Asri and Green Harmony Learning

Back in 2010, Wahana Visi Indonesia and the school principal introduced a new teaching method called Green Harmony in Singkawang -- the city of a thousand Chinese temples -- in West Kalimantan province.

As a senior teacher, Asri was initially a bit reluctant to adopt a new teaching method. She was unsure about the approach, which offered increased interaction with the students.

However, Asri was among the 80 teachers joining the first training about the new approach. And her enthusiasm rapidly grew when she joined the second and third training sessions.

When she started practicing what she learned with her students, she witnessed the transformation in her class. Her students were more interested, motivated and enjoyed the learning process.

Asri also provided opportunities for her students to learn outside the classroom walls. They explored gardens, forests, plantations and the environment.

"We allowed them to learn directly from what they observed in the paddy fields, the plantations, and from talking with the farmers. They can learn a lot of local wisdom from such interactions," said Asri.

That is the essence of the Green Harmony approach: to let the students learn themselves, from their neighbors, from their friends, and their environment.

Asri also established a class committee with the parents of her 4th grade students. The parents were very enthusiastic to have the opportunity to support the teachers and the learning process. They gladly supported the school, even planting trees inside the school compound.

All the efforts initiated by Asri, the other teachers and the students have catapulted the Bagak Sahwa Public Primary School 2 in East Singkawang district into a model school for the Green Harmony teaching approach.

I found out that retirement is not the end of my career. I am now still around to help facilitate other schools to embrace transformation for the sake of the students.

And Asri, although retired as a teacher in April 2013 after more than 30 years of teaching, was chosen as one of the 20 master teachers whose role is to replicate the Green Harmony approach to other schools in the district.

Asri's rich experience in teaching and implementing the Green Harmony encourages other teachers.

Asri is just one of the many inspiring stories of the master teachers. This team has become the backbone, which will ensure the sustainability of the Green Harmony implementation and the learning transformation across the Singkawang region in the coming years.

*Written by Mardea Mumpuni, Marketing Communications World Vision Indonesia | Edited and Translated by Hendro Suwito, Senior Editor World Vision Indonesia