Valerie Pflug, an English Language Fellow in Kazakhstan from 2011-2013, is an ESL lecturer in the University of North Georgia Department of Learning Support. Valerie’s fellowship experience allowed her to learn a great deal about teaching in a variety of contexts. Prior to her fellowship, she had never taught abroad and had no EFL experience. When Valerie first began to instruct ESL during graduate school, teaching seemed to come very easy to her. Throughout her fellowship, many opportunities to teach arose, each one specific and unique. Finding herself in a number of new and sometimes unpredictable teaching scenarios helped her to develop new skills and renewed her commitment to lifelong education and learning.
“In recent years, I have realized the importance of connecting with members ‘of the tribe’ or simply the people who have the same values and hold the same ideals in esteem as I do. I enjoy working with the English Language Fellow Program as a former Fellow because I along with other alumni represent a tribe of caring people enthusiastically committed to teaching and learning.”