Setara Habib: My AmeriCorps Year
August 10, 2012 at 2:51 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Student Stories, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Leave a commentTags: alumni, american dream, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, Basic Adult Literacy, best practices, Class, community, Development, ESOL, family, Family Learning, friends, g, giving, immigration, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, student stories, students, teaching, thank you!, training, transformative year, tutoring, Volunteer, volunteers, Writing
I can’t believe today is my last day of my service year here at the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia. Overall, I have had much success and feel I have gained much from this experience. I have gained confidence in myself as a teacher and pride in the work I have done. I would really once again like to thank EVERYONE at the Literacy Council for being wonderful people and doing good work. I feel lucky to have been able to work with this organization for a year. As I move forward in my life, or rather South to Richmond, I can take with me all my new skills and experiences and the knowledge that I have spent one year of my life devoted to helping others. Teaching adult ESOL was such a rewarding experience. I can only hope that I find something equally as rewarding in the future. or maybe I’ll just come back some day.
Setara Habib
Americorps Instructor
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, Va 22042
(703)237-0866 ext 112
www.LCNV.org
Catherine Ludwig: My AmeriCorps Experience
August 3, 2012 at 2:37 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Student Stories, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Leave a commentTags: alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, Basic Adult Literacy, best practices, Class, community, Development, ESOL, family, Family Learning, friends, give, giving, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, student stories, students, teaching, teaching strategies, thank you!, training, transformative year, tutoring, Volunteer, volunteers, Volunteers | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: alumni, Writing
Throughout my year with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia I have learned so much about teaching, my students’ lives, and ultimately, about myself. The most rewarding thing has been to see my students improve, progress at LCNV, and graduate from our program. I have several students who have graduated, but have kept in touch with me about their future plans, including one who plans on taking nursing classes in the fall. I am so proud of my students, and their dedication to learning a scary and challenging language while pursuing their dreams in a new country.
The upcoming year holds many changes for me as well as my students. I will be moving to Turkey to complete a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. I will be teaching English at Usak University and I am grateful that my AmeriCorps year has prepared me well to take on this task. I will be taking with me a great appreciation for patience in teachers as I myself will begin learning a new language in Turkish. This year has also helped me determine my focus for graduate school, which I plan to pursue upon my return from my Fulbright. I plan on attending a graduate program in International Studies with a concentration in International Development. After hearing my students’ stories about their home countries, and learning about the various economic and social problems that exist, I now want to study ways to alleviate those problems.
I hope the new group of AmeriCorps will have an equally transformative year of service and that they will continue to have a profound impact on our students. I plan on returning after my year in Turkey to volunteer with the ESOL classes again – I’m sure my students will hold me to it. Hopefully I will be able to volunteer teach at Lincolnia next summer and into the school year so I can continue to play a role in the betterment of our students’ lives.
Catherine K. Ludwig
AmeriCorps ESL Instructor
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 237-0866 x 117
www.lcnv.org
Jessica Raines: My AmeriCorps Year
July 27, 2012 at 12:10 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Student Stories, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Leave a commentTags: alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, announcement, Announcements, best practices, Class, community, Development, family, James Lee Community Center, jessica raines, LCNV, lcnv learners, lesson plans, Library, literacy, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, Loudon Literacy, student stories, students, teaching, teaching strategies, thank you!, training, Volunteer, volunteers, Writing
I came to the Literacy Council with practically no teaching experience. My background is in psychology and political science, but I wanted to try something new. I did not really know what to expect from this upcoming year of teaching, but I knew it would be hard and rewarding.
The first semester, my fellow AmeriCorps members and I hit the ground running. I had to learn to teach through trial and error. Quickly, I discovered that teaching is not an easy task. Often, there are so many available resources that you can feel like you are drowning in textbooks, websites, and advice. Plus, actually being responsible for someone else’s learning felt incredibly overwhelming. Part of me expected teaching to come naturally, but I found myself spending substantial amounts of time lesson planning and feeling incredibly nervous before each class.
Teaching is an art AND science; skill and practice are required if you want to hone your craft. As time went on, I became more comfortable with it. I took advantage of trainings, sifted through resources and articles, and practiced five times a week in front of my own class. Eventually, lesson planning and teaching became easier. I also stopped stressing about being responsible for someone’s education and focused on enjoying my time with my students; as the saying goes “showing up is half the battle.” Students are ecstatic that someone is willing to take time out of her day to show up to class with a smile on her face and talk to them. I really enjoyed conversing with my students, even though it was extremely difficult at times given their limited language skills. While working with my students to accomplish their goals, I learned about their lives and cultures, and this was incredibly rewarding – more rewarding than words can express.
Jessica Raines
AmeriCorps Member
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 237-0866 x 104
www.lcnv.org
Making LCNV’s 50th Events Happen
June 28, 2012 at 12:14 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Student Stories, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Leave a commentTags: 2012, 50th anniversary, alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, annandale, anne poad, anne spear, announcement, Announcements, annual meeting, audrey lipps, avis black, Basic Adult Literacy, becca lipps, Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund, bobby joe small, Class, community, Development, doris addo, elsa angell, Ernst Community Cultural Center, ESOL, family event, Family Learning, Family Learning | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: give, friends, giving, Golden Reunion, jan auerbach, jean sweeney, jeannie baliles, jessica raines, juana merlo, july 1, karen lezny, LCNV, lcnv learners, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, little river turnpike, Loudon Literacy, mary hollinghead, mary hollingshead, northern virginia community college, Posted in Teaching, program and reception, rebekah bundang, recognition meeting, rena baker, ruth hansen, sarah jaggar, student stories, Sunday, teaching, thank you!, tutoring, virginia literacy foundation, Volunteer, volunteers, Volunteers | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: 50 years of literacy, Volunteers | Leave a comment Edit this post Tags: 50th
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia Golden Reunion is just days away. This event, which highlights the impact the Council has had on the lives of both instructors and learners, would not have been possible without the help of the Golden Reunion Committee and the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. The Literacy Council extends a big thank you to the following individuals for all their hard work:
Audrey Lipps, Golden Reunion Committee Chair
Golden Reunion Volunteers: Doris Addo; Rena Baker ; Fatima El Amrani; Ruth Hansen; Mary Hollingshead ; Sarah (Sally) Jaggar ; Karen Lezny ; Becca Lipps ; Juana Merlo ; Jessica Raines ; Bobby Joe Small; Anne Spear ; Robin Walker ; Ron Wise ; and Michael Wolff
Jan Auerbach, 50th Anniversary Events Chair
50th Anniversary Planning Committee: Elsa Angell; Rena Baker; Avis Black; Rebekah Bundang; Mary Hollingshead; Anne Poad; and Jean Sweeney.
Come to the LCNV’s Golden Reunion and join us in honoring students, volunteers, and our exceptional partners. This is one event you won’t want to miss! Event Details follow:
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2012 │ 4 PM to 7PM
Northern Virginia Community College │ Ernst Community Cultural Center
8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
Complimentary Program and Reception │ Dress Casual │ Free Parking
RSVP to 703-237-0866 or info@lcnv.org
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LCNV’s Golden Reunion is this Sunday!
August 23, 2012 at 1:47 PM | Posted in AmeriCorps, Announcements, Class, Development, ESOL, Family Learning, Student Stories, Teaching, Tutoring, Volunteers | Leave a commentTags: 50th anniversary, alumni, AmeriCorps, americorps partners, annandale, anne poad, anne spear, announcement, Announcements, annual meeting, audrey lipps, avis black, Basic Adult Literacy, becca lipps, Beverly M. Newport Memorial Fund, bobby joe small, Class, community, Development, doris addo, elsa angell, Ernst Community Cultural Center, ESOL, family event, Family Learning, friends, giving, Golden Reunion, jan auerbach, jean sweeney, jeannie baliles, jessica raines, juana merlo, july 1, karen lezny, LCNV, lcnv learners, literacy, literacy council, literacy council of northern virginia, literacy services, little river turnpike, Loudon Literacy, mary hollinghead, mary hollingshead, northern virginia community college, Posted in Teaching, program and reception, rebekah bundang, recognition meeting, rena baker, ruth hansen, sarah jaggar, student stories, Sunday, teaching, thank you!, tutoring, virginia literacy foundation, Volunteer, volunteers, Volunteers | Leave a comment Tags: 2012
Please join the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia this Sunday for our
Golden Reunion
Celebrating 50 years of promoting literacy!
Reconnect with old friends, students, tutors, teachers, and supporters. Hear about the impact the Council has had on the lives of both instructors and learners. Learn how the Council has evolved to support the changing needs of the community. Program begins at 4 PM and will be followed by a reception.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2012 │ 4 PM to 7PM
Northern Virginia Community College │ Ernst Community Cultural Center
8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
Complimentary Program and Reception │ Dress Casual │ Free Parking
RSVP to 703-237-0866 or info@lcnv.org