metanoia
A New Way of Seeing
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introduction
“Manette, again?”
This became a familiar remark throughout my internship, often lightheartedly uttered whenever I experienced memory lapses or forgot routine matters. What initially appeared as an inside joke among my SEA Teacher fellows and our coordinator, Dr. Waode Ade Sarasmita Uke, gradually revealed not only my human tendency toward error, but my capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn. This embodies the essence of metanoia—a transformative shift in one’s way of seeing. Such transformation is not achieved through the active pursuance of perfection, but through metacognition shaped by meaningful learning experiences. My international practicum challenged my existing assumptions about the teaching-learning process and my professional identity, prompting me to adopt a more reflective perspective of myself as a pre-service teacher.
Beyond its academic purpose of showcasing the declarative (knowing what) and procedural (knowing how) knowledge I acquired during the SEA Teacher Programme Batch 11, it also serves as a resource I can revisit to inform my future teaching practice. In this e-portfolio, I have compiled my observations, each analyzing school- or classroom-based scenarios that I closely examined within my practicum school, Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Kota Kendari (MAN 1). It also features the learning plan I developed in Bahasa Indonesia, aligned with Kurikulum Merdeka and the Pancasila Student Profile, as well as my teaching methodologies encompassing procedures, classroom management, time management, activity organization, and problem-solving. Furthermore, it presents a synthesis of reflections and recommendations drawn from my participation in the aforementioned project.
Conclusively, what once echoed as “Manette, again?”—an expression that called attention to my lapses—has been redefined into “Manette, again.” It now stands not as an indicator of failure, but as an affirmation of my resilience: that despite missteps, I persist, I learn, and I begin again. Eventually, the phrase became my personal ethos, one that asserts that growth transcends getting everything right the first time, and instead lies in the willingness to make mistakes and learn from them incessantly. As I often remind my SEA Teacher fellows, “No mistakes, no guts.”
Manette Ambrona Ochong, a 22-year-old native of Purok 3, San Francisco, Talisay, Camarines Norte, Bicol, Philippines, is an innovative student currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a major in Sciences at Camarines Norte State College – Abaño. Raised in a family of educators, she developed an early inclination toward teaching—imitating her mother’s methods through childhood games of “teacher-teacheran,” while inheriting her father’s fascination with science as a former electronic physics instructor in academia. These formative experiences inspired her to pursue a career in the same field.
As a DOST-SEI Patriot Scholar, she embodies the core values of academic excellence, servant leadership, and social responsibility, while upholding the mantra, “Iskolar ng Bayan, Para sa Bayan” (Scholar of the Nation, For the Nation). She advocates for the advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM) education by preparing to become a full-fledged science teacher while also serving as a student researcher and science journalist.
During her undergraduate years, Manette assumed numerous leadership roles within the institution. She served as Vice President for External Affairs of both the Great Educators and Noble Engineers of Sciences (GENES) organization and the CNSC DOST-SEI Scholars’ Association during SY 2023–2024, and later as President of the latter in SY 2024–2025. She currently serves as its Education and Research Head for SY 2025–2026, while also holding the position of General Secretary of the College of Education Student Government (CoEd-SG). Beyond the institution, she is the Education and Research Councilor of DOST Bicol SINGCO and serves as the SAO representative to the National Patriot Scholars’ House of Representatives. Through these roles, she has drawn valuable lessons from her fellow scholar-leaders, which have strengthened her communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, and time management skills—competencies integral for effective teaching.
Recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Student Teachers in the Bicol Region in 2026, Manette further expanded her horizons by participating in the SEA-Teacher Project Batch 11 under the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at Universitas Halu Oleo, Kendari, Indonesia, from April 5 to May 2, 2026. During this 28-day pre-service teacher exchange program, she taught senior high school physics at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Kota Kendari (MAN 1). Drawing from this learning opportunity, she endeavors to introduce novel and context-responsive teaching approaches that address the systemic and enduring problems of science education in the Philippines. Grounded in her mantra, she lives by the words: “Do not be afraid to be the first.”
BIOGRAPHY
Click to learn more about me as a pre-service teacher:)
