Running Head: SUMMATIVE REFLECTION ON TEACHING PRACTICUM

Summative Reflection on Teaching Practicum

Bijaya Tamang

International Teacher's College, UPH

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Summative Reflection on Teaching Practicum

My name is Bijaya Tamang. I had an opportunity to do my "Teaching Practicum"

in SPH Kemang for 10 days. I am genuinely going to express my feelings in this paper. I

always wanted to have the opportunity to teach and I know God has been guiding me

through this process. I feel so blessed to have met teachers who were very helpful to me

during my practicum. I believe God provided me a good Cooperating teacher. The help I

got from Miss Taylor even when she was not my Cooperating Teacher was just

unbelievable. I can never forget the help she provided me for 10 days. As I mentioned

earlier that I am going to express my feelings genuinely I will say that I had a trouble

travelling in a car for 10 days. I had a difficult time waking up early in the morning and

traveling for an hour to reach to the School. I was so sad, complained and was angry. But,

I know everything happens for good those who believe in God and I thanked God. My

experience of teaching has helped me to know who I am and what God has prepared for

me in the future. My ten days teaching practicum helped me learn about myself, students,

teachers and more about teaching. The relationships I developed, teaching practice I

experienced and school culture I learned are briefly explained below.

Relationships- In ten days, I know much about my cooperating teacher. I developed

relationship with my students and the other staffs in the school as well.
My Cooperating teacher Mr. Michael Burge: My relationship with cooperating teacher

developed by conversation. He evaluated my teaching and always encouraged me. His

comments were always positive. I appreciate his style of convincing me and giving me

positive feedback during the practicum. I interviewed him and gathered some information

about him. They are briefly written below.

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He was from Vernon City, Canada. He worked at summer camp to serve the kids

and put them for a week in a camp to tell about God. In this camp, for a week he used to

become their parent and serve children. He worked at summer camp for 10 years. He was

an in charge of a whole place. During that time, he fell in love with Hillary and married

her in the camp and now he has 4 children. He was 27 and Hillary was 23 when he

married. He also served as a" youth pastor" for 8 years in "The Salvation Army" church.

He was a youth leader for almost hundred teenagers. He got his degree in Physical

Education and Biology from University of British Columbia in Canada. He also received

Bachelor of Education degree from British Colombia University. His dad influenced him

in leadership. His mom was a nurse. She was sometime in charge of whole hospital.
He said he teach because he loves to see people become their best. He wants to

help other discover what they can be. He told me about his strength and weaknesses in

the classroom. He had a good relationship with the students. He believes that all students

are person and he treats them like the people. He has a loud and active voice to control

his classroom. He is also very confident in his teaching and he always tries to see a bigger

picture. One of his weaknesses he mentioned was a time management which I could

clearly see in the classroom. His inspiration comes from seeing a student come to change

in future and do great works. His priorities were God, wife, kids, job and himself. He

likes to be good in doing any stuff. He said he is willing to see me listen, learn new

things, work hard, reflect and evaluate.

Relationship with Students: I knew 17 students name in my classroom. I could not

directly be frank and close with them. But, as I spent more days with them I knew them

more and I could make a conversation with them. They were interested to see me and talk

to me. I was also getting closer to them and I felt so happy seeing their faces everyday
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during my practicum. I respected them and always greeted them. They also were

respecting me and happy to see me teaching.

Relationship with Other Staffs: My relationship with other teachers was also good. I

know Miss Taylor, Mr. Peter, Miss Dersy, Miss Stacy and many other teachers and talked

with them. I went to their classroom and they welcomed me to their classroom and they

were very frank and good people. I spent time talking with Miss Taylor and I know about

her family and her background. A long conversation with Miss Taylor is still memorable

to me. I do not know the names of the staffs I met in the resources room but I can never

forget their help. They were very cooperative and helpful. I needed help for lamination

and printing and I could see how willing they were to help me. I was so glad to meet

those staffs. I did not get along with them so much but whenever I see them I would

always smile and greet them. I could feel happiness flowing inside of me when I see

those helpful persons in this world.

Teaching Practice
What I have discovered about my student: I have discovered that students have their

own personality and character. They behave in different ways because of their adaptation

and environmental effect. Most students were hard working but only few were looking

not interested to follow the instruction. Also, I got closer to student. I could see that they

were enjoying most of the activities in the classroom. One student I saw was not

behaving properly in the classroom. I was angry with him. Later, I knew that his behavior

was the reason of his mother's strictness to him.

I learned that I must be conscious and patient. I must be aware of why students are

behaving the way they are behaving. I will give emphasis on students and try

understanding about my student, their parents, their characters, and encourage them at the
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things they are good at. I have known that letting student know what they have done good

is necessary. Just a word like: excellent, very god, good job, etc can help me to control

student behavior.
What I discovered about my Subject: After creating lesson plan, preparation and

teaching Science and covering Physics chapter 1-Force and Motion I come to know that I

can understand it and can teach it to the student. I could also clearly see how science is

the product of God. This helped me know God's greatness even more. It was my first

experience to really see how Science relates to Bible and helped me develop my faith

even more. I also feel like I am interested to know much about science and I also learned

by teaching.

Through math teaching, I knew that I am comfortable to teach math too. But, science was

more fun and easier to teach.

Yourself as a teacher: I feel that I am confident. Sometimes, I did not much of what I

was teaching but as a teacher I could deal with that and feel responsible to be prepared

and help student know what I am teaching. I also had a desire to teach so my dream has

come true. After teaching, I would feel that the students sometime do not understand me.

I want to be concerned to their learning so I would make sure everybody understand me.

Student's answer to my question made me feel proud as a teacher. When I watched my

teaching video which was to be submitted for this course it made me feel like a teacher. I

could see how I managed class and made sure I finished my class on time. By seeing all

that I had done in the classroom, I feel happy. I already watch my teaching video 6 times.

It gives me confidence that I can teach.

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Yourself-Personally: Personally, I have learned to study why student behave the way

they behave without trying to judge them and be angry. I found that I had lots of things to

learn to study behaviors of the student. I knew that I am confident after I speak. Before I

speak, I feel nervous but after one word, two words and finally a sentence I could feel my

fear gone and a rise in confidence. I was also feeling bored and lazy in the classroom but

I have known my strength of how I can control that feeling and stay active during the

class. I think I have discovered that I would be great teacher by the grace of God. I think

God wants me to teach me through all these processes and help me become a better

person to become a good teacher for his purpose.

School Culture:
It is a Christian School and I can see a Christian environment around the school. The

vision of SPH Kemang is True knowledge, Faith in Christ and Godly Character and the

mission is "Proclaiming the preeminence of Christ and engaging in the redemptive

restoration of all things in him through holistic education. Since it a Rich School it has

many facilities provided for the students such as: basketball, swimming, music, dance, etc

and it also have many resources inside the classroom like tables, whiteboard, projector

and so on. The classroom looks standard and decorated. Each classroom has expected

behavior pasted on the wall of the classroom to remind the students. There is chapel

every Wednesday for an hour for Primary level students.

I have known that relationship is very important inside the school. Without a good

relationship with students, teachers, staffs and school we cannot work properly. By

creating a good relationship I could ask for a help with the teachers and other staffs in the

school which made me feel comfortable to be in the school and teach. I don't know where

I will be tomorrow and I don't know how long I will be here in ITC. I am not sure if I will
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be able to pass all the coming courses in future and remain here in ITC. But, I have

learned much about teaching and to become a good teacher. I am very thankful to God for

letting me come to ITC and learn so far. I am confident that if God had brought me so far

he has called me to a teacher in future. Even, if I have to leave ITC because of my grades

I believe God will push me towards him as he has always to do his works and I will never

turn away from him and his purpose.