Post date: Oct 21, 2013 9:01:38 PM
My ELL classes have become drop-in classes entirely. Basically, it's first-come-first-serve. There are not enough chairs in the classroom to meet the need of the community, but that's okay. It's teaching my students that they cannot come to class late. My GED classes are not that popular. The phone numbers on the waiting list were not reliable. My Wednesday evening class is a combination of reading comprehension and algebra, which is pretty neat. Teenagers and working parents are really taking interest in this class. Next semester, I think I will only teach English conversation and Citizenship/US History. The pen pal program has expanded to the max. No more AmeriCorps colleagues are willing to take pen pals, which is okay. I will just be tracking reading and writing progress of my students who have been with me since the beginning. I am also out of notebooks for the pen pal program, so this works out. The one-on-one tutoring program has started up. I am still in desperate need of adult literacy tutors. Some people from the town have stated their interest, but little action has been taken in tutoring. Non-AmeriCorps tutors need to go to a $10 training program through the Literacy Coalition and a security check through City Hall, so this definitely slows down when the tutor is available to take on tutorees. I have been through lots of trainings and service projects in the past couple of weeks. This week, I will be in charge of the AmeriCorps group helping out with the Fall Family Festival at the library. I will also prepare crafts, paint a house, teach resume writing skills, and scare children at another Halloween festival this weekend. So far, I enjoy what I do. I am glad that I was not furloughed during the government shutdown. I have also thought about my future. I am holding off on applying for graduate school, but I am not certain of what I want to study in the future.