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CATESOL -My Best Friend
11/09/2018
Julius Pañares
You might know me as your President-Elect. You might know me as the "tech guru". But you probably don't know the influence that CATESOL has had on my life. My first CATESOL conference was in 1978 in San Francisco. At that time I was a grad student at San Francisco Stat...
You might know me as your President-Elect. You might know me as the "tech guru". But you probably don't know the influence that CATESOL has had on my life. My first CATESOL conference was in 1978 in San Francisco. At that time I was a grad student at San Francisco State University and all of us in the MA TESOL program became CATESOL members. I can remember the camaraderie of all the volunteers helping me out for my first time. There was no newcomer workshop for beginners so I had to find my own way around. I started attending the Northern Regional (I think it was called the San Francisco Regional at that time) and the Annual Conferences. I started meeting "famous" people and authors of the books I was studying in my MA program. I did my first presentation in San Diego on games used in the language classroom. I had over 50 people in the room. I took my glasses off so I couldn't see them. I was so scared.
I have been participating in CATESOL and presenting ever since. As I moved through my career, I was interviewed and hired by many CATESOL members. They remembered me and gave me part time work. I worked at San Francisco City College, Berkeley Adult School, Life Language Center in San Rafael and Berkeley Extension. Yes all in one day believe it or not. I was the ultimate freeway flyer, eating my lunch while driving over the Golden Gate Bridge from job to job.
CATESOL has always been with me no matter if I lived in Northern California, Central California or Southern California. I made some of my best friends there and had the greatest mentors. I become so prolific, that I became a better interviewee. Each time I applied for a full time job, I made sure to mention my affiliation with CATESOL. Most of the people interviewing me were impressed that volunteering was important to me.
Without CATESOL, I would not be who I am today. I would not have the community I have today and I would have not had as many colleagues to call my friends. I just retired on December 21. Now my full time job is as your President-Elect and soon to be President. I am very proud to give back to an organization that gave so much to me.
Do you have a story you want to share with CATESOL members or maybe a teaching idea or classroom story? Are you sad to see the newsletter gone? Write a blog. Let this be our forum for learning sharing and becoming life long friends. Hope to see you blogging soon. Questions email me at sgaer@catesol.org
Julius Pañares
You might know me as your President-Elect. You might know me as the "tech guru". But you probably don't know the influence that CATESOL has had on my life. My first CATESOL conference was in 1978 in San Francisco. At that time I was a grad student at San Francisco Stat...You might know me as your President-Elect. You might know me as the "tech guru". But you probably don't know the influence that CATESOL has had on my life. My first CATESOL conference was in 1978 in San Francisco. At that time I was a grad student at San Francisco State University and all of us in the MA TESOL program became CATESOL members. I can remember the camaraderie of all the volunteers helping me out for my first time. There was no newcomer workshop for beginners so I had to find my own way around. I started attending the Northern Regional (I think it was called the San Francisco Regional at that time) and the Annual Conferences. I started meeting "famous" people and authors of the books I was studying in my MA program. I did my first presentation in San Diego on games used in the language classroom. I had over 50 people in the room. I took my glasses off so I couldn't see them. I was so scared.I have been participating in CATESOL and presenting ever since. As I moved through my career, I was interviewed and hired by many CATESOL members. They remembered me and gave me part time work. I worked at San Francisco City College, Berkeley Adult School, Life Language Center in San Rafael and Berkeley Extension. Yes all in one day believe it or not. I was the ultimate freeway flyer, eating my lunch while driving over the Golden Gate Bridge from job to job.
CATESOL has always been with me no matter if I lived in Northern California, Central California or Southern California. I made some of my best friends there and had the greatest mentors. I become so prolific, that I became a better interviewee. Each time I applied for a full time job, I made sure to mention my affiliation with CATESOL. Most of the people interviewing me were impressed that volunteering was important to me.
Without CATESOL, I would not be who I am today. I would not have the community I have today and I would have not had as many colleagues to call my friends. I just retired on December 21. Now my full time job is as your President-Elect and soon to be President. I am very proud to give back to an organization that gave so much to me.
Do you have a story you want to share with CATESOL members or maybe a teaching idea or classroom story? Are you sad to see the newsletter gone? Write a blog. Let this be our forum for learning sharing and becoming life long friends. Hope to see you blogging soon. Questions email me at sgaer@catesol.org