Frannetia Beliard

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship. 

I first heard of Global Exchange program on campus where students intern across the globe to gain experience/ to see a different perspective. Unfortunately, I found out about the program after the deadline had passed for the summer session. I took the initiative and applied to be an English teacher through the platform Omprakash which is the same platform Global Exchange students go through to find an organization to apply/intern for. 

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity? 

Around the beginning of Spring semester 2018 I applied for the position and got the notification I got accepted to be an intern a week after I applied. 

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your job offer, what were they? How did they support your application process?

I went to the Career Center for resume help a few times to help polish up my resume which I had not updated since high school. It was very helpful having someone sit down with me to fix up my resume to a collegiate level which I wasn't used to since I was a first year. 

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity. 

As an English teacher I am responsible for teaching my students the language of course. I prepare lesson plans that are engaging and help with the retention process. Since I have a class of my own I also administer tests and quizzes to gage their progression. I deliver lectures on different topics, evaluate homework/assignments, and prepare assignments for my students. 

What was a typical day like "on the job?" 

I'm at work before 10 AM and once I arrive I rearrange the class based on the types of assignments I assign. For example, for group work I push desks together to form groups of four and I also open the windows up to have fresh air pass through. Once the students arrive I start them off with a warmup which is a question like "what is the weather in Morocco like? Describe in five sentences". After about 30 minutes I start recapping the lesson from yesterday and relate it to the new lesson for the day and begin to teach. After almost an hour there is a 30 minute break where students can play, eat, drink, etc. After the break for 30 minutes I continue with the lesson and assign homework and afterwards we play educational games for the remainder of the 30 minutes to end off on fun note. 

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?
I am currently almost finished with my internship and what I am taking away is a new appreciation for instructors because for being in their shoes for nearly 3 months I know how difficult it is to teach children. I am taking away a new excitement for learning Arabic as well--I'm currently taking Arabic language classes and seeing how excited my students are to learn English really lights a fire within me to model their enthusiasm. I also have a new appreciation for volunteering/interning aboard where you are enveloped in the culture of the country and learning from the natives how life is like in the particular country. I have made so many local friends by just stopping to chat with someone and ask them about Morocco. 

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so? 

I would say in terms of where I want to work geographically, by coming to Morocco I have confirmed that I want to test my boundaries and see what life is like in different areas of the world. It has been extraordinary living in Morocco for the past 3 months and engulfing myself in a different culture has made me more culturally aware. I can only imagine the experiences I would have in different countries. Speaking about subject wise, I would say no because I have no intention of becoming a teacher although it is a very noble career.