and buddies. Due to a severe typhoon, I wasn't able to meet and get to know the students as much as I had hoped. Instead, I participated in activities organized by the university, including observing classes in different subjects. The typhoon allowed me to grow closer to my friends from Indonesia and my buddies, who also helped me prepare for the lessons I would be teaching in the following week.
In the last week, participated in many activities organized by the university, such as the Christmas Day parade, a music competition, and the STEH Night event. I also had the opportunity to assist children in remote mountain areas by distributing food and essential school supplies. I joined the farewell event for exchange students before traveling to Manila and returning to Thailand on November 29, 2024.
Outcomes of practicum
I achieved great results from the practicum because I was able to accomplish all of my goals, such as meeting new people, learning about the culture and lifestyle of people from different regions, and trying foods I had never tasted before. Most importantly, I was able to improve my English communication skills and became more confident in using English.
The Challenges of Practicum
My challenge was communication in English, as in Thailand, I don’t use English for communication as much. This required me to adapt significantly to keep up with the situation, as I needed to use English every day, both for communication and for teaching in the classroom, as well as for writing lesson plans, which were quite different from what I was used to.
Overall Impression
I was impressed by the people in the Philippines. They were very friendly and never judged my English accent. Instead, they pointed out my mistakes so I could correct them, and they even taught me some Filipino language as well.
Suggestions for future improvement
I feel that the duration of the program was too short, which limited the amount of experience I could gain, especially since I also needed time to adjust. It would have been better to check the weather conditions before starting the program, as the typhoon during my stay caused me to miss out on many learning opportunities.
