ETA Lindsay Smith’s favorite activity over the past month was a Thanksgiving celebration she and her counterpart, Ibu Imawati Alan, held with the students in their X KPR 1 class. The week before, Lindsay and Ima told the students a little bit about Thanksgiving and asked them to bring a snack or some fruit to share with the class during their next meeting. The following Monday, Lindsay, and Ima sat with the students in a circle and discussed the historical background and context of Thanksgiving, inviting the students to chime in and ask any questions they had. After discussing these questions, each of the students showed the snack they had brought and told the class about something they were thankful for that year. Many students expressed thankfulness for their family, friends, and activities at school. Lindsay and Ima brought leftover food and snacks to the teacher’s room for further exchanges about Thanksgiving. All in all, the activity was a welcome respite from the commotion of preparing for the upcoming final examinations!

Lindsay Smith is currently teaching at SMK Muhammadiyah 7 Gondanglegi near Malang, East Java.