I've gone AWOL for the past month or so since I got back from Indonesia. I did it for a reason: I wanted time to process everything that I saw in that event-filled 3 weeks halfway around the world. Now that a little bit of time has passed since the trip, I can say that I truly got the experience of a lifetime, and now it's my job to make sure my community knows what I saw. It's my responsibility to share with other teachers the many different aspects of Indonesian education that I took in. What an amazing opportunity!
I've also had time to reflect on my guiding question for the trip, which I will revisit now: "To what extent is character education emphasized and taught in Indonesian schools, and how does the Islamic faith play a role in that process? What are the general academic and behavioral expectations of students and staff?" First, from what I observed, the Islamic faith is central to Indonesian education. It permeates every aspect of the educational experience for Indonesian students. Allow me to give you a few examples. 1) Students start each school day in an Islamic History class, where they are taught the Quran. During this class, they sing out of prayer books, pray, and learn about the role that Islam played in the world, and in their own country. 2) At the beginning of every class, they greet the teacher, asking Allah to bless the class. 3) All students must visit the mosque for the noon prayer session, which occurs before they eat lunch. They take off their shoes, go into mosque, and come back 10 minutes later. 4) Traditional gender roles apply, with the expectations for dress abundant. Girls and women come dressed in hijab, while boys and men are dressed in pants and a nice shirt. Character education is stressed constantly. Students greet teachers with a handshake, but it doesn't stop there. The student will often pull the clasped hand up to their forehead as an extra token of respect. The comment was often made that if something was left in a classroom, no one would have to worry about someone stealing it, because it would still be there for the person who had lost it, even if it was two weeks later. Friendliness and a general "chill" attitude were evident, every day. The respect that students showed the teachers was off the charts! Finally, the general behavior and academic expectations of students are high. Teachers expect a lot out of the students, and they are often happy to respond in kind. For example, once a week, the students (800+) and staff run around the town for 3 miles. There are only about 15 teachers to supervise, and many times the group can get split up amidst traffic, pedestrians, etc. No matter! The teachers said, "the students know the way. They'll find their way back. We trust them to be responsible." Now, as I think of how I can best implement this enormous amount of professional development into my curriculum, school, and community, I continue to dream, ponder, and question the possibilities. I am in a new school this year, and am quickly learning the names, faces, and members of my school and community. As I continue to build these relationships, I'll share the numerous resources available. I just found out this past week, for example, that our Librarian/Media Specialist is planning a student trip to the Galapagos Islands next year! It's great to have a globally-minded friend already. I will also plan a professional development seminar on global ed resources, teacher travel opportunities, and more. In the broader community, I have already contacted the St. Louis World Affairs Council to build interest and awareness in hosting foreign visitors upon their arrival and stay in St. Louis. Not only will this be a great opportunity for my children and students to learn more about world cultures, but follow-up exchanges and future learning are strong possibilities as well. It's great to think that this website is an original piece of work that captures the main highlights and take-aways from my experience. It will be a tremendous resource for any teacher, student, family member, or friend who asks that loaded question: "So, how was your trip to Indonesia?"
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