My Nonprofit Reviews

I've worked at Opening Word as a volunteer for 10 years. It has been extremely rewarding. I first started teaching ESL. The second year I was asked to teach the citizenship class. I was thrilled. Over the years, I've perfected the scope of what I teach. Most citizenship classes only review the 100 civics questions. Opening Word has very much expanded what it teaches. Reading and writing English is very important. We spend at least half the class doing both. I use many different techniques especially with the writing--the dictation of sentences. Then, of course, interspersed throughout the class we go over the 100 questions that pertain to each chapter in the book. Then, when it's time, I complete the 20-page application with the students going over each section explaining it and then having them fill out what pertains to them. Since the interview is so important, I go over the steps getting to the interview and proper etiquette. I have them do a practice run on getting there at the exact day and time their interview is scheduled. I show many different interviews on You Tube and we discuss each one at length. Then I do practice interviews with the students simulating what will happen at he interview. It gives them a lot of confidence. There are many different components to prepare them, but I won't let them take the test until they are ready. In the ten years I've been doing this, I have 100% passing. Without Opening Word, they would never have this opportunity.