View of La Calera, the town where I teach English (Courtesy of Wunderzeta)
A week or so ago, I realized that at least for now, my volunteer gig at Futuro Juvenil would not occupy a full schedule. I could show up and pretend to be busy every day (I have a lot of practice at this), but my duties only require 10-15 hours a week.
Conveniently, I received a message from another organization for children that I had contacted a month ago. They invited me to visit this past Thursday.
The director asked me if I could teach English classes. I hesitated: “Well, sure I speak English, but I have never taught it before.”
This is one of the great things about volunteering: getting to try something without an initial time investment. To teach English as a paying job, you need a few months of training. Granted, this training is valuable, but you have to spend a good deal of time and money before you can try teaching.
In a way, it’s like a shortcut to a new career. Like the phony degrees you can buy online. Except this comes without ethical concerns. One could argue that my “amateur status” as a teacher could hurt their development. Luckily, these kids know absolutely zero words, so it would be impossible to decrease their knowledge of the English language.
And besides, there are tons of teaching resources and lesson plans online. Thank God for the Internet.
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Great article it caught me right away with your title. I hope you enjoy teaching English – can’t wait to hear how it develops for you.
Andrew,
Not sure if I will enjoy teaching – going to find out.
I just want to make sure I pay attention/listen to the kids and establish authority as opposed to being their friend.
Delasoulos:
Exactly — along the lines of credibility think of how many job titles in the US are dressed up to assuage egos. You can call yourself whatever you want, but if its boring, monotonous work in the end, who cares.
Looks like you are truly making a difference. Do you think you will enjoy teaching?
Keep up the great work! You make an interesting point, sometimes humans are too preoccupied with the credibility that comes with the training that they undermine their ability to contribute off the bat. Enjoy Bogota!