Vienna, Austria Part 2: Carli the Teacher.

I'm going to take a minute and talk about how awesome Carli is. She came on this study abroad as an "accompanying spouse", meaning that she was not an enrolled student through the study abroad office, and would not have an internship, or classes. When making the decision to go on this study abroad, we were worried about what Carli would do while I was doing my internship and going to classes. 

Cindy Brewer, our program director, brought 7 of her children including her 5 daughters between the ages of 5 and 11, and needed someone to tutor them while they were in Vienna. Carli is in the early childhood education program at BYU, and was exactly the person for the job. 

Carli spent about 15 hours every week working one on one with the youngest 4 girls. She helped them get their homework done, but focused on reading. In the beginning, the girls dreaded their reading lessons, but as they got to know Carli and realized that she really cared for them, they began to have such a fun time together, during and outside of their lessons. She really became their favorite person on the study abroad!

After a couple of weeks, Carli was actually given an internship at the elementary school where the girls went to school, and was a teacher's aid for all of the first grade classes. Carli is really a person who will make the most out of opportunities given her. She ended up busier in Vienna than I was! She's so hard working, loves her students, and loves her career path!

I was pretty much their second favorite, because I was always with Carli.

Carli generally got to pick them up from school and walk them home too. I helped sometimes. 

This girl, is a super star! She is by far Carli's most improved student. During the few months they had together, they worked all the way from a first grade reading level to a second grade reading level. This is her celebrating the accomplishment of reading her first chapter book all by herself!

It was so sad in December, when it was time to say goodbye. Cindy was sad to not have Carli around, the girls were sad to not have Carli around, Carli was sad to be done teaching them, and everyone was sad to be going home.