ESL Coaching took place at Erie House in Chicago. Located in Chicago's Little Village Neighborhood, Erie House is a non-profit organization that supports the Latino community and other communities as well through skill-building, advocacy, collaboration, and connections.
When I left for the volunteering at Erie House, ESL Coaching, it had started to storm, one of our dramatic Midwest rainstorms, so I left my camera at home - I would have gotten a better shot of the front of the Erie House, in Chicago's Little Village. As I was driving there the storm grew to full force, during rush hour traffic, and I actually arrived right on time to this volunteer project (as opposed to very early like the other ones). Erie House is located in a brick building in a neighborhood of houses near a school and also near the major streets of West 26th Street and Pulaski. I entered through the front door and walked down a long corridor to the back of the building where there was a room set up with tables. Some of the volunteers were already there. I found out later that the building had previously been a convent. Erie House was founded in 1870 and serves predominantly Latino families with a broad spectrum of educational services, job-training, health services, and social advocacy. Find out more on their Facebook page.
Erie House's educational courses include free ESL (English as a Second Language) classes four nights a week. I arrived on the last class of a session where the class participants were enjoying a pizza party and conversations having to do with dining out, ordering from a menu, and discussing food (always a favorite topic for me). I sat a table with a couple other Chicago Cares volunteers, and we sat alternately with members of the ESL class. We talked about some of our favorite foods, what we liked to cook, and what we liked to eat out in restaurants. I suggested we do a mock reservation by holding our cell phones and pretending to make a reservation in a restaurant. I know by my own experience that it can be challenging and intimidating to speak in a language other than one's native language over the phone because you're missing a lot of physical cues and other things one uses when speaking. It was funny, we laughed about it, but I think practicing things like that is helpful, such as "Mock Interviews" another Chicago Cares volunteer project that I'd attended earlier.
During the class I got to know some of the participants and would love the opportunity to work with them again some time. This was the last class of the current session. The next session begins in September. I will be full into student teaching at that time (I am currently an MAT, Masters in the Art of Teaching, for Art K-12, candidate and will finish in December). I am not sure how much time I will have in the Fall Semester with student teaching and additionally holding onto some of my current job. But a couple of things I would like to do at Erie House's ESL Coaching would be to volunteer in their Technology classes for participants and also be something of a "Crafts Lady" - bring a craft in to some of their ESL Coachings where people could elect to make friendship bracelets, sewing, beadwork, or some other type of craft while we practice English. I think doing things like that can be relaxing for some and conducive to conversation at the same time. I will be done with student teaching in December and will have more time for extracurriculars after that. But for now, next up:
Job Coaching - Open Door Shelter
Adult Computer Skills - Grace House
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