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Volunteering with kids/teaching

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm either gonna go to Japan to teach for a bit with one of these schools that you don't need to be properly qualified for, or apply to do the full PGCE initial teacher training in English starting next term (and then bugger off to Japan for a while). Either way, I think I could do with a bit of experience working with or teaching kids, preferably of secondary school age. So I thought which site could I go to for advice about young people and volunteering? But I couldn't think of one so I'll just post my question here. :p

Does anyone know where I can find out about opportunities in my area? If I don't get a job in Japan, I'll effectively be free until next summer when I would start my teacher training (assuming I got accepted), so a temporary paid job would be great too, which I would be willing to move for. My sister used to teach judo, but I don't really have any skills I could practically teach to children (all too expensive, or need you to be properly qualified). And Google isn't much help. Everything I find turns out to actually be a really expensive holiday where you pay off your carbon footprint from the journey by planting trees for two weeks or something.

So any help would be great.

ETA: just realised this is the wrong bit. Feel free to move it when you wake up mods.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    TheSite has a sister site http://www.do-it.org.uk/ with volunteerting opportunities, and you can search it based on your area and what you want to do.

    The one that immediately springs to mind for me is Scouting, because that's my bad habit. There's a 10-14 age group (Scouts) and a 14-18 age group (Explorers). Various ways to get in touch, google scouts in your area, look at the directory on www.scoutbase.org.uk or email the info centre, contact details on Scoutbase or I can pm you.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not volunteering, but the obvious paid job to go for would be a Teaching Assistant (often known as TA), in a secondary school or college.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    or become an english language assistant abroad with the british council scheme
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ^^^

    Not as straightforward as just "becoming" an assistant, otherwise that'd be what I'd recommend too... My brother was an assistant in two different schools in Hamburg, but he had hell on trying to get a placement and they have already had their initiation and started the school year. October is an awkward time.

    You could check out your local colleges that teach ESOL. They often have conversational clubs/YL conversational clubs that you could participate in, or even run for them! You could also ask about the possibility of sitting in on/assisting with some lessons for YL of English on a voluntary basis. I know my mum has had such volunteers in her class, and Newcastle College welcomes them. Not sure about other colleges, but you can only try, and it'd be a helluva lot easier than getting a job in a school. Especially in October!

    Alternatively, I don't know... Scout/Guide volunteering. I'm only really well-versed in volunteering with disabled young people, and I'm not sure that's quite what you're looking for...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    TheSite has a sister site http://www.do-it.org.uk/ with volunteerting opportunities, and you can search it based on your area and what you want to do.
    There seem to be some good opportunities on there. I'll check them out, cheers.
    The one that immediately springs to mind for me is Scouting, because that's my bad habit. There's a 10-14 age group (Scouts) and a 14-18 age group (Explorers). Various ways to get in touch, google scouts in your area, look at the directory on www.scoutbase.org.uk or email the info centre, contact details on Scoutbase or I can pm you.
    As much as I love the scouts, I don't think scouting and atheism go well together tbh.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote: »
    You could check out your local colleges that teach ESOL. They often have conversational clubs/YL conversational clubs that you could participate in, or even run for them! You could also ask about the possibility of sitting in on/assisting with some lessons for YL of English on a voluntary basis. I know my mum has had such volunteers in her class, and Newcastle College welcomes them. Not sure about other colleges, but you can only try, and it'd be a helluva lot easier than getting a job in a school. Especially in October!

    Again I'll check it out, but I won't be holding out much hope. I live in the middle of nowhere and the only foreigners are the owners of the local takeaways.

    I was actually considering doing a swimming instructors certificate, but it's £220, and if I don't get a job at the end of that, it's a bit of a waste of money. It only takes 2 weeks part time to complete though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Talk to local leisure centres. You may well find ones that are desperate for teachers and may even pay or at least contribute towards the course. You can also get a pretty good idea as to whether there's much chance of a job.
    As much as I love the scouts, I don't think scouting and atheism go well together tbh.

    Atheism is only a problem if you want to be a warranted leader, there's no restriction at all if you want to be a section assistant (which would get you very similar experience). You might not fit in too well if it's a group attached to a church, but more are like mine where our 'Faith and Beliefs' activities include things like church parade twice a year (St Georges and Rememberance), Chinese Lantern making, hopes and fears for the future, debating, role play and various other activities/discussions/crafts linked to seasonal events be it Divali, Hannukah, Christmas or Australia day.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Are you just after some experience in school?

    If you are and you're willing to work unpaid (which will DEFINITELY help you get onto a PGCE and look good on your CV at the end of it all) just write some letters to your local schools. I'm sure they'll bite your hand off for the offer of help and most teachers will be happy to give you advise when you're there.

    Experience counts for everything with teaching, especially if you are planning on doing a PGCE. Some schools I have been in worry about the amount of experience you get in just one year compared with a 4 year teaching degree so any extra in-school experience you get will be a bonus.

    They'll ask for you to get a criminal check but some schools will pay for you to have this done and its pretty easy to sort out.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I might ask my old English teacher because he's head of department at my old school now. And I'm also gonna find out who runs the ESOL course at the local college and try and get on that. If all that fails, there's also a gig with age concern helping old people on a computer course, which isn't exactly kids, but it's teaching.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Philanthropy and grants from private foundations

    Private foundations
    http://www.famous-philanthropists.org
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