Using Professional Skills in Poland

Connie has served a total of 20 times with Global Volunteers, ten of those in Poland. Here is why, and how she is using professional skills in Poland. 

Lifetime learning

Being curious as a child and curious as an adult, as well as wanting to share what I have learned, are qualities which made me enjoy my career in education and my continuing to be an educator in retirement.

“Lifetime learning has virtually always been my motto.”

A major area of interest for me has been nonverbal communication which expanded into cross cultural communication. I tied that into my studies in rhetoric and public speaking. One of the best sources of information about cross cultural communication is being with, and practically living with people in countries outside the U.S. And that fit in with something I have never passed up the opportunity to do since I was a preschooler; I love to travel.

Fortunately, one of the first Global Volunteer experiences I participated in was in Siedlce, Poland, at Reymontowka, where I get to teach conversational English and interact daily with Polish students.

Volunteer Connie with Polish students.

Using professional skills in Poland

This year I was able to use my professional skills in Siedlce, teaching at the University of Siedlce. I was asked to present a workshop on public speaking to third year English majors.  They received the information in English, the language in which they then had to speak, from an American. When they presented brief speeches, it was apparent that they were improving their language and writing.

Why I keep coming back to Poland

This is my tenth time in Poland as a Global Volunteer; each time I have enjoyed the experience and learned more about myself and the Polish people and culture. My experience, adventure even, at Siedlce University has been unique. I have interacted with more than seventy students who have had no contact with a person from the U.S. They were very open about sharing cultural information and appreciated my slant on improving their English skills.

Connie interacting with Polish students in-between classes.

Connie in one of her classes at the University of Siedlce.