EMCC Professor Teaches Ukrainian University Students Through Virtual English Educator Program
Estrella Mountain Community College’s (EMCC) Occupational Program Director for the
Teacher Education Institute isn’t afraid to step out of her comfort, er, time zone. Dr. Rachel Revilla (formerly Holmes) spent last semester not only teaching students here at EMCC, but she also taught university students in Ukraine. And since Ukraine is nine hours ahead of Arizona, Dr. Revilla had to start her twice-a-week Zoom classes at 6 a.m.
“The early schedule was definitely challenging initially, but I adjusted my sleep routine and quickly adjusted to being more of a morning person,” she said. “The experience was well worth the small sacrifice.”
Dr. Revilla was connected with her Ukrainian students from Donbas Pedagogical University through the U.S. Department of State’s Virtual English Language Educator Program. She learned about the program at a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) conference she attended in the spring of 2024 and she applied that summer.
“I have long been passionate about international collaborations in education,” she said. “My participation in the MCCCD Mexico Faculty Development Program twice in the past decade inspired me to explore creative ways to collaborate with educational institutions worldwide. So when I attended the TESOL conference and learned about the Virtual English Educator Program, my interest was sparked and I immediately knew I had to apply.”
Throughout the semester, she taught her Ukrainian students about the pedagogy of teaching and worked to help them refine their English. She integrated her EMCC classes into the syllabus, as well, facilitating weekly discussion groups for her EMCC and Ukrainian students to discuss topics such as education systems, cultural practices, and career goals. The collaboration provided both sets of students with valuable cultural and professional exchanges and fostered mutual respect and global understanding.
“It was the perfect opportunity to build collaborative learning opportunities between the EMCC education students and the Donbas University students since they are all studying to become teachers,” she said.
Her EMCC and Ukranian students also edited each other’s resumes to provide constructive feedback and improve professional communication; shared information about the teaching profession in each country, including qualifications, salaries, class sizes, and daily expectations; and even exchanged photos and videos.
“My Ukrainian students were fascinated by pictures and videos of the Grand Canyon and found it difficult to imagine Arizonans celebrating the holidays without snow,” Dr. Revilla said. “It made for super interesting discussions!”
Dr. Revilla also provided virtual professional development sessions once a month for Donbas professors. The sessions focused on making online classes more engaging and interactive for students, incorporating tools to foster active participation, and techniques to improve learning outcomes.
“The faculty I worked with were incredibly receptive and provided thoughtful feedback on how they integrated these strategies into their own teaching,” she said. “That collaboration allowed us to exchange ideas and best practices, further enriching the teaching and learning experience for all of us.”
Dr. Revilla hailed the Virtual English Language Educator Program for giving her the opportunity to put her TESOL skills to practice and giving her EMCC students the chance to work with non-native English speakers, an invaluable experience, especially in this part of the country.
“Working with multilingual learners is something that all Arizona teachers benefit from since we have such a high population of second language learners in the state,” she said. “I feel strongly that my students here at EMCC gained truly valuable experiences that will strengthen their teaching skills while also learning a great deal about a new culture.”
Applications are currently being accepted for the 2024-25 Virtual English Language Educator Program. Learn more at https://elprograms.org/virtual-educator-program/.