The highlight of ETA Lindsay Smith’s January was definitely meeting all of her new students for the semester! Because SMK Muhammadiyah 7 is a vocational high school, the 11th-grade students participate in an internship program every spring semester to gain experience in their major and future field of work. Lindsay was sad to leave her 11th-grade classes, but she has had a great time in all of her new 10th-grade classes.

One of her favorite activities so far has been a “Rose, Thorn, and Bud” introduction and warm-up exercise. In this activity, ETA Lindsay and her co-teachers drew a flower on the board and instructed students to think about their experiences during their time off from school. Then, Lindsay and her co-teachers had the students write down a positive experience for their “Rose,” a negative experience for their “Thorn,” and something they were looking forward to in the new semester for their “Bud.” The students then got into a circle and shared some of their experiences with the class.

It was a great way to check-in with students from last semester, meet new students, and get each class excited about learning English again!

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