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Old 09-03-2004, 06:54 PM   #1
DanaC
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New direction

Well...I finally did something about the ennui which has gripped me of late. I set in motion various wheels and on Monday I start on my first step towards becoming a language teacher. It's not a very grand start albeit *grins* It's an unpaid start with a year long placement for work experience assisting in the English language classes run by my local Chamber of Commerce and Industry to teach English to the immigrant communities. Alongside this I'll be studying for my TESOL accreditation....I'll still be working at the pipe company but will be dropping my hours down to part time.

So here I am , it's Friday night and I am just starting to get a serious case of the heeby jeebies. It's been a long time since I had to fit in to a workplace environment ( as opposed to the company I helped build which is not really like any workplace I ever worked at since it's my main circle of friends and family whom I work with ) .... I did something on Saturday i havent done in many years...I bought smart shoes to go to work in.

I realise this is a tad rambly but that's because i am just a little freaked out. *Grins* On top of the nerves I am stopping smoking over this weekend.....why now ? you might wonder, well my interview was conducted in the smoking room where the entire teaching staff ( 4 people) were congregated in front of an overflowing ashtray. If I dont get back on the wagon before i start at this place I can see me having a hell of a hard time stopping in the next year heheh. One of them told me smoking is an occupational habit. Wish me luck!
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Old 09-03-2004, 07:12 PM   #2
jane_says
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Congratulations! You go, Dana girl. I'm proud of you!
I just started a new job Monday too, and I am actually rather proud of myself as well. Finally someone is paying me what I fancy myself to be worth.
Good luck in your new endeavor.
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Old 09-03-2004, 07:14 PM   #3
DanaC
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Thanks muchly

"I just started a new job Monday too, and I am actually rather proud of myself as well. Finally someone is paying me what I fancy myself to be worth."

Fabulous! Getting paid what you feel you are worth must be a hell of a validation
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Old 09-03-2004, 07:22 PM   #4
jane_says
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Yep, it is. My sister actually got me the job, and I owe her a million thanks. She has worked there for over a year and loves it. I'm beginning to see why.
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Old 09-03-2004, 07:29 PM   #5
DanaC
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Decent pay and enjoyable? It really doesnt get any better than that
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Old 09-03-2004, 08:25 PM   #6
xoxoxoBruce
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Quote:
So here I am , it's Friday night and I am just starting to get a serious case of the heeby jeebies.
No need, you're obviously qualified, maybe over qualified.*
If there are two things you have plenty of, it's a command of the English language and (com)passion for immigrants/refugees.
The only thing you have to remember is, unless I miss my guess, the goal is to teach them to function in an English speaking country as opposed to becoming connoisseurs of literature.

* "over qualified" means we love your work, but you'll never be paid what you're worth.
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Old 09-03-2004, 09:28 PM   #7
Trilby
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Oh, Dana! Wonderful! And totally what bruce said--you've command of the language and compassion for those you will be serving! Nice job!
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Old 09-04-2004, 08:31 AM   #8
Griff
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Very cool Dana! You've got to take career chances if you're going to enjoy success. You've got the empathy for that kind of job. Tuesday I'll be starting a job working with children with autism in a research environment. I passed the half-way point in my Masters this summer so this is the next step. We're both trying to do something that increases the freedom of the individuals we'll be working with. I think that rocks. Good Luck!
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Old 09-04-2004, 09:14 AM   #9
DanaC
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Thanks youse guys *grins* verily you all rocketh. I am back to being buzzed up about it now. Heeby Jeebies have fled for the moment and excitement has returned.

Griff, that's totally cool. I've always had a passing interest in autism, ever since I read a book as a kid about two brothers, the youngest of which was profoundly autistic. Was my favourite book for like 2 years or something (which in kid terms is for ever) it was called...."He's My Brother" really lovely book. Cant recall who wrote it.

Have you done any work in a research environment before or is this your first time out?
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Old 09-04-2004, 10:02 AM   #10
jaguar
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Do you know what kind of communities you're working with? I'm looking for subjects for photo essays at the moment..
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Old 09-04-2004, 01:08 PM   #11
DanaC
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The placement i am going on is mainly working with the long term unemployed who are finding it difficult to skill change because of language barriers. So, one particular ddemographic that we'll be dealing with is middle aged Pakistani men who were employed in the textile industry before it's collapse. Because these men are part of a sizable community they often have been able to get by with minimal English or with competant spoken English and little written English. The basic idea of the course is to give them a bridge back into work now that the industry and their primarily Pakistani employers are no longer there.

There are also usually a few refugees or asylum seekers on the course. Apparently the last course had a couple of Iraqis and an Iranian.

I'm hoping to go from this to actually working with one of the refugee support groups. The placement I am on is for a course with an element of compulsion to it ( for those who are long term unemployed) so it isnt ideal. Some of them dont want to be there, others are delighted at the opportunity and some have chosen it with no compulsion. It is however a start and gives me the experience and the language teachers I'll be learning from seem to be decent people who are trying their best to make this into a good thing for their clients and genuinely trying to help people. I think theyve been running the courses for a couple of years but the element of compulsion has only recently been introduced
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Old 09-04-2004, 04:22 PM   #12
Griff
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DanaC
Have you done any work in a research environment before or is this your first time out?
This is my first go around. I've got a cycling friend whose son went to this school. It should be quite a challenge but I think I'm game.
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Old 09-04-2004, 10:43 PM   #13
xoxoxoBruce
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Smithsonian magazine has an article this month about the Hmong refugees from Laos. The 2 primary groups are in Compton, CA and St Paul, MN, which were chosen for their large social services budgets.

The CA group, for the most part, hasn’t learned English and survives on welfare checks. Their children have learned English in school and do most of the interfacing with the rest of the world for the family. This power shift has proved to be disastrous for the family structure and now crime, drugs, truancy and unemployment are rampant.

The MN group learned English immediately and is very prosperous. They have a Hmong state legislator, and recently a Hmong state social services worker. Their kids are doing well in school and going on to college. Their story is more typical of the other Asian groups that have emigrated here.
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Old 09-05-2004, 05:10 AM   #14
DanaC
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*Nods* One of the most isolating things i can imagine is to be in a society whose language I am unfamiliar with. Even if surrounded by many members of a community who share my own language, every encounter with officialdom would be potentially fraught. Thats an interesting story Bruce.

Gosh Griff, that's so exciting. You nervous or just plain excited?
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Old 09-05-2004, 06:47 AM   #15
Griff
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Originally Posted by DanaC
Gosh Griff, that's so exciting. You nervous or just plain excited?
Pretty much the latter. I know alot of folks can't handle this kind of work though so I'm gonna journal to keep my head on straight.
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