Teaching Tips and General Info For Volunteers

DAILY SCHEDULE:
CLASSES BEGIN OCTOBER 6th, 2009 at Huntington Family Center
405 Gifford Street, Syracuse. Rides are available if requested!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Friday: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Imagine Language Institute – Spanish, French, Mandarin classes
Wednesday: Imagine Careers: Culinary, theater, guest speakers, field trips
Thursday: Imagine Time For Art™
Friday: Hip Hop/Dance with Sarah Gualtieri and Melissa Bebernes



SO, HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1. VOLUNTEER! We are looking for high school-aged and older lead teachers, assistant teachers and classroom helpers. All classes have been planned ahead for you. We’ll get you the curriculum before your scheduled teaching day.
2. GET CREATIVE! If you have a personal skill or gift to teach, let us help you design a customized class.
3. HELP DESIGN CURRICULUM! If you are a certified teacher, help us design relevant enrichment courses.
4. FUNDRAISE! We run on private funding alone at this time. Build up Imagine clubs in your high schools by talking to your principal and recruiting a few friends. Meet monthly to discuss and put on fundraisers like Imagine Syraucse rubber bracelet sales, carwashes, bake sales, dance-a-thons, talent shows, etc.
5. FUNDRAISE SOME MORE! Have a birthday party or dinner party and ask guests to donate to Imagine Syracuse.


TEACHING TIPS:
1. Talk slowly and loudly when teaching.
2. Act everything out as you say it, especially when teaching a foreign language.
3. Always put kids in line yourself during transitions.
4. Everyone needs to help get kids quiet and seated during opening, closing and during transitions. Please don't sit and watch the chaos! Hands ON!!!
5. Enforce hand-raising.
6. Constantly circulate and manage kids to get them to listen and pay attention to the "lead" teacher. A tap on the shoulder, a shhh finger to lips, point to teacher, zip your lip motion, eyeballs up, whatever works! But be vigilant. When it's your turn to lead teach, you'll appreciate the group effort so much!
7. Read books, teach lessons, etc. loudly and slowly and make it interactive with questions.
8. For arts and crafts, demonstrate FIRST what they will do and use a model.
9. When explaining games, act out the game yourselves first!
10. Leave your cool at the gate! Be larger than life, be goofy, be fun, be loud, ignore the rolling eyeballs and looks of disinterest on the faces - inside, they are loving learning!!!!