10 months, three lockdowns, two curfews and one internship later!
What can you expect as an intern?
Throughout my time as an intern I ran the recruitment social media channels, curated monthly newsletters, taught English to French children, translated documents, designed, created and tested teaching materials, mastered google analytics, started designing the TEK website, taught English to adults online (My English Sister Pro... watch this space!), recruited new brothers and sisters, laughed a lot, cycled a lot, survived three lockdowns, met lots of people and above all, enjoyed myself every step of the way.
It has been amazing to see the growth of MES over the recent months and I am so excited to see them progress further over the next year, hopefully minus a global pandemic this time!
The highlights
The flashcards were the main focus of this project because they are the most effective tool for this age group. As you can see from some of the images below I have created a varied pack of flashcards. Having the chance to test them out with some of the children has been great fun and I am looking forward to seeing the TEK project develop more over the next year with some fresh insight from new team members.
And of course, the biggest highlight of it all has been working with the kids. I have become quite attached to the children I work with and I am proud of every single one of them for the progress they have made in English. I can’t wait to see what next year brings.
What skills can you learn from working with children?
Don’t underestimate the skills you can learn when teaching English to children. This role provides an opportunity to gain confidence in yourself and your French language skills, expand your creativity, improve your patience and increase your awareness of other cultures. You learn to adapt your communication to different audiences, organise your own work schedule and finally master time management (you definitely can’t forget to collect your kids from school!)
The flexible nature of the work means it is easy to fit around your studies if need be and it is a perfect opportunity to carry out some rewarding work to add to your CV, whilst earning an income.
If you opt for an internship then the professional experience you will gain in addition to all of the above skills will give you the knowledge needed to transition into the working world.
A lot less clueless and a lot more curious
As MES’s first intern I would like to say a massive thank you to Katy and Charlotte for taking me on and opening up their world to a young graduate who was a little clueless about what to do with her life!
I am now a lot less clueless and a lot more curious. To have had such a unique experience collaborating with a small team and teaching lots of children across Lyon has been incredible.
Even in the most serious lockdown when we weren’t allowed more than 1km from our homes, or even outside after 6pm, MES kept me going. Leaving the house each day to collect the children from school was my motivation and spending time with little ones who care a lot more about what’s for snack today than a global pandemic was a breath of fresh air!
I will never be able to thank MES enough for what I have learned, professionally and personally during this experience. I am so delighted that they are in a position to take on new interns and that I can pass on my experience and knowledge to them whilst we continue to work together to grow this wonderful little company right in the heart of Lyon, which is by far (in my very biased opinion), the best city in France!
If you're considering applying for an internship, apprenticeship or simply to just work as an English Brother or Sister please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions!
Au revoir et à la prochaine fois !