Susan’s Story of Volunteering at RMC
Sue has always loved helping others. After retiring from a school leadership role, she wanted to keep making a difference. With her passion for teaching and belief in helping people learn and grow, volunteering as an English teacher at RMC was the perfect next step. Her story is one of hope, and learning together.
Recently retired from the Deputy Headship of a primary school, Sue has always known she wanted to give back. Throughout her career, she took the lead in many areas of work within the school, with a passion for the work of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She believes that the SDGs offer an effective foundation for the youngest children to understand the world around them, their rights as human beings, and their responsibilities in making the world a better place for themselves and others.
At school, Sue worked closely with refugee children, initially from Ukraine. This experience instilled in her a deep sense of humility, as she was only able to touch the surface of their trauma, but also filled her with hope as she saw the difference the school community made in the lives of these children. Volunteering at RMC was a natural next step for her to continue doing her part and growing as a person in a world marked by conflict, but also full of hope.
During her volunteering, Sue teaches English to adult speakers of other languages. Together, they have formed a close-knit group based on trust and mutual respect, often sharing laughter, especially when she tries to act out something she’s explaining.
One of Sue’s most memorable moments at RMC was when she noticed a student, who, as she was informed, had no formal education in his home country, drawing what seemed to be steps on his whiteboard while she was teaching the difference between ordinal and cardinal numbers. It would have been easy to assume he wasn’t paying attention, but after a while, he looked up and, having clearly thought about what he wanted to express, said, “Sue, like a lift, first floor, second floor…”. This moment was a powerful one for Sue, as the least confident member of the group used his prior knowledge to understand and communicate a new concept. It was a breakthrough for him, and just as inspiring for her.
Sue also praises the team at the Birmingham office, where she is based, for their kindness and helpfulness. She truly appreciates their support. Sue recently moved her class to a small room off the main office. Though the room is small, limiting her group to five or six participants, she feels it has worked well for her teaching. Sue continues her journey with RMC.
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