Sometimes the demands of ESOL ministry can be relentless. Every week we plan a new lesson, and we can be reluctant to take breaks because we love our learners and want to serve them. But this burden can sometimes lead to us feeling burned out and bitter, coming to resent the ministry and people we once loved.
We can end up saying to ourselves “what I really need is more teachers! I need time to focus on other things, start a new group, or just have a morning off once in a while” thinking that the only answer is to recruit a new qualified and experienced teacher from somewhere.
But what if the answer is in fact already in front of us? What if the answer lies not in some amazing imaginary super teacher, when in fact the answer lies within our own volunteer teams. What if, instead of pining for another “ready-made” teacher, we invest time and energy in our own team to develop their gifts and abilities, so they can be the answer to our prayers?
Think about it – our volunteers are already here. We don’t have to persuade them of the value of the ministry – they already know how great it is because they already give time to it! We don’t have to ask them to free up space in their schedule to come along – they already have freed up space! We don’t have to give them time to get to know and love the learners who come along each week and build relationships with them – they already know and love them and are probably known and loved in return!
So how do we do it? How do we transform a volunteer into a teacher? What attitudes
- Humility –We must be willing to ask others for help, to admit that there are gifts that others have and we do not have which will be a benefit to our learners. We must let go of our responsibilities and leadership and let others share that load.
- Time – We live in a society where if we want something we can get it instantly. I can order a book online and have it instantly, merely by a few clicks on my mouse. But it takes an investment of time to train someone up – we have to invest our own time and effort in sitting with them and helping them plan and evaluate their lessons for months before they are ready.
- Risk – People are risky. There is a risk that the person you invest in will not go on to teach in your class. Was it a waste? Did you make a mistake? sed lots of gardening parables and pictures – and gardening is risky, because not everything you plant and water will grow! But when it does – it’s worth it. We take risks by investing in training new teachers, some of which will come good and yield a return, others will not. But where they do grow and bear fruit, they will yield a harvest, 30, 60 or 100-fold…
Join us in our webinar on 15th July where we’ll be looking at what it could look like to grow new teachers from our volunteers, we’ll include some practical tips and tools as well as stories of where it has worked. Booking details to follow or email info@twonineteen.org.uk to be added to the mailing list.