 | Welcome | Oct 16, 2006 |
Welcome to my blog. It is all about my life in the US, my thoughts, my feeling, and criticism toward situation around me which is totally different from my belief and culture. Feel free to give me feed back if you find something wrong from my blog, otherwise you will be looser.Enjoy my blog at any time, and copy or download anything you want. Insya Allah it is halal. Salam Dedi Turmudi  |
 | Notes | |
- Golden Values of SIT in my life
Being funded by Ford Foundation, I could finish my master degree at MAT program of SIT from 2006 to 2008. In this personal narrative I am discussing my achievements as a SIT graduated lecturer to share with my inspiring friends over the world and to honor the precious of SIT values attributing to my profession. I am writing about my professional activities as a volunteer, and a lecturer at some universities in Indonesia. I believe this will make my colleagues feel proud of SIT alumni.
Having finished a MAT program at SIT, I went home to my country in September 3, 2008. A week later, I stated working for Al-Fatah Boarding School Indonesia (ABSI)—an NGO concerning on education for the poor which was formerly I worked with and headquartered in Bogor Indonesia. It served more than 5000 students spreading all over Indonesia and with 500 teachers located in more than 16 branches, I am now working with. Upon all, It seems that I am a very busy person; however, I feel like nonsense.
My position at ABSI is a deputy director who handles “Teacher Trainings and Curriculum Designer” with which I have double works; to train the teachers who are currently working in one side and to design curriculum of English for the schools under the management of this NGO. Within one year as a Teacher Trainer, I had finished three periods of Training for teachers before I wrote this personal essay. And within one year as a curriculum designer I had composed two books;“ an English Competence Curriculum for Kindergarten” and a book entitled “ Enam Langkah Menguasai Tenses” (Six Steps to Master TENSES)before I began writing some other books. The curriculum is currently being used by about sixty kindergartens under the management of ABSI. Although I was so busy, I felt cheerful no matter If had a lot of work to do in this growing organization.
For me, working at ABSI is not a worker but a volunteer seen from the payment I get. I am paid with insufficient payment even just for my living allowance. Despite the less payment I get, I keep working for this organization to seek my spiritual satisfaction. In fact, I am the only expert in this organization. I did not ask how much money I should get for my daily life and to support my family because I knew that ABSI could not pay me more than what it does . In short, working for this human-dedicated-institution makes me satisfied despite the less income I get.
Becoming a lecturer at Muhammadiyah University of Metro
Becoming a lecturer at Muhammadiyah University of Metro to develop my skills in teaching and to do a research is my expanded decision. I decided to expand my daily work that is to go to Campus after I had sat on an armed-wheeled chair for one year. It was due to the needs of more experience in teaching for my future career and the need of doing research in writing and speaking. This teaching experience will be also my research to be publish. During sitting nicely as a deputy director I felt there was something getting lost. My skill in speaking and teaching were the vivid examples. Therefore, I demanded my self that I be a lecturer at UM Metro to gain more expertise and skill in teaching.
Being a lecturer means that I must join any university and apply for it. But it did not apply for my situation. I became a lecturer without even applying for the position. Unlike other employees who were normally applying for the position before getting an interview, I just took it for granted. Someone told me that this University needed more English teachers who graduated from Master Degrees. Knowing this situation, I contacted the deputy of Dean of Faculty of Education and Teacher Trainings telling that I was an alumni of Secondary Junior and Senior High School of Muhammadiyah in Java who was seeking to be a volunteer. The man hurriedly called me and wondered who I was. Knowing that I was a US-graduated master, he asked me to send him my CV via email and a formal document to be reviewed. A week later, I was asked to come to an interview. However; on the day of the interview—on Thursday in August—there was a cancellation to come to interview because all of the school lecturers had to have a meeting to prepare fasting month activities. Being canceled to the hoped interview, I went back to Jakarta to work at my office accompanied with full of wonder.
Four days later—on Monday—I got the hoped interview which was unusual for me. The invitation was via a short message service (SMS). At the interview, all interviewers who were six people asked me nothing about my skills but just casual talking or making jokes. The first interviewer, who was a deputy rector in finance, told me just to write my identity. Amazingly afterward, he said” Okay I will ask you nothing except to know you face to face. I trust you can do what we wish in this campus. Besides, this campus probably can not pay you more .” I replied hurriedly worrying that he would misunderstand about my motivation. Then, I wrote my Identity and thanked him for trusting me. The second interviewer, who was responsible for Human Resource Development ( HRD), asked me if I had known anyone in this Campus. I told him that I knew nobody there, however; Muhammadiyah had shaped my life—at least during my secondary Junior and Senior High School before I finished my undergraduate. He then congratulated on my willing to join this campus and welcomed me nicely. He did not ask me at all except some clarification and also explained what to do if I wanted to be a permanent lecturer in UMM. The third interviewer was the deputy rector who was responsible for the academic skill. He Interviewed me while he was doing a small work. I was really worried of getting many questions related to my skills knowing that he was a doctor in science. However, I was relief as he finally asked me how many times I visited this campus. I told him that I visited this campus three times and Its website when I was in US. In short, the three interviewers asked me out of context questions.
The fourth interviewer was a deputy of rector responsible for the institution’s vision and mission but unfortunately he was sick. Instead of the interview with him, I got a surprising interview. The rector had me come in to his special room. Stepping into his room, I found there were five people with him and he asked me to have a sit. The four people were prominent people except me. My coming to his room was marked with a welcoming utterance ”welcome to this campus and a congratulation on joining our university. I trust that you can empower us to embody our vision and mission. You are a US graduated master whom I really need to improve the English Department.” He, then kept on explaining the philosophy of education based on the Indonesian Constitution. He was saying “ the goal of education is to make the life of sons of this nation to be brilliant people….”. At the meeting, I was the only person who braved to interrupt him saying “ I disagree with your philosophy of education. If you insist that education is to make everyone brilliant, what will you do with those who have different ability, talent and weak brain?. I would say that it is better to maximize all potential talent, gift, and cleverness of everybody has to be valuable for their life. ” He nodded and thanked me for interrupting him while praising me for suggestion. When It was done, I was asked to meet the Dean of Faculty of Education and Teacher Trainings. He was the last person of a four-hour long interview. As I got into his room, he smiled at me asking to have a sit. The first question was surprising too. He asked” what did the rector say?!.” I told him that the rector welcomed me to join this university. He looked so happy saying’ If the rector welcomed you so, I could not agree more. I welcome you ten times than what he did.” Furthermore, He just told me that there were some prestigious positions available to occupy if I wanted to get them. I just kept thanking him for offering those good opportunities. In addition, he asked me if I knew someone in Natar. H mentioned several names in order. I told him that some names he mentioned all were my colleagues. Shaking my hand, he then said “please feel free to express your creativity to make this campus more precious.” I replied his hope saying I will do my best for this beautiful campus. All in all, the whole interviewer indicated that I was accepted to be a visiting lecturer.
Now I am a visiting lecturer, marked with a letter of acceptance. My first day of working was a not good fortune. I started working at this university without getting enough resources. I found no standardized syllabus or description of the subjects I have to teach. I am responsible to teach Speaking 4, Writing 2, and Writing 4,however; there were no curricula for them. Therefore, I designed the three curricula including all syllabi attributing to them. I had been working on this for two weeks long with my own fund. In addition, I found no available books as references. Besides, the number of students in each class was 60 to 70 students. I have to teach 7 classes a week plotted in three days. These classes were part of the total students out of 6000 students who were enrolled at the University. In, short, I found the supporting system to teach there were not ready to use yet.
My steps to overcome the challenging tasks were really unique. First thing to do was to interview the former lecturers in order that I can gather enough information to enable me to arrange the lesson plan. I also came over my previous campus; State University of Lampung to ask for help; however, I found no enough information I needed. Without readiness lesson plan for all classes, I came to the class of the day which was writing 4, just to introduce myself and to tell the students what to do. For example, I told students about my identity and asked them to write a letter telling me the following aspects afterward. Having finished introducing myself, I told them to write a letter for me. Every student was writing a letter for me on a sheet of paper. The guidelines of the letter were just the followings questions. Tell me your identity, what is your academic background?, what did you get in the previous courses?, what is your goal in this course?, how are you going to do to achieve this goal?, what you hope from me ( lecturer), and closing statement paragraph. When everything was done, everybody submitted the letter. The information I found from those letters, then, became consideration to arrange lesson plan, syllabus, and daily agenda. The same action is applied for all of my classes of writing 2, and writing 4 with exception that in speaking 4, I interviewed the 65 students. This situation was un common in my country particularly if it was compared with those of State Universities where anyone can get course description easily to make syllabus.
The challenge keeps on burdening my daily work as a lecturer. Having finished collecting data of who my students were, what they wished to have, how I could help them, I found my easy tasks had not come yet until two weeks after I worked there. In the classroom during teaching I found that the number of students was unusual though it was manageable in my sight. The average student was 60 students and most of them are females. By analyzing their letters I found that their initial input to my class—in average—was poor. This means that I am challenged to proof that I am a qualified lecturer by enabling them to achieve their achievement with optimum. From reading their letters and interviewing them I found that—in average—they had insufficient resources; books to read, English Channel to watch, English radio program to listen, and English Magazine and paper to read, and even an English course they attended. In conclusion, their existing knowledge was my challenge to be a creative lecturer.
Teaching in 7 different classes and 14 hours a week make me enthusiastic despite the fact that their input knowledge—in general—was poor. I always come to the class and on time. I never feel bored or lazy to come teaching no matter the location is about 40 kilometer away from my house or 57 kilometer from the capital city of Lampung. Besides, I have to spend at least 44 thousands rupiah a day which is very expensive for me as a lecturer. Surprisingly, I have not known yet how much my salary was until I finished writing this essay. In addition, it seemed that my students looked enthusiastic too. This made me optimistic and relief. I enjoy teaching at this campus no matter the hardship I experienced on my daily bases.
Other good fortune came to me
Feeling curious about my value as an SIT Graduate master for my profession as a lecturer, I remembered of ‘’ being underestimated by some of white colors at SIT ”(though it was probably not true), I was frightened by some good news. At the end of September—just ten days after Lebaran day—I was asked to be lecturer by three other universities. None of them required me to apply for or send them a formal letter of application. However; I was applying for the position after had been accepted as a formality or normal schedule. They even made a letter of acceptance before being interviewed. All of them welcomed me warmly and hoped me to give the best effort to make their universities better particularly at English Department. This was miscellaneous reward for my patience and a signal that I am qualified. In fact there were several candidates who applied for that position but they were rejected. My extra values that made me easier to be accepted are a US graduated master and my skill.
Wondering why I was accepted so easy, I sought some information. Darmajaya University which has about 4000 thousands students, for example, has employed me because I am a US graduated master and am a qualified lecturer according to my CV. STAIN Metro accepted me without any talk. I found everything was prepared there. The acceptance letter had been signed before I came over the campus to take the schedule. DCC promoted me a local chairman of the Branches in Lampung and braved to pay me with good payment just because I am a US graduated master and an English graduated master or TESOL. IBI Darmajaya called me for an interview without applying for the position. In addition, the rector, together with his first deputy (human resource recruitment),his second deputy ( academic department) all interviewed me without even asked me questions, but explaining the vision and mission of the institution within one hour long. Amazingly, at the end of the interview, all congratulated me on getting accepted and welcomed me to the campus. Just, after the interview the Human Resource Development ( HRD) asked me to send some required documents including letter of application as formality. Upon all, factors enabling me acceptable are a US alumni and have good qualification and well experienced.
Reflecting on what has happened to my epic of life as a lecturer, I was a hard, dedicated, friendly and professional worker. I had been shaped to be a precious person by SIT values and funded by Ford Foundation which were finally attributed to my professional and knowledge characters. People in my community honored me more at an utmost estimation although those of white friends who probably had underestimated me before finally they realized that it was not true. I thanked both Ford Foundation and SIT that funded and shaped me to spread equality and justice for mankind.
Dedi Turmudi, S.Pd.,M.A TESOL
A visiting lecturer at:
STAIN Metro Lampung
Universitas Muh. Metro Lampung
IBI Darmajaya Lampung
- tdeditur@coretanpenaku.multiply.com
 | Indahnya Dunia | Jul 23, 2008 |
 References
42 Photos, 1 comment Camping activities at Tha Sai Luad School
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 | Dedi's Site | Apr 27, 2011 |
Free Writing _ 3 My Sad Story; Black Monday PAI and KPI Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 10.30 – 12 .00 My sadness day over last two months was a black Monday. It was on Monday November 1, 2010. I was at campus all days long. I taught English in... more | www.Ifp-2005@yahoogroups.com | |
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SAVE FOR PALESTINE. |
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Raja Abdullah minta bantuan Bush (serambi news.com):
commentar:
itulah penghianatan para penguasa pada Allah, Rosul dan kaum muslimin
mereka juga tidak tahu bahwa kekuatan dan kemuliaan islam dan kaum muslimin hanya ada ditangan Allah, Buka AS.
di tangan para penguasa penghianat itulah nasib umat digadaikan. Wallahi, Umat tidak membutuhkan penguasa seperti itu, yang dibutuhkan adalah Kholifah yang akan menjadi pelindung setiap jengkal tanah, setiap tetesan darah dan air mata kaum muslimin....!!!
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