12/11/2019
Read about Cara Pakes' experience participating in the TESL certificate program with the 2019 cohort. Cara Pakes is a senior at Penn State with a major in Secondary Social Studies Education and a minor in History:
"My time in Ecuador offered me invaluable experience that I have since utilized in my professional and personal life.
As an education major, having the opportunity to teach and lesson plan was incredibly beneficial. Heading into student teaching and professional teaching, I am equipped with the confidence and the tools in which our professors helped us establish. I am well-versed in scaffolding, differentiated instruction, and student-centered activities that are essential for second-language teaching and in general pedagogy.
I personally value the empathy and perspective gained from this six-week experience. Stepping into the shoes of a language minority in a host family, in classes, and in a large multicultural urban area was life-changing. It has forced me (in the best way) to consider how I interact with others, how I teach, and the privileges I carry on a daily basis.
In regard to the program itself, I loved the country, the routine, our host university and my host family, as well as my content and language classes. The discussions we had and the conversations available to us inside and outside of the classroom were unique and resources I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life."