Estimated hours per fortnight: 4 hours (volunteer)

When: Sundays, 12:30 – 3:20

Where: Springvale (10 minute walk from the train station)

Who: You will work with the Program Coordinator, Class Facilitators, other Teacher’s Assistants, an English as an Additional Language Teacher, and RISE members.

Questions? rasprogramwfoods@gmail.com

Applicants: Applications may be sent to admin@riserefugee.org Please ensure all applications contain the subject ‘Wholefoods Program Teacher’s Assistant’.

Objective: Teacher’s Assistants (TAs) are responsible for the delivery of class material, in building rapport with students, in helping to create a safe environment for learning English, and for being attentive and flexible in respect to student needs.

Background:

RISE is the first refugee and asylum seeker welfare and advocacy organisation in Australia to be run by refugees, asylum seekers, and ex-detainees; as such, they view those who seek assistance from RISE as members and participants, not “clients”. RISE exists to enable refugees and asylum seekers to build new lives by providing advice, engaging in community development, enhancing opportunity, and campaigning for refugee rights. RISE advocates on its members’ behalf to improve refugee/asylum-seeker policies and to generate positive social change in respect to attitudes impacting refugees.

Wholefoods is a volunteer student run restaurant at Monash University Clayton and a hub of activism on campus. In 2013, Wholefoods began a partnership with RISE. Wholefoods’ relationship to RISE is an accountable one: we look to those communities for leadership, and we are responsible to them for our actions. Wholefoods has run a number of English courses English courses (driving program, conversation classes, writing workshops, VCE tutoring); as well as a number of other concurrent programs in support of RISE. An amazing community of volunteers has built up around the program since its inception, and these Teacher’s Assistants work one-on-one or in small groups with students.

What makes the RISE and Wholefoods partnership unique and successful is that our projects are informed by the knowledge, experiences and expertise of RISE. Many RISE workers experienced the difficulties of settling in Australia and have in-depth knowledge of the political, legal, social, and community welfare system in Australia. The broader importance of the English class lies not only with language acquisition (it is limited in being one class, once a week), but in providing a warm and friendly space, to learn English in a safe environment, to build social networks, and to provide platform to access other aspects of the program.

Since moving classes to Springvale a large proportion of our students are at an early beginner stage of English. In 2016 we hope to cater more specifically to these needs.

General Requirements

• Display a high degree of respect for survivors of Australia’s detention industry, including displaying confidentiality, tact, reliability and sensitivity to students;
• Does not need to attend class every week, but does need to be able to help deliver classes regularly;
• Communicating effectively with Teacher’s Assistants and students, whilst displaying high level of 
interpersonal skills to function as an effective team member. Engaging with fellow teachers and students in a professional manner;
• Reliably able to work without supervision and to be able to show initiative and flexibility;
• Engage in highly reflective and reflexive teaching practice;
• Work collaboratively to develop a structure and a vision for the class;
• Actively keeps up to date with communications through Facebook/Email;
• Maintaining a high level of communication about availability and reliably 
keeping commitments;
• To be a supporter of anti-oppressive and politicised social work that that 
emphasises political transformation, and the importance of our accountability to RISE. Teacher’s Assistants must understand and reflect the vision and values of RISE;

Specific Requirements

• High level of communication skills in order to deliver class material.
• The ability to work independently whilst working one-on-one or in small groups on learning tasks;
• Be able to learn new skills swiftly ‘on the job’ with confidence and flexibility;
• Be able to build rapport with adult students and to develop an understanding of their needs;
• Think critically and reflectively about language acquisition issues;
• Have the analytic skills to contribute to class direction and content;
• Maintaining anecdotal records on students for use in reviewing student’s development;
• Participate in debriefing meetings after class and contribute to a reflexive and reflective teaching practice;
• To undergo induction and training sessions, as well as to agree to our Volunteer and Confidentiality Agreement;
• Is reliably able to work independently;
• Is reliably able to communicate clearly about commitments.

Desirable:

• A background in a consensus driven working environment and/or experience working in a social justice oriented environment
• Understanding of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in Australia and an understanding of the importance of our partner organisation RISE.
• Basic translation skills in Tamil, Persian, Hindi, Rohingya, Burmese, Malaysian Bhasa, or Arabic.
• Previous experience working with RISE.
• People from refugee/asylum seeker backgrounds and People of Colour are encouraged to apply for this position.
• Wholefoods Monash volunteers and community are encouraged to apply.

Applicants:

Please outline:

• Why you would like to be considered for this position;
• A description of previous relevant experience;
• A short resume with relevant experience.