A few months ago, I reached out to a local volunteer organization that works with teenagers and young adults at risk of social exclusion.

This group operates like a vocational training center, focusing on IT skills and network support.

When I initially contacted them, I offered to volunteer by giving a talk or running a workshop. They responded, asking if I could do it in English 🫖 (which is not our native language), and I agreed.

Fast forward, they got back in touch.

They asked if I could organize a full English course, find and manage another teacher to co-host it, and cover weekly classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 AM.

Unexpected.

I had to explain that with a full-time job and teaching responsibilities in a master's program, there was no way I could commit to that kind of schedule.

I’d be happy to give an occasional talk, but covering twice-weekly English classes? 🤷‍♂️

Their response was, to be honest, quite blunt. It ended with something like, “maybe you can find a replacement.”

A replacement?

I’m not sure if there was a misunderstanding or if this person is used to making demands. I mean, this is a volunteer association, and all the effort would be unpaid.

Disappointing.

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Thanks for reading.