"What have you done to our students?" our principal asked. I was shocked. She said it would be hard to break this back-to-back winning streak. So I had to pause and think.
You see, our senior high school students had just won champion in the two categories that I was coaching for the Sumatra English Olympiad (SEO) 2019: storytelling and speech.
Our two other participants also landed in the top 5 out of fifty participants in these contests. And this is SEO: the biggest regional English language fest in Riau, Indonesia. It is an annual event organized by the College of Teacher Education of the University of Riau (UNRI).
We were definitely on a roll. Everyone was pleased, especially our school community. As a friend aptly put it, I was relieved and satisfied.
Knowing the nature of competitions, I found this difficult to answer. What have I done? I just did my job, and I believe we have chosen the right students. They were exceptionally good, and they were in the right competitive mindset.
(Our junior and senior high school teams)
If there was any special technique, it was that I let the students develop the materials on their own so that I'd know their writer's voice and personal style in terms of delivery. Then I took it from there. I gave as much constructive criticism as possible, and I was happy to see that they followed or at least considered my advice. They were highly trainable students indeed because they were already intrinsically motivated for the right reasons: to gain confidence and experience as well as to improve their English communication skills.
(With our junior high coach and her students)
I haven't really done anything extraordinary, but as I was preparing for school this morning, I remembered my own coaches from elementary to university. And I thought, well, I was just blessed to have coaches and mentors who have shown me how it's done. And for this, I'm forever grateful.
I feel proud to see my students with their fellow finalists. They have gained friends, not just awards.
And here I am chatting with the dean of the College of Teacher Education of UNRI. I accepted the award on behalf of one of my students. He thought I was Indonesian (I do look like one), and he almost offered me a teaching job in the college, hehe. Just kidding. But he did remember me from last year's SEO Festival (2018) when my kindergarten student also won champion in the solo singing competition.
My speech-and-storytelling team with our school's kindergarten and elementary coaches. All smiles and shining with all the trophies!
And it's a wrap! What a successful event! Here's the organizing committee of the College of Teacher Education of UNRI with their dean in the middle. A snapshot of future teachers!
Happy World Teachers' Day, teachers! Let's keep rockin'!
This is me today. Fresh from my first-period class in junior high. Yes, I keep switching year levels, and I love it. 😁
**This article was first posted in my personal blog Aprire Writes, but I have edited it for this publication. 🌸
Wanna get to know me more? Click here: Get to Know April: A Self-Intro Blog
Perhaps you'd also like to read more about my Indonesian experiences:
- Soto Betawi: The Search for the Ultimate Indonesian Food
- Selamat datang di Padang! (Welcome to Padang!) | Island Hopping in Sumatra
- An Ode to a Lost Love | Bukittinggi Memoirs
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