Teaching Methods

Presently, with the adoption of the Merdeka Curriculum, SMP Muhammadiyah 2 Yogyakarta (Muchild) has witnessed a change in the modes of teaching, coupled with a growing emphasis on student-centered teaching and enhancement of critical thinking skills. Teachers should abandon traditional lecture-based methods, starting to use interactive and participatory teaching.

Project-based learning stands out as one of the most widely accepted techniques, an approach based on collaborative group projects in which students solve problems, conduct research, and exercise their creativity. Students in English should be allowed, based on their discretion, to choose their means of output, whether a presentation or a video or photo editing activity or poster or dance or singing performance, as long as they reflect the project’s theme. I remember when I was a student teacher, my teacher was having a brainstorm on the discussion and planning for the project with his students. Some students proposed picture-based posters, others had a preference for digital storytelling, and still, others went for a performance. With this modality, they can exercise their own creativity while applying their language skills meaningfully.

Another major aspect of practice is where teachers individually tailor their lessons in terms of cognitive styles and learning capabilities, in other words, differentiated learning. Differentiating is the act of providing various tasks and tactile activities, creating worksheets and visual aids, and implementing hands-on actions through interactive games and classroom discussions, thus enabling all learners to be equipped to grasp the concept in an easier manner.

What is more, the emphasis on active learning and flexibility of teaching methods at Muchild has really created a vibrant classroom environment, where students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning-just as my cooperating teacher told me. This experience has opened my eyes to witness how creative ways of teaching engage and help the learners.