What went well?

Although it took much longer than I had anticipated, I did the following:

• Got approval from the International Center’s Human Resources department to serve as an ESL instructor with the non-profit!
• Designed two different class curriculums and got one class approved!
• Finalized the lesson plans for my class!

What could have been done differently?

I felt like there were a number of communication issues as I met with Terre, the head volunteer and partnership coordinator at the International Center. We met a number of times, both in-person and on Zoom, to discuss what my deliverables needed to be. It was an issue on my end, but I just didn’t understand the difference between a class and a lesson. Finally, Terre so graciously took the time to distinguish between the two: a class is sort of like a college course, in the sense that pretty much the same students will meet at a designated time over the span of ten weeks. A lesson is what I and the students will do weekly, and a lesson will change in terms of content every week. I felt a bit frustrated at myself for not understanding this sooner, but I’m glad that Terre has been a wonderful manager and is so willing to help me out as I learn how to design and teach my ESL class.

What did I learn about myself when working with others?

I learned that I need to be better at communicating, especially when I’m not sure if I understand something. I shouldn’t assume that I understand everything.

What did I learn about leadership?

I learned that I’m an overthinker, especially when it comes to coming up with lesson plans. I just really want to be a good teacher this summer, and that form of leadership comes with so much responsibility. I took a long time just deciding on what topic I’d like to teach for the summer—I decided on job interviews, as I felt that that would be a very practical topic, and I know how challenging it can be to sit for a job interview and use a language that is not your own (speaking from personal experience!). I want to give newly-arrived immigrants and refugee seekers the confidence they need to search for job interviews here in the United States—they deserve the independence and liberty that comes with securing a job, especially in a foreign country.

What do I want to develop next?

I’ve been combing through my lesson plan for the first day, and making a bunch of fun slides for the lesson presentation. I really want to get my lesson plan nailed down, and I’ve been going through a bunch of resources (especially Ellii) for tips on how to be an effective ESL teacher. I also want to make sure that I give students enough time and resources to complete the homework I give them—and to make sure I have enough time to go through their homework on top of preparing for future lessons!