Tutors – Opportutoring

Tutors.

Tutors are the most important part of our organizations. They provide lessons to our students and make Opportutoring function. Find out more about what it entails to be a tutor below!

What does being a tutor with OT consist of?

Tutors are responsible for providing 1 online lesson per week to our students via video call. Our tutors are most often placed in teams of 2 to 4 people. No prior experience is required to be a tutor and all backgrounds are welcome. Responsibilities include preparing lessons and exams and consulting with your fellow team members regarding your student’s progress.

What do I get out of it?

Make a difference

OT is an impact driven human organization. As part of your involvement, you will have to opportunity to directly impact someone's life for the better. If you are interested in taking initiative and seeing the results of your actions, this is for you!

Extend your global Awareness

As part of your involvement with OT, you will have the chance to interact with students who have had vastly different experiences than you. Our tutors report having a deeper understanding of the lived realities of refugees which are impossible to gain through reading the news. Read some of our testimonies for more insights.

Join an international community

OT's network includes over hundreds of volunteers spread out around the world. Within each chapter are organized events and socials to foster community building. If you're interested in joining an inclusive society of like minded people, look no further.

Wondering what it is like to be a tutor? Read some testimonies!

Through Opportutoring, I met new people that I started working with and with that something was created. Our tutee has had a few issues with his living and work situation. One day we all came together and decided that we would find a solution, it was really nice to see people wanting to do good in this world. Another experience that marked me was my tutee returning to our group after a few months of silence, everything just went back to the way it was and we keep skipping a few lessons to have conversations about life and stuff that happens, just like old friends.

I’ve been a part of Opportutoring as a tutor for the past school year. While it is clear that Bilal had grown exponentially in his linguistic skills throughout the past year, I think that I’ve also grown tremendously because of this project. The fulfilment that comes with meeting someone new and teaching them English is unparalleled because I can actively see the change I am making in someone else’s life. Not only this, but I’ve also learnt so much from the experience about Bilal and also other refugees that may be in a similar position as him. I’ve found it to be a great way for me to personally experience the life of a refugee, not from their past but from their vision of the future. It has been very inspiring to me and I’m really glad that I’ve been a part of this project!

Most frequent questions and answers

How much time per week does it take to be a tutor?

Tutors are typically required to provide one 1/2 hour lesson to their student every week. Lesson planning usually takes about one hour to put together so on average the weekly commitment should be 2/3 hours.

What are the skills necessary? Do I need past tutoring experience?

You do not require to have had past tutoring experience, although it certainly helps to have tutored before. The required skills to be a good tutor are the same ones as being a good teacher so patience, conscientiousness, motivation and being comfortable speaking are typical good skills to have.

Are tutors expected to create lessons? Will resources be made available to me?

Tutors are indeed expected to create lessons, however, you will not be left to your own device in doing so. Opportutoring provides resources in the form of a curriculum, tutor handbook as well as access to teaching books and the Global English platform. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with your tutoring team in doing so.

Will I receive training as part of being a member of OT?

Yes. Every single one of our tutors has to attend an induction session where you will be explained some basics of lesson planning as well as a breakdown of how our operation is run. On top of this, we generally organize sessions discussing a particular topic, invite experts to talk to you about teaching and have seasoned tutors share their experiences with you.

Do I need to speak Arabic?

Speaking Arabic is not a necessary (although valued) requirement to becoming a tutor with us. We take on students with different levels. While speaking Arabic may be necessary to teach students with little to no English experience, the overwhelming majority of our students have enough English to follow along with tutors who only speak English.

Can I join another Chapter if there are none where I am based ?

At the moment, Opportutoring only recruits tutors located in places near our chapters’ location. However, as we grow, this might not always be true. As such, if you are really motivated to be part of OT, we encourage you to get in touch with us so we can work out a potential solution. You may also be interested in starting your own chapter.

What is the long term commitment of being a tutor?

Our program accompanies students for as long as they need. As such, there are no typical or required length of time to be a tutor. However, as forming groups can take time and resources, priority will be given to volunteers who can commit to tutoring for at least 2 semesters/1 year.

Ready to join us?

Join us! If you are interested in becoming a tutor, you will find the application forms for each chapter below. If you still have questions regarding being a tutor or filling the application, feel free to drop us a message on facebook or linkedin and someone will get back to you.