Time is not a perfect companion. When you are in a state of happiness, it seems to run as quickly as possible. The same applies to my journey as an exchange student in Indonesia. For almost a month, I lived, laughed, and became part of their culture and education. Then, in just a snap, everything returns to normal.

I can still recall those moments—the warm welcomes from different schools and how kindly they treated us. Our first night at the homestay, waking up around 4 a.m. for prayers. Our first deployment to our respective schools, and our first cultural immersion where we visited the zoo, amusement parks, and historical places in Surabaya. Watching a stage play with students we had just met, my first observation and encounter with my students at MA Mathouli’ul Anwar, and celebrating Hari Kartini Day—similar to Women’s Month in the Philippines. There were also the unforgettable fun rides at Wisata Bahari Lamongan.

Then came our assistantship week, followed by our demonstration week and final demonstration. I will never forget the mesmerizing beauty of Santerra de Laponte in Malang, visiting museums, becoming a speaker at the 4th International Youth Forum, and celebrating the success of the 11th batch of SEA Teachers.

All of these moments now feel like borrowed time—beautiful, fleeting, and deeply meaningful.

To all the people who helped me during my stay in Indonesia, thank you for making this journey unforgettable. You did not just welcome me into your schools and homes—you welcomed me into your lives. As I return to my own, I carry with me not just memories, but lessons, friendships, and a heart that has grown beyond borders.

Though this chapter may have ended, its impact will remain with me forever.

Until next time, wonderful people—you will always be a part of me.

I learn as a student and grow as a teacher.

Every lesson I receive helps me teach better.

I stay patient, I keep improving, and I guide with care.

Together, my students and I grow and learn from each other.

During my demonstration week, I had the freedom to choose whatever topic I wanted to discuss in Statistics. Because of that, I chose the fundamental lesson, which is the measure of central tendency. Upon crafting my lesson plan, I got stuck while figuring out what performance standards and content standards the Indonesian curriculum has. It turns out that they have specific indicators that we need to follow, thanks to Bu Elis who helped us figure this out.

Although this lesson can easily be understood through lectures, my goal was not as plain as that. I wanted my students to be involved in the activity and understand the concepts through hands-on experiences. Just as I had planned, I integrated games such as Dice and Charades. To make it more satisfying, and to put some cherry on top I used Philippine coins as a reward for students who could get the correct answer or solve the given problem.

I intentionally implemented those strategies because my students love new things. That is why the Philippine coin is the perfect reward to motivate them. I also noticed that some of the student cannot really grasp the idea of the lesson in complete English so my solution is I used bilingual slides so that if my students could not understand English, they would at least have their own language to read. I also controlled my voice and spoke English slowly so that my students could cope with what I really meant during the discussion. Gestures were also included to help visual learners grasp the ideas or explanations that I wanted to convey. I also used examples that the students could relate to and arranged them by level of difficulty so that students could build conceptual understanding. During my discussion, I made sure that I roamed around the classroom, ensuring that the back seaters were catered to. I drew myself near to them when they needed help and assisted them in getting the correct answer instead of leaving them behind.

When it is showtime, I was very excited and well-versed. I arrived at my class 30 minutes early to set up everything, including my instructional materials and the virtual observation from my teacher back in the Philippines. I felt confident and managed to ace my demonstration. However, if I have some suggestions for improvement, it would be learning some mathematical terms in Bahasa. This subject requires detailed understanding, and if at some point the students cannot understand a term, the whole concept may be affected. Also, since my students rely on their classmates, I will incorporate group activities for them to feel more comfortable and connected.

Satisfaction filled me with my demonstration week, thanks to the people who helped me during the process. Just like the advice that I gave to my students: “Do not be afraid if the variables in given problems are different or look difficult; they have the same concept wherever you encounter them.” In the context of my experience, I reminded myself that I would also face different students anytime. Just like a concept in mathematics, wherever you go, it is just the same. Every student is unique in terms of learning style and abilities, but they are the same because they can learn.

After being observant, it was time for me to semi-apply my teaching style in the classroom. This was the first time I felt a little nervous, and thoughts came to mind such as, “What if they are not interested in my activity?” and “What if some students just fool around?” I had also asked my cooperating teacher what I could do to assist the class. I took the initiative to prepare a motivation activity and studied the topic they were going to discuss so that I would be able to assist Bu Livia, especially the boys seated at the back.

Prior to this, our supervisor instructed us that we would have two days of assisting, followed by a demonstration—not a final one, but more like a practice so we could adjust and not be surprised during our final demonstration. When we introduced ourselves to the class, students from all my assigned classes showed that they loved physical activities or games. This gave me the idea to integrate games into my future lessons. My goal was to help students understand and solve math while incorporating movement so they would not feel bored. So, I crafted a blueprint on how I would assist Bu Livia in every class.

First, I ensured that I incorporated games related to the topic I would discuss. Second, I helped Bu Livia check students’ understanding by guiding them on how to solve problems, particularly in finding the mode of grouped data. Last but the crucial one is ,I aimed to create a bond with my students so they would feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns in English.

That was my initial plan, but things did not go as I expected. One class had a different topic, so I needed to think quickly and act as if I were prepared. I improvised my motivation activity, and it turned out that the students were dancing to math-related moves. After that, I carefully listened to Bu Livia’s discussion to refresh my knowledge of the topic. I was back on track and continued helping the students understand the lesson, especially the boys at the back, by re-teaching them.

At the end of the two days of assisting, I can say that my plan was fulfilled. I was able to implement one icebreaker—mathematics dance moves—and two games: cabbage peeling and Mathematics charades. Most importantly, I was able to create a bond with my students. They expressed that they wanted to see me again in the next session, asked for more games, and wanted more of my lessons. Some students even said, “I understand better when Sir Ivan teaches Math,” which served as my motivation for the next class. I am very satisfied with the results of my assistantship. I feel motivated to do more and improve in my next discussion, and I was able to create a connection that contributes to a more conducive learning environment.

But that was only the beginning; the next phase is where I take the lead.

Photo courtesy of MA Mathouli’ul Anwar

A three-story tall green building lines up in a cornered U-shape. Posters of achievements are placed almost on the inner sides of the school. A concrete-tiled plaza with a basketball court that is almost never used, two futsal goals, and a wide, sturdy green gate are also present. There is also a security guard who always salutes when he sees me coming. That is how I can describe my assigned school, MA Mathouli’ul Anwar, but it is usually called Mawar. In English, Mawar means rose. Ironically, the color branding of the school is green, not red. But behind this green color branding, the school still preserves the love that the color red traditionally represents. Here is my reason why: in our first visit to the school, I never expected how warmly the students, teachers, and staff of Mawar welcomed us. They prepared so much even though we never imagined it—from the performances, the gifts, and the energy that the students gave, everything was superb. But behind that overview is a classroom that helps shape and resonate those kind of attitude. As our observation week commenced, I am assigned to observe three classes, all in Grade 10, namely X.1, X.2, and X.3, each with different characteristics, bonds, and capabilities to learn.

The classrooms are quite similar to those in the Philippines. The only difference is that seats are separated between girls and boys. Qur’an books are everywhere, and the old type of unmovable chairs is still present. They also have one door that functions as both entrance and exit. Their technology usage is quite limited in the room, with only a television and a QR code for attendance. The teachers are only allowed to use phones. In this Islamic school, students may use them but only outside the school premises. That is why it is hard to integrate technology-based learning in this school.

For the students, most of them wore proper uniforms, while many of the girls wore hijabs. They are already in their lecture rooms prior to time of discussion, which is an implication of discipline. Inside the room, they are more comfortable with each other. Although I cannot understand what they are talking about but based on their expressions, they clearly show connection and a sense of belongingness. During discussion, they listen ,sometimes noise at the back was still present. But because I was seated next to the back-seater boys, they were willing to pay attention. Some feel bored during the discussion, specifically in times when they work by themselves; they do irrelevant things instead of answering examples in their textbook. They are also shy in expressing their ideas and are scared of committing mistakes or errors. But on the other hand, if they understand the lesson quickly, they become more active and confident.

Behind these students is a teacher who is always there for them. Bu Livia, my mentor and cooperating teacher, is a very considerate teacher who teaches the students at a pace that fits them. She always starts the lesson with a prayer, followed by checking of attendance, and proceeds to the lesson proper. Unlike in the Philippines, where we need to follow guidelines and parts of a lesson plan such as motivation or activating prior knowledge. In her case she uses questioning as a form of review for the students. Some lessons are just a continuation, which is why she skips the activating prior knowledge part. She is an expert, I can tell—even though I don’t understand Bahasa, just by observing how she solves and presents the solution of problems, Bu Livia is clearly good in Mathematics. Contrary to the Philippine way of teaching, where we often end up evaluating students’ learning, in this Islamic school they do not end the lesson that way. They do not have a clean paper for evaluation. They simply end the lesson with an answered set of problems and a clarifying question.

Beyond this classroom observation, I also perceived how the institution implements discipline among their students. If in the Philippines teachers can be sued just by hitting a child or even placing a hand on a student, in this Islamic school it is very different. They punish students as if they are in the military. One day, I noticed many students just standing behind the school gate doing nothing. I asked Pak Irfan, “What are the students doing?” He said it was because they were late. I was completely surprised because they were made to stand under the scorching heat as punishment. Even girls with heavy makeup are not exempted. But the punishment does not end there—they are required to read a chapter of their holy book. That explains why most of the students in my assigned school are more disciplined compared to most students in the Philippines.

Although those policies are present, the value toward their elders is still preserved. Students believe that even if you graduate and achieve a higher rank than your senior, your senior will always and forever be senior, and you must respect and value that. In addition, in my assigned school, the teachers, including the headmaster, show love and affection to the students. Every day around six in the morning, they always line up at the gate welcoming the students to the school. That simple gesture creates a bond between students and teachers and creates a sense of belongingness among each learner.

Even if Mawar uses green as its branding color, which does not traditionally signify love like a rose, color is only what the eye can see. The true meaning goes beyond what we notice visually. The intention to express love, respect, and value remains present beyond the color itself.

With all these observations and insights in mind, I feel better equipped for the next phase of my journey as an exchange student teacher. I am now prepared to step into the role of assisting the class with greater awareness.

“This picture was taken during my first task as an official member of Team Indonesia.”

“After my junior year, I will just live like a normal student with a clear vision to take the simple path of my teaching internship journey.” This was me thinking a year ago before I enrolled in the senior year of my bachelor’s degree. As an average student, I always choose the easiest path. “Average student” means average responsibility, average dreams, and average experiences. However, the universe perhaps had another plan for me, and the simple path that I created was not fulfilled. Instead, the universe put me on a path that was beyond my imagination.

I was one of the candidates, and later the representative of mathematics education, to become an international student under the SEA-Teacher program, an international exchange initiative by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). This program allows preservice teachers to observe classes, teach, and learn from mentors. The goal is to improve their teaching skills, English communication, and understanding of different cultures.

At lightning speed, days turned into weeks, and the exchange program really occurred right in front of my face on the 4th of April four students and a teacher arrived full of excitement, ready to explore our teaching style and immerse themselves in the culture. I was able to witness their journey for about a week, and the days after that, it was time for me to explore, understand, learn, and experience the education and culture in Indonesia.

I am Ivan S. Sajol, a mathematics student-teacher from Southern Leyte State University-Tomas Oppus Campus, your storyteller with a curious soul who said “yes” to becoming an exchange student—and ended up collecting unforgettable moments, cultural surprises, and a few hilarious misunderstandings along the way.

Somewhere along these pages, I found pieces of a journey I didn’t know I needed. Perhaps, in some unexpected way, as you scan these pages, you might find something here too.