A Living Proof that Sports Teachers are Fun and Creative!

"Since I was a child, I've been helping my parents with odd jobs, sometimes doing work that is too hard for children physically. I became a street musicians from bus to bus, and helped my mother sell food at the school cafeteria. Before she passed away, my mother prayed that I could have a job that wasn't physically strenuous considering I have asthma. Alhamdulillah, my late mother's prayer was answered. Now I'm a teacher," said Pak Ade with a twinkle in his eye. 

Pak Ade is a sports teacher who has been assigned to an elementary school in East Jakarta since 2016. Apart from being a teacher, he is also the coordinator of Scouts and extracurricular activities at the school where he teaches. Also, he is one of the teachers who helped implement the Build Our Kids Success (BOKS) program in collaboration with WVI from January to June 2023. 

His career as an educator is inseparable from his late mother's prayer that one day he could become a teacher. Pak Ade said that he came from an economically disadvantaged family. A hard childhood, however, encouraged him to care about children.   

"I want to be an adult who facilitates fun and play experiences for children. Moreover, I am very happy to be involved in helping implement the BOKS program at the school where I teach. I and the other three teachers at the school are grateful to WVI for adding our knowledge and skills so we can provide fun learning for the students," added Pak Ade. 

Thanks to the BOKS program, Pak Ade was able to overcome the challenges he experienced as a sports teacher from grade 1 to 6. "Before receiving the BOKS module training, the challenge I usually faced was that ice breaking or moving activities for students were not varied enough. Meanwhile, as a teacher, I have to be creative in teaching so that students remain enthusiastic about sports. With the BOKS program, it is very helpful to add many variations of ice breaking and other new and innovative movements so that students are not bored," he said. 

By being involved in the BOKS program, Ade considers that creativity as an educator increases, especially when teaching lower grade students who are still very happy to play. "Teaching sports to lower grade students must be in a playful way in order to foster an understanding to them that sports are fun activities, not difficult or tiring activities," said Pak Ade. 

Another benefit of the BOKS program is that it helps Pak Ade facilitate sports lessons that are integrated with nutrition education, because physical activity is very important to be supported by good nutritional intake. In the BOKS module, there is a presentation on BOKS nutrition after the physical activity session. Pak Ade along with three other teachers utilize the BOKS nutrition material to teach to the Little Doctor students every Thursday. The Little Doctor students then present the explanation of nutritious healthy eating to other students at school.  

Of course, it is a good practice for the BOKS program when these Little Doctors can become peer educators who encourage other students to have healthy eating habits or bring lunch from home. 

Ferania, a Little Doctor at the school gave a positive testimony of the BOKS nutrition materials, "Thank you to Wahana Visi Indonesia for the BOKS materials that increase our knowledge about balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle by exercising. Healthy BOKS nutrition, strong body!". 

Although the 2nd year of the BOKS program has ended, Pak Ade admits that he still uses the materials in the BOKS module and integrates them into sports lessons. 

"The BOKS program is still in line with what is in the sports lessons so of course I still use the BOKS module," explained Pak Ade. He is also ready to be in charge of inspiring the teachers of the third year of the BOKS program which will be implemented during the next 2024. The knowledge that Pak Ade has gained, according to him, needs to be shared again so that it can encourage the enthusiasm of other teachers in organizing fun learning at school. 

"As an educator who loves children, of course I am happy if I can have a broad impact, not only in the scope of where I teach, to build healthy habits for Indonesian children through various activities!" he hoped. 

For more information about BOKS project, please visit www.anakboks.com.

Author: Donna Marietha (BOKS Project Coordinator in Jakarta) 

Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)