Kassandra Navarro

Our amazing Literacy Coalition is hosting a local literacy instructor meet up this coming Monday, Jan. 30th at the Carver Branch Library in East Austin (1161 Angelina Street, Austin TX 78702). We’ll meet from 12-1 pm to visit, toss around ideas about our classes, and share our teaching experiences. Fun!

RSVP @ http://www.willread.org/Literacy-Instructor-Meet-Ups.html

Hope to see some of you there!

A few days ago our Maudie’s classes finished up the customer service course. Before they moved on to the health and safety course, a few of us stopped by the intermediate class to visit and take part in speed interviews with the students. It was a great time and the guys did great! Here are a few photos from our visit -

One highlight of my week is teaching Beginner and Intermediate level ESL classes at Maudie’s Tex-Mex Restaurant. Twice a week for an hour and a half each class, I meet with a group of students at the Maudie’s home office. We gear our lessons specifically to the industry of our employees and to the positions they hold. For example, the Maudie’s curriculum is full of vocabulary about restaurants. There is also an emphasis on the type of conversations that back of the house and front of the house workers would have working various positions at a restaurant.

I think that our highly specific lessons make the class meaningful to our students. We are only two months into the Maudie’s class and already supervisors and managers have reported to me that there is more English being used by the employees who are in the class. For example, one supervisor told me that when they walk into a kitchen at any Maudie’s restaurant they are now greeted with “Hi, how are you? I’m good thanks!” where as before there might have been no conversation or a very limited exchange. Other supervisors report more conversation between the native speaking English employees and the native Spanish speaking employees. As a teacher, this is wonderful news! I am thrilled that the employees are taking what we learn in class and bringing it to the workplace.

A very memorable moment of the class has been being invited to attend the Maudie’s holiday party at Saengerrunde Hall in downtown Austin. Bex Rinas, a fellow E@W AmeriCorps staff member, and I attended the event last Tuesday. In addition to the catered dinner, Grupo Fantasma playing as the musical guest, and a host of photo booths and face painters- the true highlight was seeing my students and meeting their families. I truly appreciate that a business like Maudie’s would throw such an elaborate party for all of their workers. It was a special night for everyone involved!

We will take a short break for the holiday season and get right back into the swing of classes after the New Year. I look forward to what the next four months will bring and how much more the students will progress.

Happy Holidays everyone!

- Tanlyn
Literacy*AmeriCorps Instructor

2011

300 Students

19 Businesses

1 Goal: Opportunity

Thank you for considering ENGLISH @ WORK for your end-of-year donation. Did you know we also have a holiday wishlist?

GOOD has teamed up with Brookside Foods to award one nonprofit $5,000 for their work in their communities. We are in the running and would greatly appreciate your vote!

Tell your friends too!

Party time!

Let’s celebrate the winter holidays and toast to all the students, teachers, volunteers, and friends who have made 2011 such an amazing year for ENGLISH @ WORK!

WHEN: Sunday, December 11th

TIME: 6:00 – 8:00PM

WHERE: 1503 Sunset Lane, Austin, TX 78704 (map)

BRING: Your favorite holiday dish!

RSVP: Facebook or Email Us

As you know, Maile Broccoli-Hickey, E@W’s Founder and Executive Director, was awarded the $25,000 Richard Cornuelle Award for Social Entrepreneurship by the Manhattan Institute. The awards ceremony took place on November 3, 2011 in New York and we thought it would be a great treat for our E@W community to follow Maile along as she traveled to New York to accept the award. Enjoy!

On Wednesday, November 2, 2011, our Seton Northwest Medical Center students graduated from our program. This class was particularly special for us as it was a class full of women (a first!) and most were either native Spanish or Amharic speakers (another first!). They were so supportive of each other and every visit to their class was always filled with joy and laughter. We will truly miss having them as students, but we know we have gained a new group of wonderful friends. And, we look forward to seeing them progress in their English journey.

Enjoy this video from their graduation ceremony -

Congratulations students!

Join us tomorrow (11/9) for volunteer happy hour at Maudie’s Too on South Lamar (map) at 7pm.

Can’t wait to catch up with everyone!