Tips Menjadi Guru Inspiratif, Kreatif, Dan Inovatif

By : Jamal Ma’mur Asmani

Publisher : Diva Press

Year : 2011

Pages : 238

Do you want to be a good teacher? A good teacher who is inspirational, creative, and innovative. According to Jamal, teacher is a prime actor in success of education that is applied. Educational institution is one of big hope for this country to raise our country from under-developed in all aspects. 

There are twelve chapters in this book. In the first chapter, the writer explains us about who is proper to be called as a teacher, next he tells us that a teacher is preluding the window of the world or gives as more information and knowledge. In the chapter three, he informs us about a teacher in teaching and learning, and then the writer tells us about the effect of teacher disciplines in learning effectiveness. The next chapter, he writes that the things that are hated by students, then he writes about how to be an ideal and innovative teacher. In chapter seven, he explains that a teacher and a low writing habit. The eighth chapter, the writer tells us about a teacher and administration problems, then teacher duty in a society, next is a teacher and economical independent, after that is looking at the teachers in a developed country. And the last chapter is closing. 

In the first chapter, the writer tries to tell us about who is proper to be called as a teacher. According to the writer, a teacher is a key of education. It means that if a teacher is successful, the students will be successful too. A teacher is a students’ inspiring person and a motivator in creating their future. He says that if teachers that interact directly to the students is unprofessional, uncreative, and not so productive, a student will be lazy and pessimistic in facing their future. 

This chapter consists of four angles. The first angle is about teacher criteria. Chusnul Chotimah in this book says that a teacher, in simply meaning is a person that facilitate knowledge from learning source to students, in her opinion, there are some ideal teacher criteria such as is able to manage time wisely, like reading, make a work in writing skill, and the last is like doing research. In additional, Wijaya Kusuma states that there are five teacher criteria like is able to understand her / his profession, like reading and writing, be sensitive in time, creative and innovative and the last is having five wits (intellectual, moral, social, emotional and also motoric). The writer also grafts Brown’s opinion about teacher scholar criteria for instances a teacher should have high curiosity, sharp intuition, self-discipline, never be satisfied with temporary result, always do introspection, and have strong spirit. The writer also tells that there are four step to be done by a teacher in order to become a facilitator creative process in learning. The first is able to accommodate learning style in each student, second is creating interesting of learning atmosphere, third is able to creating a creativity and the last is throwing away all obstacles in learning. 

The second angle is about teacher requirements. Desi Reminsa states that there are some requirements to be an ideal teacher such as having enough intellectual, being able to understand the education vision and mission, being able to transfer knowledge or learning methodology, understanding the psychology of the students. 

The next angle is about teacher functions and duties. There are some functions and duties of a teacher. The first is a teacher as an educator, as an educator, knowledge is the prime requirement that must be had by a teacher. Reading, writing, discussing, following information and being responsive in actual problems are very needed to improve teacher quality. A teacher as a leader, a teacher is also a leader in a class, so he / she must be able to master, manage, and guide the class to create the purpose of high quality learning. A teacher as a facilitator, as a facilitator, a teacher should facilitate students to find out and improve their ability. A teacher as a motivator, he / she must be able to raise students’ motivation. As a motivator, a teacher is also a psychologist that is hoped to be able to know the psychology of the students. A teacher as an administrator is in administration. A teacher is an evaluator. The fourth angle, he tries to explain us about teachers’ responsibility. 

In chapter two, the writer will inform us about a teacher is preluding the window of the world or give as more information and knowledge. In doing her / his functions and duties, a teacher should know about all problems. To be a good teacher, she or he should understand the globalization, give the objective assessment and apply progressive and selective principles. 

The next chapter is about a teacher in teaching and learning. As a teacher, she / he not only transfer of knowledge but also it is able to transfer of value. There is an aspect in this consideration. The important of paragon because of teachers’ duties are teaching and learning. There are the negative things that appear from less teacher paragon, there is no emotional relation between teacher and students, students become perfunctory, there is no change effect, and a teacher will be leaved from the institution. 

In the fourth chapter, he tries to tell us about the effect of teacher disciplines in learning effectiveness. According to the writer, discipline is the elegant thing in this country, including a teacher. A teacher as a paragon for students must give good action in doing discipline act. A teacher should maximize the exercises and he / she must remember the benefits of discipline, the future, the responsibility, be able to manage time and stay away from useless things. This chapter also explains us that there are so many kinds of discipline, namely discipline in timing, in maintaining rules, in attitude, and in praying. 

Then, he tells readers about the things that are hated by students. Many students hate a messy teacher, a teacher that teaches scarcely, unfear, always gives much unclear homework, and has an abrupt manner, like punishing, unfriendly and never cares about the students. 

The next chapter is about how to be an ideal and innovative teacher. To be an ideal and innovative teacher is very important. There are ten ways to be an ideal and innovative teacher. The first is mastering the material. It is important thing to be an ideal teacher. An ideal should write the plan of the study in order to be able to put and share teacher’s idea. Second is a teacher should have wide knowledge. A new thing that is explained by a teacher will be interesting for students to improve their spirit to follow the material that is shared by a teacher. Next is communicative, students will be glad if their teacher is friendly. After that is dialogic, interactive dialogic method is able to come students’ up in reading spirit. The fifth is fusion of theory and practice, then is step by step or continually, has an approach variety, cannot ignore the material, and cannot insist the student by giving many hard tasks, and the last is being humorist. Those then indicators of ideal teacher are important to be done to improve teaching quality.

In this chapter, the writer also tells us about the kinds of teaching methodology. The first is preaching method. Preaching method is a teaching method by delivering the information and knowledge orally to students generally. This method is more effective in delivering information. Some goodness’s from this method are teacher will be easy to take-over a class, to explain many materials, can be followed by many students and easy to do. But it also has some disadvantages such as it can make students become passive, difficult to control the understanding of the students and it is so boring. Next methodology is discussion method, and demonstration method, and also preaching plus, recitation method, experimental method, opus tour method, discovery method and the last is inquiry method.

Not only kinds of methodology, but also how to be a professional teacher that is written in this chapter. According to Oemar Hamalik, there are ten basic abilities that must be mastered by a teacher. Number one is ability to master the material, next is ability to manage teaching-earning program,then the ability to manage class through study experiences, after that ability to use media / source through study experiences, then ability to master the principles of education through study experiences, the sixth basic is ability to manage teaching-learning through study experiences, next is ability to assess students’ achievement by using study experiences, after that is ability to understand the function and counseling service program through study experiences, the ninth is ability to know and organize the school administration by using study experiences and the last is ability to understand the principles and interpret the result of educational research for instruction necessaries.

Oemar Hamalik (2008) states that a professional teacher certainly trust in some important things such as a teacher is as a model, as a planner, able to be a ‘doctor’ that is able to diagnose students’ studies progress, as a leader, and as a guide in knowledge source.

The next chapter is about a teacher and a teacher and a low writing habit. Being an ideal teacher, a teacher must also have writing ability, especially in scientific writing. The writer tells us many advantages of writing. According to The Liang Gie (1992:1-3) there are six benefits of writing. The number one is aspect of intelligence. By writing, a writer is insisted to show or to argue their feeling and thinking, the second is aspect of education, next is aspect of spiritual, then aspect of society, after that is aspect of financial and the last is aspect of philosophy. 

In this chapter also consists of writing motivations, and requirements to be a writer. Actually become a writer is easy thing, but they need processes that must be faced bravely and patiently. A writer to be must like reading, never forget and full of spirit and focus on their ability. 

In chapter eight, he tries to explain us about teacher and financial problem. There are two big problems of financial that happen. They are certification and under graduate stratification. Certification is a process that must be done by a teacher to get teaching certification as an evidence that she / he has full filled ideal teacher qualification related to the requirement that is decided by government, both in academic and social aspect. From two financial problems that are decided by government, there are five critical notes that must be paid attention to a teacher. The first is certification and stratification of under graduate is progressive strategy from government to improve teacher quality and professionalism, whereas they are able to compete sportively, objectively, accountably in modernism process. Next is the benefits from government policy is very positive enough, there are so many teacher who continue their study to complete the under graduate. After that it can make three anticipations such as preventive, curative, and anticipative. Then it can make an effective instrument in preparing ideal teachers to be. And the last it can keep moral and intellectual integrity. 

The ninth chapter is teacher duty in a society. A teacher in society can be a paragon. And a teacher has five roles in society like an educator, potency activator, and setter of cadence, conflict mediator and cultural leader. Teachers’ knowledge must be transferred for the students, in order that the value is bigger and more. A teacher is not only as an educator but also an active activator to activate big potent for students.

Next chapter is about a teacher and economical independent. Classical problem that is often faced by a teacher and always become reasons of causing no teacher professionalism is prosperity problem. Teacher prosperity is a problem that is difficult to solve. In this problem, a teacher must be creative to open new trade that can raise her / his necessary. To amend the economical aspect, there are some ways such as side job, practice directly in working world, make a relation, improve the competitiveness and help one another in anytime and anywhere.

Chapter eleven he tells about looking at the teachers in a developed country. Learn about how a teacher is in developed country is effective to compare teacher condition in our country. We must inspire the education as a part of our life. Teachers are in abroad think that education belongs to their life, not just to look for economic prosperity. In developed country, especially in West Country, the instruction method is so systematical, dialogical, and logical. In writing thesis or other scientific writing, a student not only depend a normative thing but also empirical research that is supported by basic of good rational analysis. In West Country, the effectiveness of instruction is much insisted. Education acceleration is also needed. 

The last chapter is closing. The writer informs us that being an ideal and innovative teacher that emphasizes professionalism is hoping all teachers in this country. Not all teachers do all the best. An ideal teacher needs something different to improve their capability. Hopefully we can follow the good teacher that we have ever seen and met her / him. 

By reading this book, you who want to be an ideal teacher can take the methods, strategies and others. Furthermore if we have been taking the teacher training faculty, it can help us easily to understand and comprehend what teacher should do in instructional class.