Helen Doron English Teacher Trainer Justyna Frankiewicz-Popiolek recently opened an expansive new learning centre to make room for the growing number of students in her area, Puławy, Poland. The city has a population of 50,000 and the new centre is ideal for her rapidly increasing student base. As of October 1, Justyna had 200 students with more signing up all the time.
Justyna sees her school as very holistic and community-oriented. We are NOT just a school” she emphasized proudly, “we do a lot for the community and the parents, and keep the whole family involved. We have pajama parties, workshops and all types of programs for mummies to meet other mummies, so they feel that we really take care of them. We also raise a lot of money for charities in the community and this is what we are known for. We always participate in all the charity events, which contributes to our excellent reputation as a school that can be trusted.”
Justyna’s centre currently offers all of the Helen Doron English programmes, beginning with 3-month-old babies all the way up through the Teen Talent programme for teens. “For 13 years all of my professional life has been with Helen Doron and I don’t see myself working any other way! I have achieved a lot already. I have capacity for at least 300 students which will allow us to grow. Most students hear about us from other kids and their parents and we just started with teens. It was hard to convince parents to send their youth to the teen program at first, as everyone in Poland knows us as English for younger children, but now that we have established ourselves and people know us and know that Helen Doron English works, our teen classes are filling up, as well. ”
Justyna’s personality and way of looking at life are an excellent match for the Helen Doron way of teaching. “I love the world of Helen Doron…it is my passion, it is my life! You can’t do something well if you don’t love it. I gave up a career in the university as I so believe in it.”
She continues with advice for people interested in a new career with the educational franchise, “If you are thinking about becoming a teacher, make sure you love children. Having good English is not enough, as it is not just a job, it is a vocation. We have wonderful programs, so there is no risk involved in that. The only real challenge is making sure the parents understand the methodology and the importance of cooperating with background hearing, with consistently playing the CDs at home. There is something so special in the world of Helen Doron that I love it more every year. I highly recommend teaching with us for people with excellent English who love children.”
Justyna emphasizes how much of an positive influence Helen Doron has on her entire family, “All 3 of my children grew up in the world of Helen Doron and to see them develop not only linguistically, but also emotionally, socially, intellectually…it is not just English we are talking about. It is so much more than that. It is an unbelievable mixture of wonderful qualities that develop the whole child and I am grateful to be a part of it.”
