Purposes of Practicum
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Sea Teacher aspire to give a once in a lifetime experience to the future teachers to have a teaching experience outside the country in order for them to discover other educational system in Southeast Asian countries. It provides students taking up education expertise to improve their communication skills and to think not only locally but globally. It's main goal is to work together in order to improve and to make a progress in Education in the Southeast Asia countries
​
To be part of this program is really one of my achievement as a student for I have the chance to explore an unknown country and try to adapt not only their education but also I got to know their way of living.
Procedures of Practicum
The procedures of the practicum is that in a one moth stay , every week has a specific thing to do. In the first week the student teacher will have his/her 20 hour observation to his/her cooperating mentor on how he/she handle the class where I got the chance to visit a low class classroom . On the second week the student teacher will be teacher assistant where she can help her mentor in checking or in compiling the students' works which I have done during my second week. On the third week, my practice teaching or my demonstration where I prepared a teaching plan for my students, I got the chance to teach students from Mathayom 3/2 (THE LESSON WAS ALL ABOUT GRAMMAR AND READING COMPREHENSION) and Mathayom 4(Reading Comprehension). On our last week , reflection and comments where given by my mentor and some advice and Final evaluation also happen which is for me a very useful one for I learned so much things and all thanks to Teacher Nut.
Outcomes of Practicum
​
In my one month stay in Korat, Thailand teaching foreign students from Boonwattana School having different language may be a hard one because Thai students find English language a difficult one. One of my students once said to me that she really wants to learn English in order for her to feel confident enough in communicating people. Since I am teaching English subject to them, at first they don't feel confident to answer or respond to my questions because they are shy but as I encourage them to speak and I always remind them its better to try than not trying at all and in that way they feel motivated enough and I always show my willingness to them and show hoe English subject is very an interesting subject. For Mathayom3/2 , I may say that the class is a fast learner they easily understand my lessons for I make sure to put some key words or hints in order for them to know the grammar.
​
One thing I have learned during my practicum is that students need to be inspired by the teacher and everyday always motivate them and feel them the excitement in learning new things.
​
Challenges of Practicum
In my one month stay in Korat,Thailand the main challenge for me is the distance between the school I am having my practice teaching and the Dorm in the University I am staying. Transporation is not that hard though but the time we will spend in traveling is almost 30 minutes and sometimes we need to wait for the another Songthaews because we have two rides in order for us to reach the school by that we need to wake up at exactly 5:00 am to prepare and to reach the school at exactly 7:30 am. Second, my social interaction with some of the people in the school because no matter how I want to talk to them the main problem is that we are difficulty to understand because we are using different language and English language for them serve as their foreign language especially when I am explaining to my students the answers and I am in a doubt if they really get what I am trying to say and sometimes I forgot that I speak vernacular. We cannot totally express our thoughts and ideas. And lastly, being homesick will always be there because it is the first that I will be super away from my friends and family.
​
These challenges of my practicum proved to me that I am a strong woman and that challenges will never bring me down but instead they let me feel motivated enough to finish this with all my heart and just enjoy the given opportunity to visit or to have my practicum in Thailand.
​
Overall impression
My overall impression to this program is that it is really all worth it. I've got the chance not only to discover their education system but also to experience their lifestyle . I witnessed how Thai people lived everyday ,knowing their culture and beliefs really inspired me to travel and explore more because there are still lot to see in this world. This program is very helpful to me for I've got the chance to meet people with different perspective and chance to share my knowledge also learn knowledge from them especially to those people who helped me to feel comfortable during my stay in Boonwattana School.Through this program I got the chance to view differences that brings diversity on how they teach the students. One month may not be enough to totally know the lifestyle of the people but the most important is that I experienced it and by the day I will come again to Thailand or to other country I will have this confidence already for I have experienced already to witness a different nationality all thanks to Sea Teacher.
Suggestions for future improvement
The one suggestion about this program for me is that I guess is that if possible they can extend the days of the this program rather than one month why not make it two months or more just to make sure that the student teacher has a perfect experienced and will surely learn more things .
