Late post: now working as an English Teacher...... an unpaid one. Yes, volunteering.

Dear, several days before I had my sotsugyoushiki, I updated a facebook status stating my desperate feeling. I was frustrated and desperate due to my jobless status. About 20 cover letters were sent to schools and institutions, several interviews and tests were held but resulted to none. I was also trying to search for some scholarships for pursuing my M.A, but unfortunately M.A. in ELT in State University of Malang is not registered in all the domestic-study scholarships held by the government. For pursuing M.A., I believe that studying GRE for registering in USA universities can't be done instantly. I need more, more tedious exercises on preparing myself for that test. Simply, I was in such a depressing situation that I couldn't help myself to let my anger exploded in my facebook status. at about 85 comments came to encourage me and gave me insights in searching a better career and, oh - a good trick to apply for a job in schools. I really thanked my friends and senior who gave me valuable advises to consider.

Hearing me in a troubled situation, Endah offered me to fill a vacancy in her school, they need an English teacher. she told me every single thing regarding the school's condition. It is Madrasah Terpadu Al Hamid, which belongs to an Islamic boarding school named PP Sabilul Huda. Well, this is the second time I work for Islamic school. I don't mean to underestimate or to humiliate their image, but this school is literally in a poor condition - their walls are still bricks, no floors, and yeah - I feel like I'm having an SM3T but the location is not that remote nor isolated, no. It is located in Bumiayu, Kedungkandang. Well, it is 22km away from my home.

the school is managed under an institution named "Yayasan Sosial Al Hamid". See? SOCIAL it is. the students do not pay any single buck for pursuing their education, and even they are given a set of uniforms, books, and stationaries - for FREE. Also, the teachers are unpaid. Sometimes we are paid with a sack of rice and instant noodles.
Am I desperate for having this situation? In fact, not really.
I believe that working here can also mean being a volunteer. I want to purge all the sins I've made as the Lord's servant. besides that, if I don't grab this chance, I don't know whether there will be another door opened for me.
I also wished that this volunteering work can be a consideration for me when applying a scholarship.
My main purpose of working here is that I need my skill to be trained. To be a good teacher means a lot of practice and it should be done in a real-life teaching, facing real students and to give real tasks. I want to keep on learning and to improve myself on being a teacher. Well, teachers are life-long learners and I strongly believe in that statement.

Dear, I still have a long way to go. I have just graduated two months ago and I still have nothing, and let the new world I face build me into a stronger and a better teacher :)

a part of the school I'm now working