Caption: Nadif and Satya, Joglo Preschool, March 17, 2025, Reading Arabic letters with Satya, photographer : Nanik
I am happy to share my reflections on how I practice speaking concisely. Initially, I often recounted my experiences using long sentences because I needed to convey what I had experienced accurately, structurally, and in detail. On the other hand, I had to learn to use concise language. So, there was a contradiction in my mind. I wondered whether speaking concisely would change the flow of my story. However, after joining Joglo and participating in the “Building a Culture of Justice and Peace” training in 2023, my perspective began to shift. I realized that speaking concisely does not mean being superficial. On the contrary, with concise and clear words, our message becomes easier to understand – especially for children.
I find it easier to speak concisely when interacting with children than when interacting with adults. I realize that children understand better when I use short words and don’t beat around the bush.
However, I still often see children and parents interacting using long sentences. And it seems that this has become the norm. For example, when I see a child playing tag, and the parent warns, “Don’t run around! You might fall! If you fall, you’ll cry.” What happens is that the child continues to run, and for some reason, the child falls. The parent’s response is not to acknowledge the child’s feelings, but rather the parent’s anger because the child did not follow their advice.
Together with the children at Joglo, my fellow teachers and I use words that we want to hear the children respond to. So, when the children are running around in the classroom, we say, “Walk.” Naturally, the children begin to slow down. If the children continue to run, I need to approach them and make sure they are paying attention, then I say, “Please walk.” Although in reality, children do not always understand immediately; they often need time to comprehend the meaning. We consistently practice using short and clear instructions. Interestingly, this applies not only to children – adults sometimes also struggle to understand the meaning if the words they hear are too long.
(On the front – Nadif & Eli, (on the back) Ninok & Ngatini, Joglo Preschool area, August 9, 2025, Posing after sharing a story about how I trained my speaking skills., photographer : Nanik
As with my experiences during CCP/AVP training, parenting, or teacher meetings, I often find myself in a contradiction when I need to speak concisely but also convey my ideas honestly and coherently. I learned to find shorter words, avoid repetition, and not obscure the truth of the idea. Moreover, I need to reinforce within myself the importance of balancing time sharing. These are two important things I pay attention to, as they are interconnected.
I am very happy to use the storytelling guide: Where did it happen? What happened? How did you feel when it happened? When did it end? This tool really helps me to convey my story concisely and specifically. I only need to tell the outline of my story, because I don’t have to recount my life in detail. There are things that only I know, because they belong to me.
And one thing I learned while facilitating was that I made notes of the steps and instructions in concise language with simple examples to support my understanding of the process before conveying it to others.
I am grateful for the progress I have made so far, and for everyone who has supported me and given me the opportunity to train.
Nadif, Joglo Preschool’s garden, April 21, 2025, Wearing a traditional Javanese kebaya at the Kartini Day celebration, photographer : Nanik