September was a month to nurture the sprouting seeds of clubs, classes and relationships.

On September 1st, ETA Alexandra Gwynn started the month watching the sunrise atop Mount Bromo with her fellow friend and colleague, Itha. Itha and Alexandra enjoy many of the same hobbies including hiking, eating ice cream, and developing student creativity. During the first few weeks of September, Alexandra and Itha taught students about perspective drawing and animation. Students created a storyboard with characters and a plot, drew settings and characters, then captured their stories using stop motion. Animation classes were taught in both Bahasa Indonesia and English as a multidisciplinary approach.

On September 13th, Alexandra became involved in SMKN 9 Malang’s green school initiative, a partnership with UNESCO Green Citizens: Adiwiyata Green Schools. She helped Pak Kin, SMKN 9’s groundskeeper and all-around rock star, turn compost in the school garden; she worked with students on a campus clean-up project; and she worked with her headmaster and colleagues to start a hydroponics garden made from rock wool.

September was also a month for Alexandra to get involved with her local community. On September 16th she helped Dr. Catur, a psychiatrist in Batu, bring ceramics art for psychosocial and mental health support to Indonesians. She also met with English professors at Muhammadiyah University’s English Corner to discuss the current state of language education in Indonesia.

Alexandra continues to teach yoga on Fridays, play ping-pong and badminton with students and teachers, and cook traditional meals at school during lunch.

Alexandra Gwynn is currently teaching at SMKN 9 Malang, East Java