Why play of all things? Why not? Children play not because they are making fun of life, but because they are having fun. Making fun is far different of having fun. Play is having fun. Play is living a life. Living a life in a form of play makes us realize that despite the strong pull of challenges in life, we can just freely enjoy.
My practicum experience here in Indonesia is a rare opportunity. Practicum itself prepares us for the future field we will be taking in the next years of our lives. That is the very purpose of being a student-teacher, to be prepared by bringing them to the field already. Same thing with play, do not let the child learn how to play through just teaching them that this is the way to play, bring them to a setting where play can be experienced and discovered. Let them know what play is. Here, I have known what it is to be a teacher. Grateful for the fact that this is the role of practicum in my life as a student and a future educator.
Even play has its own process on how to do it. There are rules, and roles in play as well. Yes, indeed, in my whole practicum journey, I have learned its nature in terms of process and procedures. I have learned that it does not just start to teach and teach, we start from the basic until it becomes complex. Do not climb a monkey bar by starting from the end point, for you will not know how to reach it for you started where end point lies. Start from the very beginning side and end on the other side. I started acquainting co-teachers, and eventually becomes close, made necessary observations, assisted, made lesson plans and researches, and teaching. I was so glad that I was able to hold on tight on the bars and started from the starting point and ended with success in the end point.
And because I did not burdened myself with the job, because I played, enjoyed life, the practicum went well. I was able to say that this practicum if very fulfilling and accomplishing. Yes, I found so many struggles and pain as how children also get wounds when they fall but they know how to get up, settle, and play again. I have experienced downfalls and challenges like lack of materials, language barriers, time constraint, and many other more but managing to stand and move forward made me appreciate practicum even more. Most of the time, we should not drown ourselves with the fact that we cannot do it already for we are looking onto pity rather than joy.
Again, I learned how to play, I learned how to enjoy. And I am glad to find that this whole experience is actually a play itself. Why? It has brought me back to who I am as a child. Freely doing what I want without thinking what tomorrow may bring for I know today is a great day and whatever tomorrow may bring, it will surely come to pass and be part of what life really is. This whole experience is a joy in my heart. No one can remove or replace this.
The only suggestion that I could say is, we must enjoy this program. We must learn how to play. Play is something that we have to change in terms of how we connote it. This program has thought me to play. It has thought me how to independently live a life with so much joy. Let us not press on too much burden on the next participants. Instead, let us bring with them the theme of play for this program.
Thank you so much, SEA Teacher Program. The child in me is back, and it shall never leave.
Sophie (Inday)