Volunteer Spotlight: Andrea

By Jordan Cowell

Andrea Souza (she/her)

ESL Teacher

Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

Andrea is a freelance English language teacher and proofreader of Portuguese. She has been volunteering with Felt Education as an online English teacher since last July, where she teaches two of the Beginner-level classes.

“I try to put myself in my students’ shoes. Everyone has a unique experience, and I learn every day. When we teach, we learn. And I’m learning a lot with my students.”

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your role at Felt Education.

Andrea: My name is Andrea Souza, and I’m from Brazil. I live in Paraguay. My volunteer title at Felt is English teacher. I teach two Beginner-level classes.

Q: How long have you been volunteering with Felt?

Andrea: Since July of last year. This is my third session, and it’s been wonderful.

Q: How long is a “session” at Felt?

Andrea: Each session is 10 weeks. We meet with the students 10 times, one hour per week . . . and then we have a break between sessions. I have students that have been with me for three sessions, and some of them have already moved on to the intermediate level. It’s really nice to see that.

Q: Tell me a little bit more about your background.

Andrea: My background is a little mixed. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations. I moved to the U.S. right after that, with some friends who were going to study English. I stayed there for 11 years! I worked for the Brazilian consulate there and did cultural events, showcasing Brazilian culture and movies. I love art and the U.S. has a lot of museums. I did my Master’s in Art History. 

I had this plan to be an art history teacher, but then my husband and I moved to Brazil. And I changed course again. I worked for the UN at an administrative level. 

And then we moved again [to Paraguay]. I started teaching English to friends, and then I found this English certificate. And the rest is history! Now I’m an English teacher but I also do proofreading in Portuguese for academic papers and things like that.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

Pictured above we can see three of Andrea’s paintings

Andrea: I love art. I do a little painting, but I’m not very good. I like reading, watching Netflix, going to museums and galleries…

Q: What are you reading or watching right now?

Andrea: The Purple Hibiscus by Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Sad, but beautiful book.

Q: What is your approach to teaching?

Andrea: I try to make the students feel comfortable because I believe when we are learning a new language, especially in a classroom, you can become afraid of making mistakes or not pronouncing things correctly . . . So I try to feel the “emotional thermometer” to see how I can make them feel comfortable and not judged . . . Sometimes speaking a foreign language in a classroom can feel like being on a stage. That’s a lot of pressure!

Q: What are your students’ main needs?

Andrea: They need to go to the supermarket, go to the bank, do every day chores, everyday life activities, you know? Their goal is just to live, talk to people in their community, maybe walk down the street and understand a little bit about what people around them are talking about. Things like that.

Q: And most of your students live in the U.S., where you used to live, right? It’s so special that you can really empathize with the experience of moving to the U.S. as an adult and having to learn the language.

Andrea: Yeah, true. I think it’s a way of connecting with [my students]. I share my experience with my students. I remember when I went to the U.S. for the first time. I spent a week in New York before going to L.A. I remember being really sad because I was walking down the street, and I couldn’t understand what people were saying. It made me feel really desperate. At the same time, it’s a process, and everything will be okay. You have to be patient and make the effort.

Q: What is one of your favorite classroom memories?

Andrea: I had one student with very limited knowledge of English. And she was in a class with people who were already there for two sessions (20 classes). But she’s a fighter, and she said, “Hey, teacher, can you please send me extra material?” She would study, and then she caught up to the other students. I’m very happy when I see this, because I know not all students can do that. She is a mother, she works, but she still makes the time to study. And it really makes a difference!

Q: What have you learned or gained through your volunteer work with Felt?

Andrea: I think I’ve gained more awareness of the situation of immigrants and especially refugees. I try to put myself in my students’ shoes. Everyone has a unique experience, and I learn every day. When we teach, we learn. And I’m learning a lot with my students. About their countries, about their lives.

Join Us by Volunteering!

If you want to make a positive impact in the community like Andrea has, join us as a volunteer! You can do it by sending us your information and proposal in our volunteering page