For the first week, ETA Shanze “Aisha” Tahir and her co-teachers Pak Yoga and Ibu Anita decided to structure their introductory lesson as one that combined teaching about question types while also allowing the ETA to discuss with the class where she is from and why she is there. The students would first learn about question types (who, what, where, when, etc.), followed by a cultural and personal introduction from ETA Aisha, and closed with ample time for students to ask questions about the United States and the ETA.

On her third day of teaching this lesson, Aisha thought she had a grasp of how the lesson would go. Like routine, her co-teacher Pak Yoga asked the class to give a round of applause before Aisha would go up to introduce herself. For her introduction, she would first ask if anyone had heard of her home state of Indiana and then optimistically mention Indiana Jones and the Pacers. Afterward, questions normally centered around American high school life and differences between American and Indonesian life. Her class on Wednesday took the opportunity to ask her about cat-calling in the United States as well as American foreign policy. The discussion was vibrant and insightful, and she saw how eager her students are to have engaging conversations about the life and positionality of Americans and the corresponding global impact. ETA Aisha left school on Wednesday excited and thrilled to be in MAN 2 Malang for the next ten months.

Shanze “Aisha” Tahir is currently teaching at MAN 2 Malang, East Java