New Learning Environment at SMPN 2 Jalancagak

FOLLOWING her participation in DBE3 training for school principals, Ms Kriswati, Principal of SMPN 2 Jalancagak started to apply the instructional leadership approach. Her policy and leadership is coordinated with students' learning. She asks her teachers to identify their students' needs so that learning is contextual. "To achieve this, I have been doing fundraising in order to meet the need for learning resources," she stated. SMPN 2 Jalancagak is a newly established school which opened with only 300 students. One year after its opening, the number of students doubled to 600. This reflects the improvement of school performance as a result of the teachers' achievements.

Encouraging Teachers' Enthusiasm in Teaching

Teachers in SMPN 2 Jalancagak are provided with technical assistance to help them face challenges in their teaching. In addition to using her own pedagogy skills, Ms Kriswati is supported by DBE3 district facilitators in guiding teachers to solve problems related to teaching and learning. For her, teachers' participation in DBE3 training is not only allowed but actively encouraged. "I even asked DBE3 to train my other teachers, who are not teachers of core subjects. I allocated a budget to give training to the teachers who were not invited to DBE3 training."

Creating a Conducive Learning Environment

The school environment is set up to encourage student learning. Teachers arrange their classrooms to encourage student interaction and display students' work, while the principal works hard to provide good school facilities. Every corner of the school is used as a learning resource and media. A cooperation has been established with Inagreen which has made available land for the students to learn agriculture. The produce from this land also adds to the school's income. Ms Kriswati added, "We now have a very conducive environment where students and teachers can practice active learning."