Season 3 Episode 5
Level of Indonesian and English fluency: Intermediate to Advanced
Indonesian Version
Mengajar kelas kosong, itulah tugas yang kuemban selama setahun berada di SD Negri Ledeke 2. Tugas kudapat dari hasil rapat guru dan kepala sekolah di hari ketujuh aku ditempatkan oleh Indonesia Mengajar di Pulau Raijua, Nusa Tenggara Timur.
Sejak Agustus 2019 dipanggil “ibu guru” oleh warga sekolah, namun rasanya aku belum dapat hikmah dari tugas tersebut. Awalnya kupikir akan ringan mengingat secara data jumlah guru di sini cukup. Ternyata tidak. Hampir tiada hari tanpa kelas kosong.
Enam bulan berjalan kuhitung hanya sekitar 11 hari saja jadwalku benar-benar kosong. Tugas macam begini membawa tantangan tersendiri. Tiap harinya aku tidak bisa tahu pasti akan mengajar di kelas berapa dan materi apa. Tidak bisa ditebak siapa guru yang berhalangan hadir, izin, atau menghilang tanpa keterangan. Serba penuh kejutan.
Jadi, jangan tanya soal Rencana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran (RPP). Jujur, persiapan macam begitu sudah berhenti kulakukan sejak dua minggu awal aku di sini. Syukurnya sejauh ini ada saja ide yang muncul tiap masuk ke dalam kelas. Bala bantuan itu banyak dan inspirasi itu hidup. Tak lain dan tak bukan semua berasal dari penghuni kelas, teman-teman belajar yang aku punya. Ada satu pengalaman yang akan selalu terekam dalam memori.
Terjadi pada satu hari Sabtu pada bulan Oktober. Aku mengajar di kelas 3A. Suasana kelas kurang kondusif karena suara siswa yang berlatih upacara di lapangan. Materi pelajaran Matematika mengenai garis bilangan kalah menarik dibanding suara pemimpin upacara yang berlatih memberi instruksi istirahat di tempat. Tak hanya satu dua siswa yang melirik atau mendongak ke arah jendela tetapi hampir semua. Tiba-tiba salah seorang siswa berani bertanya, “Ibu, katong sonde ikut latih upacara sa ko?” yang artinya (Ibu, kita tidak ikut latihan upacara sajakah?). Beberapa anak pun ikut memasang wajah meminta. Buku paket segera kututup dan satu tawaran keluar dari mulut. Tawaran diambil dan kesepakatan baru muncul. Selesai membahas dua soal yang tertulis di papan tulis, kami akan bergabung dalam latihan upacara.
Kami mengambil posisi sebagai pengamat dari teras kelas sewaktu lagu Indonesia Raya dinyanyikan. Mereka yang tadinya ribut berubah senyap. Usut punya usut ternyata mereka belum hafal lagu kebangsaan. Mereka melirik ke arahku sambil senyum. Kubalas senyum mereka dengan senang karena baru saja mendapat ide materi apa yang sebaiknya kami pelajari setelah jam istirahat nanti.
Pukul 10.15 Waktu Indonesia Tengah, mulailah ide dieksekusi. Pertanyaan pengalaman ikut latihan upacara jadi pembuka. Hanya satu siswa saja yang berani berbagi cerita. Kulanjutkan ke pertanyaan mengenai lagu kebangsaan Indonesia Raya. Ternyata mereka belum hafal dan minta diajarkan.
Mulailah kami belajar. Aku belajar bahwa masih ada beberapa siswa yang belum lancar menulis dan membaca. Kuputuskan saja mengajar bernyanyi dengan cara mengikuti suara. Kunyanyikan per potongan kalimat. Tak terasa satu jam berlalu. Kami sudah bisa bernyanyi agak harmonis di dalam kelas.
Belum semua anak hafal lirik. Wajar dan tak apa-apa. Menjelang jam pulang sekolah, barulah lirik lagu Indonesia Raya kutulis di papan tulis.
Satu muridku, Djunferson namanya, menyalin lirik itu di buku. Dia tidak beranjak sampai semua tersalin. Kawan-kawannya memanggil untuk mengajak pulang, namun dia bergeming. Aku yang senang dengan pemandangan ini lalu mengabadikannya.
English Version (5:45)
Teaching any classes that did not have teachers in them, that was the job that Basa did for a year at Ledeke 2 Public Elementary School. The job description was a result of a meeting between teachers and the headmaster of the school, on the seventh day of her placement by Indonesia Mengajar (Indonesia Teaches) at the island of Raijua, East Nusa Tenggara.
Being called “Teacher” since August 2019 by the school folks, Basa felt that she had not gained the wisdom from that title. At first, she thought the job would be quite simple as the data showed that there were enough teachers there. Apparently not so. There were almost always classes that did not have teachers to teach them.
Six months passed, Basa counted she only had 11 days where her schedule was empty. This kind of job presented its own challenges. Each day, she would not know for sure beforehand which class she would be teaching and what would be the teaching materials. One could not predict which teacher would be absent, with or without the explanation. Always full of surprises.
So needless to say, there was no such thing as the study implementation plan. Honestly, Basa had stopped planning the study materials since her first two weeks there. Thankfully, so far, there had always been ideas that came up to her as she entered the classroom. Help was plentiful with live inspirations, none other from her class residents, her study companions. She has one memory which she will never forget.
On one Saturday in October, Basa was teaching in class 3A. The class condition was not very conducive for studying as there were noises from the students practicing the flag ceremony in the school yard. The mathematics subject on number lines was not as interesting compared to the voice of the ceremony leader practicing to give orders to the ceremony participants to stand at ease. Not only one or two students were glancing or looking towards the window, but almost all of them. Suddenly, one student dared himself to speak up and asked whether they should not join the flag ceremony practice. Hopeful expressions were seen in many of the faces in the class. Basa closed her textbook and one offer was spoken from her mouth. The offer was taken and a new agreement was reached. After discussing the two math problems on the blackboard, they will join the flag ceremony practice.
They took position as observers from the class terrace when the national anthem Indonesia Raya was sung. Those who were noisy before fell silent. It was finally concluded that they have not memorized the national anthem yet. The students glanced at Basa with smiles. She reciprocated their smiles with her own happy smile as she had just gotten an idea on what would be the next study material after recess later.
At 10:15 Indonesia Central Time, the idea was executed. A question on how was the experience joining the flag ceremony practice became the opening of the lesson. Only one student was brave enough to share their story. Basa continued with a question about the national anthem Indonesia Raya. The students revealed that they had not learned and memorized the song, and asked to be taught.
So they started to learn. Basa found out that there were a few students who were not fluent yet in reading and writing. She decided to teach singing by following the sounds. She sang sentence by sentence. Until suddenly one hour had already passed. The class managed to achieve a somewhat harmonious way of singing together.
Not all the students had managed to memorize the lyrics. That was expected and it was OK. Only when it was close to the end of the school day, Basa wrote the lyrics of Indonesia Raya on the blackboard.
One of her students, with the name of Djunferson, wrote down the lyrics in his book. He did not move until everything was written down. His friends called him to ask him to go home together but he did not move. Basa, who was happy with that sight, recorded it in her memory.
This is a story from Basa Nova Siregar, who is originally from the west coast of Lampung. She currently resides in Sleman, Yogyakarta and works as a freelance writer. This story was published in the magazine Utusan, Yayasan Basis Yogyakarta, in the number 11, November 2020 edition.
Vocabularies
Emban: carried out
Rapat: meeting
Kepala sekolah: headmaster
Hikmah: wisdom
Ringan: light, easy
Tantangan: challenge
Berhalangan: cannot make it
Izin: permission
Ditebak: guess
Rencana: plan
Pelaksanaan: implementation
Pembelajaran: study (noun)
Bala: army, group
Penghuni: residents
Upcara: ceremony
Istirahat: rest
Melirik: glance
Mendongak: look up
Tawaran: offer
Kesepakatan: agreement
Bergabung: join
Pengamat: observer
Senyap: quiet
Hafal: memorize
Lagu Kebangsaaan: national anthem
Menyalin: copy down
Beranjak: start to move
Bergeming: not budging
When we google translate the word bergeming, it means budge, but according to the Indonesian dictionary, bergeming is not budging. We suggest to follow the Indonesian dictionary.
Kelas kosong can have a few different meanings, depending on the context. It can mean the literal empty classroom, or there is no teacher in the classroom who is supposed to be teaching. In this episode, it is referring to the latter one.
Indonesian language used here is in the daily-conversation format, that has influences from the local culture and custom. Should you have questions on the more formal version, please consult with your guru Bahasa Indonesia.
Level of Indonesian and English fluency: Intermediate to Advanced