Female | | from: United States of America
I am currently in

My first ESL experience was a challenging one. As part of a study abroad program in Baja California Sur, Mexico I offered free weekly ESL lessons to adults and children in the local town. The adults varied widely in their abilities so that class became individual tutoring sessions, but the children's hour needed programing. I helped design the children's curriculum, one week focusing on local animals and another encouraging them to write and illustrate a menu in English. They loved it.

After that experience I taught in a more formal setting, designing and teaching enrichment classes for disadvantaged middle school students. These kids grew up in a tough city and although I did not have a language barrier (with most of them) it felt like I once again had a cultural barrier. America is so diverse, but somethings are still universal. I surmounted the gap and became close to some of my brightest students. I wish them well.

I have been tutoring for 3 years because I love it. Each year I add another class: biology, neuroscience, chemistry, physics. My tutees are all college students and come back week after week asking for me. It feels great to be able to explain something in a way that makes someone get it.

All this experience I will take with me abroad. I have lived and taught in a foreign culture before and know that I can do this next challenge before me.