I began at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) New York Resettlement Office as a volunteer ESL teacher in September 2012. I taught beginner ESL to newly arrived refugees, predominantly from Myanmar, but a few were from other countries including China, Cuba, and Iraq. I had no prior experience teaching, nor studied to be a teacher, and was the only one in the group who lacked this experience. This led me to learn on my feet-literally! I never planned on being a teacher-and this experience in a way confirmed that-but I would not trade the experience and I have some great stories from it. But this entry is not about my volunteer teaching experience, it is about my current position-Continuing Education Intern.
I started in this position at the beginning of the semester, January 2013. In this position I advise and assist clients in locating ESL, GED, and college courses closer to their home. Many of our clients live in the Bronx and even though we offer free ESL classes, in addition to other classes such as computer classes and civics and citizenship classes, the commute to Midtown Manhattan for many of them is far and expensive. There are a number of fabulous resources throughout New York City such as libraries and community colleges, that there are often a variety of options and locations closer to their home-and I help them find them.
