This experience went as expected—and even beyond what I had anticipated. I knew the students would need some time to adjust to me since I am a foreigner and a new face. It was quite amusing to see them question whether I was Indonesian, even though I had already been introduced as Thai. They were very excited about the Thai language and kept asking me to speak Thai and sing a Thai song. I chose to sing the Thai National Anthem, Phleng Chat Thai.

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They often tried to speak to me in Bahasa Indonesia, but since I couldn’t understand, they were encouraged to use English instead. The lesson went well, and they were able to grasp the process of writing. However, they struggled a bit when it came to thinking of topics to write about. They mostly knew the words in Indonesian, so having a strong vocabulary bank in English would definitely benefit them.

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Classroom management was relatively easy since most students were cooperative and didn’t cause much disruption. However, real classroom teaching is not always what I had imagined. I have to apply everything I’ve learned over the past three years—classroom management, teaching theories, teaching methods, materials, motivation, and more. Some strategies work in certain situations, while others don’t. Unexpected and uncontrollable situations frequently arise, so I have to adapt my teaching methods based on the students' grade level, age, abilities, and attention span.

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I am responsible for teaching classes 9B and 9D. I have to understand that each student is different—some are high achievers, while others need extra support. I need to pay attention to all of them and adjust my teaching style and expectations accordingly.

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I struggled with my first class, 9B. The students didn’t understand me when I spoke, and the classroom remained silent, which made me feel bad. After finishing that lesson, I found a way to solve the problem by incorporating new activities, games, and songs. I also made an effort to speak English more slowly and even tried learning some Indonesian words. The students always laughed when I spoke their language, but it helped create a relaxed atmosphere in class. I realized that I need to manage both the students and time effectively to keep everything on track.