first impressions matter, right?

A discussion in School Partnerships on the SpeakWise Indonesia teacher forum.

Hey everyone! So, I've been in Indonesia for a few weeks now, and I’ve been thinking a lot about making a good impression, especially with my students at this local school. Last Tuesday, I decided to kick things off by sharing a bit about myself. I brought in some Aussie snacks—like Tim Tams—and it totally broke the ice. They loved it! We ended up chatting about our favorite foods, and honestly, I think it showed them I was genuinely interested in their culture, too.

To be fair, I read somewhere that sharing personal stories can help students connect better with teachers. I didn’t think it would work this well, but it did! I mean, once they warmed up, they started asking more questions and sharing their own stories. Kinda awesome how that works, right?

Also, I tried to remember all their names from day one, which felt impossible but really paid off. I used some mnemonic devices, and now I can actually call them by name. It makes a huge difference. So, I’m curious—what have you all done in your first few weeks that really clicked with your students?