Why I Volunteer - Rebecca Ds Story

Why I Volunteer - Rebecca D's Story Meet Rebecca D, one of Tutorfair’s very own VIVs (Very Important Volunteers). Rebecca is about to begin the TeachFirst Leadership Development Programme in September 2016, and in the run up to her teacher training volunteered for Tutorfair, Southside Young Leader Academy and Stretch Academy. We help her tell the rest of her story below. Rebecca wasn’t quite sure what to expect on her first day at the Southside Young Leader's Academy, and walking into a room full of lively students on a Saturday morning was more than a little overwhelming. However, according to Rebecca, practicing her teaching skills with both TeachFirst’s School Orientation Experience (SOE) and as a volunteer with Tutorfair were valuable, one-of-a-kind experiences. “SOE was great to observe lessons,” she said, “but the Tutorfair programme gave me real hands on experience . . . which was really helpful, especially the subject sessions in small groups.” Rebecca took this training and ran with it, building tutoring plans for the “Gifted and Talented” students at Stretch Academy, and helping Southside Young Leaders with their literacy skills. SA and SYLA respectively target low-income students and young black boys. As a future teacher, Rebecca found working with these hardworking, but often overlooked pupils the most useful part of her experience. “Working at the Stretch Academy gave me tips on how to challenge . . . students, while SYLA gave me insight [into] differentiating work for a mixed-ability group,” she explained. “[In general, being a volunteer] gives the chance to understand the issues facing the students, [and] the experience let me appreciate how imaginative you have to be to keep students engaged!” We’re ecstatic that Rebecca found her time with us as a volunteer  both practical and enjoyable, and clearly Rebecca is, too: “[I] would recommend [the program] to anyone!” Thanks, Rebecca! If you're a tutor, teacher or an aspiring educator looking to make a difference, visit the  Tutorfair Foundation  to find out how you can join the future of tutoring.