In the last week of August, ETA Joseph “Joe” Janik Miller introduced himself to his grade ten classes with an exercise about the upcoming American holiday, Labor Day. The exercise shed light on aspects of American culture that proved surprising to students and teachers, most notably, summer vacation!

The lesson began with Joe challenging students to a few rounds of “Two Truths and a Lie.” The first round included a lie about Indonesian high schools.  The second, a lie about where Joe studied for his undergraduate degree, and the third, not one, but two lies about high school schedules in the United States.

In three rounds of “Two Truths and a Lie,” there were two truths and a lie. Some students envied their American peers, who sleep in on Saturdays and take off from school in the Summer, while others said they preferred their schedule because it allowed for more time in studying in the classroom.

After explaining that while Labor Day marks the unofficial end of Summer in the United States, it also celebrates the struggle of the American Labor movement. The class discussed how workers’ rights are human rights. This transitioned into a lesson about “Compliments” included in the Indonesian grade ten curriculum, and Joe noted that unwelcomed compliments on appearance are unacceptable in American classrooms and workplaces.

Joe Miller co-teaches at SMAN 1 Padangsidempuan, North Sumatra.