We learn more than just from a “Book” – a perspective of using National Geographic Learning
When I first introduced National Geographic Learning into my English class at SMA Warga Surakarta, I wasn’t sure what to expect because this was actually my first time also. This curriculum is new in Indonesia and still not many of school uses this curriculum. First, I was actually wondering what’s make this curriculum is different with others, like Cambridge or even IB. Beside that, as a teacher, I’ve always wanted my students to be engaged, curious, and confident as well. But I knew that getting there wasn’t always easy. As far as my experience, traditional textbooks often felt disconnected from real life condition, and my students often struggled to find personal connections with the material in the textbook. But the moment we opened our first National Geographic Learning book, something changed.
The lively images of distant landscapes, diverse cultures, uniqueness from around the world and incredible wildlife that existed in the NGL Book immediately captured our full attention. Finally, we thought that English wasn’t just a subject, more than just that, it became a window to the world. As the tagline of National Geographic Learning “Bringing the world into the classroom” wasn’t just a promise, it was a reality. At the time I was observing my class, my students started asking questions, sharing their thoughts, and making connections between their lives and the global stories. Their confidence grew and create a lively classroom.
One of my students, Riri, once told me, “I used to be so afraid to speakEnglish in class because I thought my English wasn’t good enough. But when we had a discussion about culture in a certain country, I really wanted to share my opinions about that. I felt that was insightful to know many cultures and differences around the world. Also, I felt like my ideas mattered.”
Another student, Kevin, discovered his love for storytelling through these lessons. “The videos and articles we read make me feel like I’m traveling without leaving the classroom. I used to hate writing essays or even blogpost, but now I love sharing my own stories because I feel inspired.”
National Geographic Learning (NGL) does more than teach grammar and vocabulary. It empowers students by making them feel connected to the world. They learn about environmental issues, cultural traditions, and scientific discoveries while developing critical thinking and communication skills at the same time. Most importantly, they gain their confidence to express themselves in learning English. As well as the teacher, we gained more references of teaching in a creative way and various of methods. NGL also provided us with very complete teaching and learning tools like teacher guide, workbook, exam questions and many others.
Even it’s still our first year using NGL in our school, but everyone are excited to learn more about this curriculum even the teacher. Our school has provided a learning space called collaborative room to facilitate students in learning English. They can share thoughts, engage more in learning and discussion. Those activities has made our English class more alive. As a teacher, watching my students has made a progress not just in language proficiency but in self-belief has been really incredible. English is no longer difficult and boring for students, since NGL book provided us with various fun and engaging activities. It makes the world is no longer distant or unfamiliar, it is part of our classroom, and it has shaping my students into curious, confident global citizens and that, I believe, is the greatest lesson of all.
Writer: Miss Aini (English Teacher)
