SDH-SLH New Teachers Induction Report

Last week, on July 6 until July 10, SDH-SLH New Teachers Induction was held. This induction was conducted in the form of online webinars and was attended by new primary and senior teachers in all SDH and SLH throughout Indonesia. This induction functions to facilitate SDH and SLH new teachers to gain prior knowledge due to the process of positioning themselves as teachers and to practice the necessities needed in their professions as teachers. This event was held for five days with 15 sessions which were presented by several distinctive speakers. By this event, the new teachers are very helped in their preparations of bearing the title of ‘Teacher’ as their professions and teaching in the real field of school. This event also gave new teachers the opportunity to recall the theories they have learned in the university and implement them in the workshops. Throughout all the sessions that had been presented in the event, the new teachers indeed got so many reminders as well as new learnings.

On day 1, the sessions delivered were SDH & SLH Vision and Mission Holistic Transformation Education, SDH SLH Curriculum Framework, and Seeing Christ in All of Scripture. Participants were again reminded that SDH and SLH are educational institutions which aim for transformation education where teachers’ roles are to educate, plant the seeds and water them, but God is the One who gives growth and transformation. Afterwards, the participants were brought to wonderful experience of learning about Scripture and understanding that Scripture is the sure foundation in the profession as teachers. On the next day, day 2, there were the sessions of Spiritual Formation, Parents as Prime Educators, and Talk show with Parents. On this day, the participants were introduced to various types of parents in Manado to prepare them in dealing with the students’ parents. Teachers are to build strong relationships with parents because parents are actually the prime educators. Then, there needs to be good collaborations within teachers and parents in educating the students. On top of it, the relationship with God, the personal spiritual formation, is the ultimate thing that will enable teachers in partnering with parents to educate the students.

Day 3 was begun by a session discussing about themes of Biblical Christian Worldview that are going to be used in the teachings. Christian teachers are to integrate the worldviews with the teachings that will be given to the students. Then, the day was continued by the theory about authentic assessment and the provision of time to practice making authentic assessment in the workshop. The workshop is very helpful since it provides opportunities for the participants to jump into the practice and be given feedbacks. On day 4, the participants in the senior department were attending ‘Design Thinking’ session, meanwhile those in junior department were attending ‘Inquiry Learning’ session. In design thinking session, the participants learned how to produce the most necessary and doable solutions to a problem. Then, the day was continued by another workshop to design an inquiry learning. The workshop leads the participants to understand more about the theory of Inquiry Learning that had been learned in university and in the previous session within the practice of Inquiry learning design.

The last day, day 5, the sessions of ‘Discipline with Dignity’, ‘Digital Citizenship’, and ‘Open Discussion’ were presented. Discipline is one thing that Christ as shepherd also performed to His disciples. Teachers are shepherds and discipline is perceived as a system that comes from the heart and soul of the teachers. It is performed due to the belief that all students need hope and discipleship leads to a better change. The second session talks about humans in this era as digital citizenship and teachers are introduced to several kinds of technology and digital methods in educating to prepare them to teach in this current era and through this pandemic situation. The last session is the ‘Open Discussion’ session that discusses about new teachers’ starter kit and the teaching sets needed in the profession as teachers. This session creates a space for participants to plan and organize their teaching for the whole year. Subsequently, this induction week was finished by an open discussion with SDH Holland Village team leaders and this session had succeeded to strengthen the participants in beginning their journey as teachers.