Student Adaptation In Dealing with The School Environment During The Field Experience Program (PPL) at SMA Negeri 1 Rendang

Abstract

Field Experience Practice (PPL) is an important component of teacher education because it gives pre-service teachers the opportunity to apply teaching knowledge and skills directly in a school environment. PPL also requires students to adjust to social settings, pedagogical demands, and emotional conditions during teaching. This article describes the author's adaptation experiences during PPL at SMA Negeri 1 Rendang, particularly in social communication, classroom instruction, and emotional management. It uses a descriptive qualitative approach focused on the author's personal reflection. The experiences are grouped into three aspects: social, pedagogical, and emotional adaptation, and are discussed with reference to literature on pre-service teaching practice. The reflection indicates that the author felt awkward when communicating with the cooperating teacher, school staff, and students. During instruction, the author experienced difficulty opening lessons, explaining material, encouraging student participation, and creating a relaxed classroom atmosphere. The author also felt nervous and lacked confidence. Teaching without the cooperating teacher's direct assistance was an additional challenge when explaining material. These experiences highlight the importance of lesson preparation, professional communication, mentoring, and reflection in the adaptation process. Since the discussion is based on personal experience, its conclusions are limited to the author's context and cannot be generalized to all PPL students.