REUNI KAMPRET

Kmaren salah satu mantan Kampret married, Uri namanya. Lakinya Jokaw juga, Johan namanya. Acaranya di daerah Bekasi gitu deh. Lumayan jauh dari rumah. Makanya gw janjian ama Srisna di LIA Galaxy. Kalo dateng sendiri takut nyasar boooo...

Kita (elu aja kali? gue enggaaa!) nyampe pas udah mulai sepi soalnya paginya gw pergi dulu ama Nyokap n Kapten Kapal k Ps.Minggu. Tapi makanan masi banyaaaaaaks dan lezat-sedap pulak. Gak ada antrian panjang buat salaman, jadi abis itu bisa langsung minum, gluk, gluk, gluk! Bukan apa2... perjalanan k sana panjang dan macetttt. Matahari juga lagi doyan cengar-cengir.

Pas gw ama Srisna lagi mabok2an Soto Btawi, ehhh... Para Kampret berpose di pelaminan. Gak mo ktinggalan dunks?! Yak, letakkan piring, lariiiiii...

Di atas 'pentas' udah ada Lela, Dwiyani, Hening, Gandi, Ferada, Susi, Siska Moja dan Ruri!!! Lalu terjadilah gerakan nyengir bareng, diselingi ketawa-ketiwi dan ditutup dengan cipika-cipiki... lumayan gw tadi belum bedakan.

It's about time. Reuni kecil ini menjawab kerinduan gw 'n Srisna sama masa lalu kita yang penuh kegilaan dulu. Si Hening sempet2nya lagi ngeracunin gw, "Tih, lu gak nyanyi2 gila kayak dulu? Ayo dunk, for old time sake. For our friendship." Gak lah. Gila aja, mana tega gw 'ngerusak' pernikahan agung yang sangat Jawa itu, hihihihiiiiiii.

Kalo ini terjadi dulu ketika smua masih bujangan, mungkin acara akan dilanjutkan dengan nongkrong bareng, ato boling, ato bahkan ke Dufan! Tapi tentu aja itu gak terjadi. Bisa rusak rumah tangga! Heheheheee, gak juga siy. Kalo gw ama Srisna mah abis itu lanjut, kekekekekkkk... meskipun itu cuma ngerujak 'n nonton DVD di rumah Srisna bareng Dasnin dan kedua meong yang manis-manja: Kaka dan Topeng.

Meskipun cuma sesaat, gw cukup hepi. Suka aja mendapati kenyataan bahwa masih ada kawan2 dari masa lalu dengan siapa kita bisa membagi kenangan akan rentetan peristiwa yang terekam indah di memori rasio. Duh, kalo gini gue jadi makin kangen aja sama ngajar. Devinaaaaa... kalo kelas2 udah gak pada bocor dan mushola udah gak bau apek, kasi tau gue yak?

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Teaching at LIA Pramuka is really beyond my reach now. Not only because it is geographically far from where I live and work, but also because I have 1001 reasons why I decided to postpone teaching English--at least for the time being.

LIA Pramuka is indeed a memorable place. The place has changed too much though--broken windows that create water cascade, late lunch because Ibu Yati has no more competitors, smelly mushola caused by the wet carpet due to the leaking windows and ceiling. But one thing I really cannot bear with is the fact that the branch management decided to lock the big window at the ladies' restroom. Oh, it was the spot where I marked my territory! Not that I used to pee by the window, NO! Do I look like a cat or a dog to you? Well... my Chinese zodiac is dog but... anyway... From THAT window I used to observe how the mi ayam and bakso sellers prepared their stuff. I used to enjoy looking at people strolling peacefully along Jl. Pengayoman. Houses lining up. Yellow flowers blooming. What a view. I always wanted to take a picture of that, but I kept postponing and... the moment is gone.

Oh, and I also miss being one of the teachers. I mean REALLY being one of them. Now that I'm part of the test and materials writers, people's perspective has changed as well. Only a few people can talk to me for quite some time without attacking my guilty conscious: protesting every single thing printed in LIA books and tests. I miss Kampret. I miss my locker (filling it up with realias, coffee and pingpong bat was really something!). I even miss class observations!!! I miss all the craziness and togetherness in the teachers' room, in the pantry, and... toilet.

I also miss my lovely (some are) students. One of them is a teacher now :) , another appeared on Empat Mata (well she wasn't really a good student, no wonder she has to wear skimpy outfit to make ends meet :( , but the gang who's still in touch with me up to now is my Intermediate 4. It was somebody else's class, given to me because the students were considered a little wild. Well, Allah permitted me to tame them and we became friends (and now cyber pals).

Meski terkadang pesona keindahan masa lalu tidak seindah kenyataan ketika masa itu sedang berlangsung aku tetap rindu LIA Pramuka. Ah, mungkin memang sifat dasar manusia... gak mau lepas sama masa lalu.

BTW, sblom recording trakhir gw mampir k ruang guru LIA Pramuka n ktmu Lela. Trus dosq kasi unjuk undangan outing di era keemasan Kampret dulu, gw nyaris meleleh, sumpah!!!

Oh, the good old days. I miss them like a cat misses a warm blanket on a rainy day.

LEARNING STYLES

by Hafilia Riniati Ismanto

The importance of being aware that people have different learning styles especially to teachers is that a teacher who know that different elements affect learning will make accomodations in his or her teaching to provide various elements in the learning conditions. While it would be impossible to provide all, giving little doses of as many elements as possible will help the different types of students in the classroom.

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Studies have shown that every person has his/her own learning style. Researchers have identified eighteen different factors that affect learning. These consist of elements that permit individuals to receive, store and use knowledge or abilities.

A person's learning style has nothing to do with his intelligence. The elements present under the conditions in which a person carries out his learning tasks often play an important role in determining how much that person would be able to learn.

These element fall into five categories:
1. Environmental
2. Emotional
3. Sociological
4. Physical
5. Psychological

1. ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

Some people need silence to learn while others seem to be able to block out sounds and can concentrate in the midst of confusion. On the other extreme are those who need noise in their environment in order to learn something new or difficult.

Many students find that they can only concentrate in bright light whereas others find that low light calms them and permits them to learn more easily.

Few people can learn in extreme temperatures. Studies have shown that people react differently to the same temperatures.

Some people learn best in informal surroundings where they can lounge around, lie prone, or seated on the floor. Others can concentrate only when they are seated upright at a desk.

2. EMOTIONAL ELEMENTS

Highly motivated students are better able to overcome learning style preferences than those who are unmotivated.

Persistent students have longer attention spans so they can focus. Students who are not persistent often look for "breaks" while they are learning. This generally indicates short attention spans.

The element of responsibility correlates with conformity. Students who do not conform have been shown to learn more easily when they are permitted several options.

Some students cannot do anything unless they are given explicit directions. Others need only general outlines and manage to continue the work on their own.

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3. SOCIOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

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Sociological elements refer to learning styles an individual applies in relation to other individuals. Some students learn much better alone, others need to work in pairs or teams. Some like to learn with people who are younger or older, while others prefer to be with peers. A certain percentage cannot work if anyone else is present while others may not have the skills to work alone; and still others will work best with different kinds of media. Some can work well with any combination and are often referred to as those who learn in varied ways.

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4. PHYSICAL ELEMENTS

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An auditory learner usually remembers about 75% of what he/she hears in a40-50 minute lecture. A young child, however, would not be able to remember that much of what is said.

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More people are more visual than auditory in style and visual learners will normally remember about 75% of what he/she read or sees during a 40-50 minute session.

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Most children do not become visual until they are in the third or fourth grades. The younger the learner, the more tactile and kinesthetic he/she may be in style. Perceptual preference seems to evolve for most students from psychomotor (tactile-kinesthetic) to visual as they mature.

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Some people have to drink, eat, chew, smoke. or bite on objects as they concentrate while others do not.

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Some people are early birds while others are night owls and people show either high or low energy levels at different times of the day or evening.

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Some learners cannot sit still for long periods of time while others cannot sit even for short periods. Highly active learners should be allowed some mobility during the period of instruction. Given this option they can usually concentrate for longer periods of time, learn, and reacall more thatn when they are required to remain still.

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5. PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

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Some students learn best given items sequentially in a well-ordered continuum while others cannot begin to concentrate on content without first being given an initial overall picture of the meaning and use of what will be taught. The first type of learning is called analytic; the second, global.

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Studies have shown that some people are left-brain-preferenced while others are right-preferenced. Both types learn differently. Right-preferenced students are less bothered by sound, prefer dim illumination, require informal settings and are less motivated and less persistent than left-preferenced students. They also prefer learning with peers and prefer tactile stimulation rather than auditory or visual.

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Impulsive students often call out answers withous first considering different possibilities. Reflective students rarely volunteer information although they may know the answers.

SOME IDEAS ABOUT LANGUAGE

• All children learn their native languages swiftly, efficiently, and largely without instruction.
• Language operates by rules.
• All languages have 3 major components: a sound system, a vocabulary, and a system of grammar.
• Everyone speaks a dialect.*)
• Speakers of all dialects employ a range of styles and a set of subdialects and jargon.
• Language changes are normal.
• Language is intimately related to the societies and individuals who use them.
• Value judgments about different languages or dialects are a matter of taste.
• Writing is a derivative of speech.

*)Dialects are different from accents. Accents include intonation and stressing. Dialects include pronunciation based on geographical aspect.

The Magic of Sharing a Burden

Life is hard, indeed. That's why Allah gives us defence mechanism. Some people misunderstand my being happy-go-lucky as power of endurance. Many people have asked me how I manage not to whine. Hmm... they just don't know the dark side of me. I do whine. Many times. Just like most people, I'm a far cry from being tough. Even watching Dora The Explorer can make me shed a silly tear when I'm having my PMS and thinking how I should've been more careful with my pregnancy back then. Ah, well...

I want this little blog to be useful. Maybe that's why you haven't found any whining blog posts. I erased all those demotivating and uninspiring crap. I realize though, that whining and letting-off steam are two different things. But there is a really fine line between the two. I'm afraid that if I start with the latter, it will open the door to the first. What can I say? I'm still learning.

I also think that we should carefully choose people to whom we could share our burdens. And to anticipate our wrong judgement towards how people might react, we'd better not expect too much from them. I believe that the only one who can understand us is The Creator. It's not that I don't trust you, no, don't sulk please. You look like a naughty little monkey with your long face like that. What I'm saying is that there are some issues which are super-duper-sensitively-confidential. Based on my experience, sharing crucial stuff with other people can be really tricky. Believe me, when people you trust put you down to the bottom, it will break your heart into the smallest pieces.

Still, we have to keep the balance of whining and be positive. Too much whining will bore people. Too positive all the time will leave people a question mark Is he/she really that strong, or is he/she just being defensive? My friend Atiek and I share the same favorite pastime: observing people in that sense...

How about you?

Article: LEADERSHIP

Summarized from "Seven Habits of Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

Leadership is a choice—something that everybody can learn. Rarely is one born with the ability to lead. We often think that some people are born to lead, but in reality, all that leaders have in common is the initiative and desire. Initiative and desire to make things better are the head start to learn the art or process of influencing others to strive and achieve their goals. There are several skills that a good leader has.


First, a good leader is able to inspire his followers to take actions. A true leader can see what is unique in each person and can make his followers realize their own talents. A true leader empowers his people by giving them the opportunities to develop their potentials. He never gives put-downs. He helps people to unleash their potentials and tap into the energy and talents that they did not know they had. A good leader knows that people will not struggle for something that they do not believe in. Therefore, he creates a vision that is possible to achieve.


The second skill is the ability to communicate with his followers. A leader makes himself understood. A leader creates a two-way interchange of ideas and communicates strategies to fulfill his vision. There is always time to talk, find solutions, and implement changes. Every follower is important. A good leader treats all individuals as helpers, not as underlings. He keeps his followers informed about their progress.


The third skill a leader must possess is the ability to create a conducive atmosphere. A good leader radiates optimism so that his followers look forward to the future with great expectations. A good leader guides his followers by force of vision and inspiration. He is ready to assist them when necessary. He creates environments in which they feel safe to speak up their minds and to take risks. He shows his appreciation whenever his followers do their jobs well. He makes his people feel supported and motivated. Consequently, they will get things done willingly.



In conclusion, everybody can be a leader as long as he has the desire to see people’s hidden potentials, communicate well, and support his followers. A mother who can make her children want to do homework and house chores is a good leader, and so is a boatman who can encourage a passerby to learn to swim.