The Significance of Volunteer Teaching in Our Community
Volunteer teaching is a vital community service, offering purpose and fulfillment to retirees, those with physical challenges, empty-nesters, widows, or anyone looking to make a positive impact. These dedicated volunteers bring a wealth of life and professional experiences, time, and a genuine passion for teaching, helping non-profit organizations support underserved communities. By assisting schools in low-income areas, they contribute to improving academic performance, bridging gaps, and inspiring students. This article highlights the value of volunteer teaching, drawing on personal experiences and sharing its many benefits, such as personal growth, building self-confidence, and fostering community development through various educational initiatives.
Table of Contents
A Lifeline for Diverse Community Needs
Empowering Communities through Education
Overcoming Fears and Embracing Diversity
Harnessing Technology and Resources
Impacting Communities on Multiple Fronts
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author, an alumni of ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training). They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ITTT. The content provided in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as official endorsement or representation by ITTT.
A Lifeline for Diverse Community Needs
The theme I have chosen is volunteer teaching. For many people who are retired, who have a physical handicap, who are empty-nesters, who are widowed or are going through an event that has impacted their life, can find satisfaction and purpose in their lives serving as a volunteer teacher. The volunteer teachers bring with them life experiences, previous job experiences, the time, and passion to continue teaching without having to commit to working long hours or as a full-time job. Volunteer teaching can fill a void in a non-profit organization that seeks to serve low-income communities, where there are schools whose students are not performing to their full potential due to many factors that might be affecting their families and is reflected in low academic performance.
Empowering Communities through Education
Volunteering in the ESL program at my church motivated me to enroll in and complete this course. I have seen how a person who wants to learn a second or third language to improve their quality of life can feel motivated when they know that I have been in their place and with dedication and discipline can achieve their goals. A volunteer could also serve as a tutor or mentor to students outside of the classroom. One of the benefits that has stood out to me is the experience I've gained by observing the teachers when they interact with the students.
Overcoming Fears and Embracing Diversity
Volunteer teaching for the first time and fresh out of school could be very scary. I believe if a teacher starts with a class of small children, the fear of being inexperienced will diminish with the passing of time. Kids are playful and innocent and don't pass judgment as adults do. While teaching adults requires self-confidence in the subject or program being taught, teaching online can help to gain experience, especially if the students vary in age group. Being a tutor to someone wanting to practice conversational English helps determine if getting involved in volunteer teaching is something to pursue and prepare for. Having a passion to help out and being kind to others is what most teachers have when they want to volunteer their time. With the advancement of technology, making a lesson plan doesn't take long.
Harnessing Technology and Resources
Many websites share with teachers prepared lesson plans that a teacher can tailor to the need of his or her class. Resources to help the students put into practice what they have learned in class are also available to reproduce free of charge. Many of the links provided by this course are updated and useful to put into practice in the classroom. Youtube videos and TED Talks are excellent tools to help a teacher to develop a current subject to share with students that are more advanced in class.
Impacting Communities on Multiple Fronts
Finally, I want to talk about some of the benefits of volunteer teaching: help train young adults in trade skills to be used within the community, educate other people to include foreigners looking to learn or improve in English, motivate others to do the same, raise children and teenagers' self-esteem through mentorship, raise awareness in the community by getting involved in school's education, teach how to grow a vegetable garden and sell the products among the community, and be a role model in the community among other things.
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