Training Coordinators Comments

Before helping to start up this programme as a new community enterprise, I was running a small English Language School and education business in the multicultural city of Vienna. Details follow below:

Running this company brought me into contact with hundreds of enthusiastic young children between the ages of 4 and 12 years of age and from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. These children when in their normal groups especially those from ethnic minorities often found themselves inadvertantly discriminated against but while in the English class they were highly animated and confident for all had suddenly become equal. Also between 1997 and 1999 as part of an international Early English program I provided basic training for over 120 people interested in becoming Early English teachers. These teachers also came from a variety of different backgrounds and not all of them were native speakers. This made me stop and think about how we often misjudge people for a variety of reasons based on a rather flimsy understanding of what their true potential might actually be. Take a look at the link below to capture some of the essence of what I mean:



http://www.helendoron.com

Helen Doron Early English is a highly acclaimed, proven method of teaching English. It has been developed by the linguist Helen Doron. Working with such an organisation for so many years gave me the inspiration to start the Hidden Gems Programme.
Working with people in such an interesting and dynamic way tends to give you good overall communication and negotiation skills and the ability to work well with others in a cooperative spirit. Like well trained musicians we should all learn how to be highly motivated always looking on the bright side even when things occassionally don't go entirely to plan, and approacing everything we do with a good sense of humour.