I first began tutoring English at the Arab American Family Support Center in Brooklyn, NY during my freshman year of college. Many of the students were recent immigrants to the U.S., and needed immediate help with their English, especially in reading and writing. After my junior year of college, I was a language fellow in Tunisia, where I assisted Tunisian professors in a summer English program for university students. I graduated from college in 2008 and I moved to Paris for two years to study at a conservatory. Apart from playing music (flute), I tutored English on the side, to both children and young adults. I really enjoyed the challenge of finding creative ways to make learning a language more manageable. My own struggles with communicating in French helped me understand what foreign language students go through on a daily basis. But I learned not to give up! And I wanted to translate my positive experiences and linguistic growth to my students. When I moved back to the U.S., I worked full-time for a year to make money after living abroad. Eventually, I was able to put myself through a post-bac ESL certification program and I received my TESL certificate in November 2011. I wanted to gain more experience with a teaching certificate under my belt, so I tutored students at both UW and Seattle Central Community College for the rest of the academic year. In the summer, I began my first paying job as an ESL teacher, when I taught two visiting Japanese high school students. I'm glad I had the TESL training, as it prepared me for unexpected challenges and allowed me to adapt as a new teacher. I found many of the methods and activities we learned to be invaluable. It was a lot of work but even more fun, and the most rewarding job I've had to date. It solidified that this is what I want to pursue, and it is my intention and passion to help all my students reach their academic goals and set new ones.
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