Speaking English Well.

When I first meet a student, we do several activities that dispaly his/her strengths and weaknesses so that, after talking about goals, we focus specifically on those needs. Many of my students have stayed in contact after they've moved away, and I've been invited to quinceaneras and weddings in several countries. The things that students often tell me are that they're really comfortable working with me, that my positive attitude encourages them to never give up and that they appreciate my endless patience.

I love to see the joyful expressions on students' faces when they succeed in something that's been a challenge .... reading the directions of how to assemble an Ikea cabinet; correctly using the tricky "3S +S", the frustrating "-ough" sounds or the Present Perfect; pronouncing words with "r" and "l" correctly or saying "student" instead of "estudent". Or even describing how they felt after successfully making a presentaion at work after we'd been woking on it together. Small successes that bring joy.