TEACHING BUDDIES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOLUNTEER?
We accept volunteer teachers who are current college students or recent graduates. The interview is so we get to know you and discover the best ways to support you, as well as ensure safety for our students and volunteers.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT TO DO AS A VOLUNTEER?
As a volunteer, you are expected to complete self-paced training, be in constant communication with your co-volunteer and student parents, lesson plan, and give 1-hour Zoom lessons on a weekly basis.
WHY ARE WE TEACHING READING AND WRITING?
After interviewing several parents and teachers, critical thinking skills -- writing and critical reading are what everyone identified as the most essential for their child. Unfortunately, skills in deep reading and writing are also the hardest to enforce over Zoom, especially with large class sizes. This is why Teaching Buddies are essential for our students this fall to make sure that they get the help that they need!
WHO SHOULD I CONTACT WITH ANY QUESTIONS?
You can email teachingbuddies2020@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
WHAT TRAINING DO VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE?
Currently, our volunteers receive a self-paced training experience equipped with best practices in engaging kids, recommendations for impactful activities, as well as resources to reach out to other volunteers or teachers/parents with any issues. Our training is created based on advice and guidance from teachers and parents with years of experience, and we are always improving on it! In addition, if any of our volunteers feel they need support, we are always open to helping them via email at teachingbuddies2020@gmail.com or during our scheduled office hours.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHICAGO?
We accept volunteers at any university within the United States. We are currently focused on outreach to help elementary and middle school students in the Chicago Public School systems because it is a historically underserved, majority low-income/BIPOC community, and where we conducted the most research.
THIS IS SO COOL! WHAT ARE OTHER WAYS I CAN HELP?
We are always looking for more people to join our administrative team! Please reach out to teachingbuddies2020@gmail.com if you are interested. We are especially looking for more voices from BIPOC, Latinx, and college students who attended the CPS school systems, or currently go to school in Chicago. We would also super appreciate you spreading the word about our program to your friends who might be interested in volunteering!