Welcome to the first edition of the Fulbright ETA Monthly Highlights from the 2018-19 cohort! Twenty-two new English Teaching Assistants arrived in Indonesia on July 22, 2018. They were welcomed by the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF) – the binational Fulbright Commission for Indonesia – and received a security briefing from US embassy personnel before heading to their sites. During their first week at site, ETAs moved into their new homes, were welcomed by their host schools, observed classes and explored their local communities.
After a week, the ETAs gathered again for a two and a half week orientation held in Sentul, West Java. The 2018 Fulbright ETA Orientation held at Pusat Pengembangan Strategi dan Diplomasi Kebahasaan (PPSDK) was a chance for ETAs to receive tools and skills to navigate their 10-month grant period in Indonesia. Through a host of sessions, the ETAs were given opportunities to think, learn, discuss and ask questions about Indonesian and American culture, education, health and lifestyle. In addition, a significant portion of the orientation was dedicated to Bahasa Indonesia language learning. There were many highlights of orientation but ETAs really enjoyed meeting the Deputy Chief to the US Mission to Indonesia Heather Variava, visiting local markets to practice Indonesian language skills, interacting with Fulbright ETA alumni and learning practical teaching activities to use in the classroom. At the conclusion of orientation, ETAs cited feeling supported by their peers, prepared for co-teaching in the classroom, excited to build relationships with community members and ready to truly begin their grant experience.
August was the first full month in Indonesia for the ETAs. On August 16, ETAs and their co-teachers headed back to site just in time for Indonesia’s Independence Day festivities and Eid al-Adha. This month’s monthly highlights reflect ETAs participating in big community events, building connections with their host communities, and co-teaching their first lessons.
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Please share with us your favorite stories: which stories struck you as interesting, which teaching method is most fun or you’d like to apply, or which activity you’d like to hear more. Email us at: socmedia@aminef.or.id and we’ll post your feedback in the next newsletter and you may win a special thank-you gift from us.
