Inspired by Inspiration Class

"Anybody can be an inspiration - It just requires an opportunity to teach others how to find success and give them confidence to reach their goals"                                                                                                  - Anies Baswedan -

First time I've heard about this movement was a few months ago, when my college friends, Gardini and Jane, told us that they’re going to teach in Elementary Schools. “Not basically teaching, more like sharing what our profession is to the kids,” they said. Wow, sounds exciting, I thought. I can’t hardly imagine how to tell the first or second-graders, what does the Human Resources Department do? :D

Later I searched more about the movement. I found out that Kelas Inspirasi (Inspiration Class) was originally initiated by Mr. Anies Baswedan, a prominent educational figure and also the Rector of Paramadina University. Firstly Mr. Anies and co. initiated Indonesia Mengajar (Indonesia Teaches), an inspiring program that sent aspiring young teachers (mostly are best fresh graduates from reputable universities) to remote areas all around Indonesia to teach for about a year. But since not everyone can have a lengthy time commitment as Indonesia Mengajar requires, yet still want to contribute, then the founders initiated a spin off, namely Kelas Inspirasi (KI, for short), that firstly held in April 2012.

The point of KI is to build Indonesian children’s dreams, by sharing to the kids the way to get there, and encouraging them to reach their goals. Regular folks with varying expertise have to take a full day off, to share stories related to their career and job to the state elementary students. Most of the schools selected are state schools that located in big cities or urban area, that supposedly have easy access to the information and technology, but perhaps unfortunately doesn't get much attention from government related institution.

To be honest, I almost failed to join KI this season. Although I have followed their official twitter account for months, I didn't notice that KI will be held again in September 2013 - simultaneously in Bekasi, Bogor, Tangerang – until the night before the admission deadline. Thankfully, a few weeks later I got an email confirmation that said I was chosen as one of the teacher in Group 1. Yaay!

The other voluntary teacher in Group 1 were awesome professionals. There’s Mba Cahya, a developmental engineer who works in Myanmar – she’s kind of developing excavator and other heavy equipment there. Then Ibu Evy, a senior tourism consultant. And Bang Patar, a media communication specialist and the Festival Director in Erasmus Huis. We've also got Rio, an IPB graduated consultant, that volunteered as our photographer. Our groups facilitator was Meylin, an aspiring architect that formerly volunteered at the previous KI season.

Road to the Hari Inspirasi (Inspiration Day, or the teaching day) were tough, though. We only had 10 days left to the D-day, which was held on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Due to each of us were terribly busy with our own jobs, we couldn't go surveying the school together. Bang Patar and I even couldn't make to go survey. Some of the equipment and preparation for the day necessarily could only be discussed in chat message. Luckily we could arrange an instant meeting on Monday night for a quick coordination.

And then came the day :D

I was nervous as hell.

Early in the morning we came to SDN Margahayu XV, in East Bekasi. The school shares building and field yard with SDN Margahayu XXII, wherein the Group 2 was teaching. The school wasn't really big but quite clean and tidy. It only has three class rooms that used alternately – morning and afternoon class, and one room that parted into teacher room, headmaster’s room, and living room. There’s also a small library near the entry gate.

SDN Margahayu XV & XXII, Bekasi

Our school only has five teachers plus one Head Master, and the pupils number was not many, around average twenty students per class. Pak Arif, one of the teachers said that people's interest to enter the schools tends to decrease from time to time. Most of the students come from lower economical class, whose parents work as labors, salesmen, etc.

The Team (left to right: Bang Patar, Bu Evy, Mba Cahya, me, Rio) with the teachers

The second and third-graders :)

Me, Mba Cahya, Bang Patar and Meylin with the third and second-graders

Since the number of students were not that much, we merged each of two class for the event. First-graders went with second, third with four, and fifth with six. So we only had half day to teach.

Firstly I went to Class 5 and Class 6.

Fortunately before I came in (I was a bit late), Rio had already entered the class to fill in the time, so the class was already conditioned. Big thanks to him.

I gave the students some kind of star-shaped origami papers to the students, where they have to write down the professions or the jobs they want. Then few students are asked to present in front of the class, why do they want to be them. I also asked some students to do a bit role-play and act like the professions they chose.

The sixth-graders and the origamis

A role play between sixth-graders acted as designer and her customer

The well-known professions such as doctor, police, pilot are likely the most chosen. But some students from sixth grade answered wider options with more specific reasons like, “I want to be a designer because I love to draw” or “I want to be model because they wear pretty gowns”. Shockingly, one of the fifth-graders shouted “I want to be a pimp!” followed by immediate “Ssshh!” from his pals. I pretended not to hear that word, but later I found out from Pak Arif, that there’s a fifth-grader whose mother is a sex-commercial worker :(.

After they told what kind of profession they want to do, I explained to them, what do the Human Resource Practitioner do. I tried to make it in simplest words, such as, my job is recruiting new employees, handling payrolls, giving warning letters, and firing people :D. To make it more interesting, I made some role plays – one of the students acted as HR and another acted as a job-seeker, or one acted as HR while the other acted as a fired employee. A sixth-grader once commented, “In sinetron, it’s the director who fired people,” aha :D smart kids. Another sixth-grader asked, “My brother has applied to many offices but no one accepted him...” Oh dear, that’s beyond my capacities to answer :(

Class 5 and 6 done. Next I came to Class 1 and 2. And the real challenge began.

Challenge number 1: these first and second-graders haven’t fully understand what the teachers tell them. Moreover, for unfamiliar matters like HR jobs. So I just asked them what they want to be when they grow up, and help them write the answers down on the origamis because some of them still cant write and spell properly. Then each of them are asked to come in front of the class and explain, and I give the origamis as a reward.

Most of the first-graders are still naive and sincere. The girls want to be Barbie, the boys wanted to be Bima Satria Garuda and Optimus Prime :D

The first-graders - aim high to be Barbie & Bima Satria Garuda :))

Teaching first and second-graders sure needs extra dose of patience, but for me, the major challenge of the day was on the Class 3 and 4.

The third-graders are mostly still act childish and some of them are still hard to focus just like the second and the first-graders, while the fourth-graders tended to act ‘grown-ups-like’ and being attention seekers. Surprisingly from these classes, the girls are more noisy, and the boys were easier to handle. Fortunately, after a few minutes, I found the magic line; “If you keep being noisy, Kak Rio won’t take your pictures” aaand it worked! It seemed like they're really like being photographed :P

Apparently, the third and fourth-graders are more update with the latest tv trends :D Some of them said they want to be chefs (the Masterchef effects), the others want to be presenter, actress, and join the bands. But some others answered they want to be teachers. It’s nice to know that the kids adore their teachers :)

The third & fourth-graders strike a pose :D

I realized that among my other fellow teachers, my presentations seems to be the least attractive. The kids are more interested to Mba Cahya’s story about ‘building tractors’, or to Bu Evi who showed amazing scenery pictures from her business trips around Indonesia and other countries, or to Rio that stole the kids’ attentions with his camera and tripod. On the other hand, I wasn't as charismatic as Patar either, who successfully manage the class, even without any presentation tools. That’s why I was really flattered when at the closing sessions, some of the sixth-graders boy greeted me and said, “Kak, I want to work as HRD ”. At least, what I said are quite memorable to them :).

I remember when I was in elementary school, I used to dream to be a journalist and a writer. Quite rare dreams for an elementary school students. Why could I have such dreams is none other than because of the exposure from my surroundings. My late dad always brought newspapers and magazines home, and I grew up with books. I've inspired to make a hand-written ‘newspaper’ and ‘story books’, and later created school magazine when in junior and senior high.

What KI give is perhaps just an inspiration. KI haven’t be able yet to facilitate more regarding the kids’ dreams. But as a start, it’s already more than enough. These kids probably have never knew before that there is a profession like tourism consultant. Or they probably had never imagined that they can work abroad. They probably can only have limited dreams based on what they can only see. But because of KI, they can dream a bigger dream, and they know how to reach it.

For us, it might be only a day-off. But for the kids, this can be a day that inspires them for their lifetime :).

With Kelompok 2 after teaching - look at our tired-but-happy faces!

*)Some of Photo Sources: Rio's Blog, Mba Cahya's tab, Bu Evy's camera