Amidst the whirlwind of imminent exams and relentless academic pressures, the burden of stress weighed heavily on SMAN 1 Matauli Pandan students. Acknowledging these challenges and the intricate emotional landscape of high school life, ETA Katrien Weemaes and her co-teacher, Ibu Erma, spearheaded an innovative English session centered around nurturing emotional intelligence.

Welcoming eager students into the classroom, Katrien and Ibu Erma introduced an introspective exercise using Post-it notes. Encouraging students to reflect on their emotions, they inscribed their present feelings. These notes found a place beneath illustrated happy and sad faces on the whiteboard, visually portraying positive and negative emotions.

The lesson progressed into exploring emotional intelligence, seamlessly blending music, emotions, and the English language. Students delved into diverse emotions—such as happiness, sadness, anger, shyness, silliness, and anxiety—enriching their English and emotional vocabulary. Subsequently, students collaborated in groups, challenged to select a song and craft a performance encapsulating their assigned emotion.

Within these groups, students emerged as emotional artisans, crafting performances that surpassed linguistic exercises. Laughter bubbled from the ‘silly’ group as they choreographed an animated dance routine to Pikotaro’s viral hit, “PPAP.” Conversely, the ‘angry’ group’s rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Angels Like You” evoked heartbreak, marked by passionate vocals and emphatic gestures.

Ultimately, the lesson aimed to cultivate a sanctuary where linguistic proficiency intertwined seamlessly with emotional intelligence. It offered students diverse platforms to recognize, articulate, and navigate their emotions—an invaluable skill set crucial for navigating the complexities of adolescence and beyond.

Katrien Weemaes is currently teaching at SMAN 1 Matauli Pandan, North Sumatra.