ETA Emma Barnes’s highlight this month is not one specific event, but rather the feeling of finally being more at ease in the classroom. Since returning from the Mid-Year Enrichment Conference in Jakarta in mid-January, Emma has been working extra hard to make sure her classes always include fun and engaging English activity, usually in the form of some kind of competition.

Over the past month and a half, Emma has really come to understand the power of friendly competition in keeping students engaged in an activity. These range from Reading Race, a game where students team up and race to read and remember English sentences, to Jeopardy, to team fill in the blank activities using small whiteboards provided by Emma. It is so incredibly rewarding for her to see the students having fun and being really engaged in an activity, and she looks forward to finding ways to incorporate new and exciting English games and activities in her classes in the coming months.

Emma Barnes is currently teaching at SMAN 5 Padangsidimpuan, North Sumatra