John Kearney (on right) teaching at the SSJNC is pictured with Joe McElroy and Juan.
It may be cold outside this time of year, but you wouldn’t know if you visited the Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Center. Located in the Cramer Hill section of Camden and only a 20-minute drive from Christ the King, the Neighborhood Center exudes a welcoming warmth to all who enter.
To participate in our local mission with the SSJNC, I chose to teach English as a second language (ESL) along with fellow parishioner Joe
McElroy. Though I had some experience teaching during the last seven years since I retired as a lawyer, neither Joe nor I had ever taught ESL, and the two of us combined barely spoke enough Spanish to order lunch at Taco Bell. Fortunately, knowledge of Spanish was not required to teach the course. With a day of training from S. Clarisa, SSJ, and armed with a detailed teacher’s manual and a student textbook, we were ready.
Since our students had a basic proficiency in English and were motivated to advance in their jobs and lives, we had the flexibility to conduct the classroom as a dialogue rather than simply lecture. The motivation and dedication of our students are astonishing – Jose, in his late twenties, is married and works the night shift at a local warehouse. He has time for a quick nap twice a week before driving both he and his wife to the SSJNC for morning ESL class.
One thing Joe and I tell our students as they grapple to understand homonyms, idioms, and the often inconsistent rules that make up our grammar is that English is a crazy language that sometimes makes little sense. For example, one day a student came to class with an Eagles backpack. Since this occurred during an Eagles winning streak, I asked, “Are you on the bandwagon now?” When I got a blank stare in response, I realized he had no idea what “on the bandwagon” was; we laughed together after I explained the phrase.
Joe and I have found teaching rewarding personally, especially as we get to know the Neighbors better. If you are looking for something to bring warmth and light into your world, opportunities await you at the SSJNC. There’s room on the bandwagon for you, too!
John Kearney is the Vice Chair of the Pastoral Council.
Visit our website for more information on our local mission.