Ratih, a teacher at a MI (Islamic primary school) in Pulau Morotai District, North Maluku Province, has a strong enthusiasm to keep learning and developing herself. Ratih feels called to participate in addressing the challenge of low literacy and numeracy levels among students. This issue is not only evident in the national education report cards but also reinforced by global assessments like PISA.
The opportunity came when her school was designated as one of the target intervention sites for the KREASI program in Morotai. She eagerly participated in a series of capacity-building training for teachers, including knowledge sharing from master teachers and mentor training for literacy and numeracy clubs.
From these trainings, Ratih realized that her understanding of literacy had been limited.
“I thought literacy was only about the ability to read books, but it’s more than that. Literacy is the ability to extract information from reading and understand the meaning behind the words,” Ratih said.
Before understanding this, Ratih often struggled with how to help students overcome difficulties in comprehending texts. But after receiving guidance from the master teacher, she found a way.
“Children must be introduced to letters first, then words, and then sentences. Without recognizing letters, they cannot read or understand words,” she explained.
Not only her perspective on literacy changed, but Ratih’s view on numeracy also shifted dramatically.
“I didn’t like mathematics much. But after joining the numeracy training, I began to like numeracy even more than literacy,” she said with a smile.
She realized that numeracy is not just about mathematical calculations but also includes understanding basic number concepts and logical thinking.
One of the most memorable moments for her was learning to use straw waste to teach flat shapes and geometry concepts to students.
“Teaching numeracy can be done in a fun way while also fostering environmental awareness. The children learn while playing and at the same time learn to reuse waste materials,” Ratih said enthusiastically.
Ratih feels that the training provided by KREASI was very beneficial because it focused not only on theory but also emphasized direct practice in the field.
“Now, I know that learning can be fun. I want my students not to get bored of learning and to be more interested in literacy and numeracy,” she hopes.
After participating in several mentor capacity-building activities, Ratih feels more confident to apply what she has learned in the classroom.
“We are ready to implement more effective literacy and numeracy teaching, especially for students who still face difficulties,” she said.
She also expressed her gratitude to KREASI, run by Save the Children and the implementing partner Stimulant Institute in Morotai.
“Through this program, we not only gained knowledge but also shared experiences and built collaboration with teachers from other schools in Morotai,” Ratih concluded. Ratih’s spirit reflects the passion of young teachers across Indonesia: never tiring of learning, growing, and becoming a light for the nation’s future generations.
Writer: Ayutama (Stimulant Institute Communication Officer)
Editor: Andika Ramadhan (KREASI Communication & Media Support)