This month, the English classroom received a makeover at MAN 1 Kendari! Inspired by ETA Sam Chen’s project to transform his English classroom into a collaborative and discussion centered learning space, ETA Meghan Cullinan worked with her co-teachers to transform the English Laboratory at their school into a more effective learning space for their students.

Last year, ETA Mackenzie Findlay started using the English Lab at MAN 1 for her classes. It became a unique learning space for students and her co-teachers enjoyed having their own teaching space. Meghan began using this space during the first semester, but the room was structured as a listening lab, which was not conducive to the activities she and her co-teachers typically used, which required students to travel around the classroom and collaborate with one another.

At the end of the first semester, she brainstormed ideas with her co-teachers about remodeling the space. With the support of the MAN 1 Headmaster, Meghan and her co-teachers prepared round discussion tables with whiteboard surfaces for her students to use during class instead of desks. Students were amazed by the space when they came to the new lab for the first time! Meghan and her co-teachers have found it more enjoyable to teach and easier to manage students’ learning in the space. Meghan hopes that the space will allow her co-teachers to continue facilitating creative, active, and collaborative activities in the English classroom.

Meghan Cullinan is currently teaching at MAN 1 Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi