Thesis Acknowledgements

Selamat pagi, blog walkers. Mumpung masih dalam euphoria kelulusan, saya ingin menyampaikan rasa syukur dan terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada Allah SWT, dosen-dosen luar biasa di kampus, teman-teman serta keluarga. Terima kasih atas semua support-nya terutama support yang tends to be more like 'ngomporin' dari Indri Sari Utami. Thanks a million, dear.

Officially, saya pun telah menuliskan acknowledgements yang saya masukkan dalam tesis saya. 

Here we go...

All praises to Allah, the Lord of the Universe, for the strengths and His blessing in completing this thesis. In this part, I would like to express my profound sense of gratitude and respect to the people who have given me help and support during my study.

My first and foremost thanks are dedicated to my supervisor, Dr. Bachrudin Musthafa, M. A. for his kindness, guidance, strong encouragement, tireless assistance, and valuable advice during writing this thesis.

My great respect and special thanks are also addressed to the Head of English Department, Prof. Emi Emilia, M. Ed., Ph. D., and to my lecturers of English Education Study Program, especially for Prof. Dr. A. Chaedar Alwasilah, Prof. Ranbir Singh Malik, Ph.D., Prof. Fuad Abdul Hamied, M. A., Ph. D., Prof. Dr. Didi Sukyadi, M. A., Dr. Wachyu Sundayana, Dr. Iwa Lukmana, M.A., Dr. Rd. Safrina Noorman, M. A., Dr. Dadang Sudana, M. A., Dr. Hobir Abdullah, M. Pd., and Dr. Odo Fadloeli, M. A. for their encouragement, guidance, support, and motivation during my study at English Education Study Program, School of Postgraduate Studies Indonesia University of Education.

The participants involved in this study also deserve a million thank yous. They have voluntarily participated in this study, none of this would have been possible without them. Their dedication and perseverance made for an enjoyable nine weeks.

I also would like to pay my warmest tribute to my classmates Class A 2011 especially Etika Rachmawati, Tita Rosita, Yulita, Ferany Shaily Maulida and Larasati Ayuningsih who have provided help and assistance during my study.

Also heartfelt thanks go to my remarkable friend, Indri Sari Utami, for providing wonderful assistance in conducting this collaborative action research. She has always been ready with words of encouragement and understanding. Her emotional support, camaraderie, and caring have made all the difference.

Finally, and most importantly, I extend my sincere gratitude to my beloved father and mother who have never given up praying for me, have given me moral support and motivation during my study. They have always stressed the importance of education and this respect for education has, in some unconscious way, shaped my values and made me the person that I am today. To them I dedicate this thesis.

                                                                       

Bandung, July 2014

                                                                        The writer,

  

                                                                        Tantri Wandansari

Selamat Hari Guru

Teruntuk bapak ibu guru di seluruh Indonesia...

Selamat Hari Guru ke 19! (nggak papa ya telat sehari :p)

Terima kasih, melalui bimbinganmu kami jadi berilmu dan paham ini itu.

Ngomong-ngomong hari guru, saya teringat guru favorit saya di SMA dulu. Sebetulnya sih banyak, berhubung yang sangat menempel di ingatan hanya satu, ya saya akan berkisah mengenai beliau yang satu ini. Apakah saya harus menggunakan pseudonym? Rasanya tidak perlu. Karena saya bangga menuliskan nama beliau dalam blog ini dan saya bangga pernah menjadi murid beliau.

BSM. Begitu kami menyebutnya. Seperti nama Mall terbesar di Bandung itu ya kalo dulu. Bu Sri Marie ini adalah guru Matematika di sekolah saya. Beliau mengajar saya saat saya duduk di bangku kelas dua SMA.

Inget banget tuh, pertama kali beliau masuk kelas, ia menyuruh peringkat satu sampai tiga ke depan kelas untuk mengerjakan soal persamaan kuadrat. Saya, yang ranking dua, berjalan menuju papan tulis dengan tremor luar biasa. Saya hanya bisa bengong melihat soal yang beliau kasih. Susah! Sudah saya coba kerjakan tapi tidak juga ketemu jawabannya.

Lalu kata beliau, "Masa nggak bisa ngerjain soal kayak gini. Katanya rangking dua?"

Ah, jleb banget!

"Jika diberi amanah ya harus bisa bertanggung jawab dong." begitu lanjutnya.

Dari situ, saya kemudian berusaha belajar lebih giat untuk membuktikan bahwa saya memang layak. Akhirnya, saat saya lulus UN dengan nilai matematika yang lumayan bagus, beliau bilang, "bagus nilainya dan ibu yakin ini nilai asli tidak seperti yang lain." (Memang saat itu isu kecurangan UN sedang hangat diperbincangkan.) 

Terima kasih ya bu atas ilmu dan nasehatnya. Akan saya ingat terus. Saya dulu keterima SPMB Pendidikan Matematika lho bu. Kalau saya memilih itu, saya pasti seperti ibu menjadi guru Matematika juga sekarang. Tapi saya lebih memilih Bahasa Inggris sebagai bidang saya bu. Hehe. Sehat terus ya, Bu Sri Marie. :')

Anyway...

Di hari guru ini pula saya ingin berkaca.

Apakah saya sudah memiliki empat kompetensi guru/dosen profesional yaitu kompetensi pedagogik, kepribadian, profesional, dan sosial?

Khususnya kompetensi profesional, di mana seorang pendidik harus menguasai materi ajar secara luas dan mendalam, apakah saya sudah memberikan informasi yang valid kepada mahasiswa saya?

Yaaah, benar. Rasanya seperti ditodong sebuah pistol ketika sedang memberi kuliah di hadapan mereka yang dahaga ilmu.

Mudah-mudahan selama ini saya telah memberikan keabsahan ilmu yang sebenar-benarnya. Mudah-mudahan saya dapat mempertanggungjawabkan amanah yang telah diberikan.

Teringat, mantan Ka Prodi pernah berpesan, kira-kira begini.

"Apa yang kita ajarkan akan dimintai pertanggungjawabannya di hadapan Tuhan. Apalagi menjadi dosen bagi calon guru itu tidak mudah. Coba bayangkan. Jika kita mengajari yang salah, kemudian mereka sampaikan kepada anak didiknya. Niscaya kehancuran akan terjadi."

Jadi, teruslah berbenah wahai bapak ibu guru. Jayalah para guru! :D

Que Sera Sera - Whatever Will Be, Will Be

In the previous post, I wrote a touching commercial premiered by Ministry of Education Singapore. Now, the post was inspired by another heart touching commercial created by Thai Life Insurance. Watch the video!

"Que sera sera" Lyrics Ads.


When I was just a little girl,
I asked my mother, 'What will I be?
'Will I be pretty?
'Will I be rich?'
Here's what she said to me:


'Que sera, sera,
'Whatever will be, will be;
'The future's not ours to see.
'Que sera, sera,
'What will be, will be.'


When I was just a little boy,
I asked my mother, 'What will I be?
'Will I be handsome?
'Will I be rich?'
Here's what she said to me:


'Que sera, sera,
'Whatever will be, will be;
'The future's not ours to see.
'Que sera, sera,
'What will be, will be.


Someone whose nickname known as amphreded left a comment about the video as follows:


"At first the mothers smile, proudly admiring the children's singing. But as the song goes, they reflect upon current hardships and those to come - one can see worry upon their faces. However, the very lyrics "what will be will be" would consolate them, reaffirming the meaning of life, the strength one must carry towards the unseeable future for the ones we love. The closeup on the pregnant belly establishes a question for us - will this child be happy. One could only hope for the best."


Special credits to jitruksing who uploaded the video.

You Never Forget A Good Teacher

While I was searching Nutrilon Royal Commercials, a featured video on right sidebar attracted me. It called 'a touching commercial that rubs the deepest part of your heart'. I curiously opened it and this what I've got!

Inspirational commercial, isn't it?

FYI, originally it's first launched by MOE (Ministry of Education) Singapore last year. This ad can motivate teachers especially me as a new experienced teacher. The video uploader afrinkhan1980 left a short important note as follows:

"Teachers are role models to their pupils. They influence young minds and inculcate social and moral values through word and deed, within and outside the classroom. They must impart to pupils learning skills, thinking skills and life skills to cope with the future; an attitude of continuous learning and improvement." 

You never forget a good teacher.
TEACH. You'll be amazed at the difference you can make.

Suddenly I thought of my twelfth graders who celebrate their graduation today. Right after this, will I be remembered by them as a good teacher? Did I show that I cared about them? Did I help them in overcoming their problems?

Dr. Johl, a former Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, stated that teaching is not merely a job but an on going process. Like kindling a lamp, a good teacher ignites the minds of his/her students to unveil their hidden talents. He advised, "Give your students love, affection, and feel concerned for your students."

I should keep introspecting myself and my teaching way. Should be more patient facing the 'hard-controlled ones'. Should devote a couple of time to instill more moral values and life values in my students not only the contents. Because the real teaching is teaching with the heart. TEACH with heart!

Hope I can be like Mrs. Chong - a teacher who won't be forgotten forever.

This post is dedicated to my teachers I met and my twelfth grade students who just graduated and will face the real world ahead. :')

Dear hard working students, didn't you have huge dreams? Catch them. :')

*You might be wondering about what ensued at 00:38. The red painting scrawled on the wall "O$P$; has been written by loan sharks and means "Owe money, Pay money". It seemed someone in the family owed loan shark money and was not able to pay back.*