FAQs for Teachers

After we review your application, you will be invited to complete training in trauma-informed practice and education in emergencies.

Once we have reviewed your responses and confirmed your understanding of the training, you will sign a volunteer agreement.

Finally, you will be invited to a group introductory meeting before you begin teaching. If your student is a minor, you will also need to provide a valid, current background check.

The training is a crucial part of the recruitment process. It explains potential triggers for students, offers strategies to minimise them, and provides guidance on teaching students from conflict-affected regions.

Yes. We welcome volunteers whose first language is not English, provided that they have an advanced level of English.

Volunteers need an advanced level of English so that they can communicate clearly and support students effectively.

No. All teaching and conversation-partner positions are entirely voluntary and unpaid.

Contact us as soon as possible, before the deadline. Because we receive a high volume of applications, failure to complete the training on time will usually mean that your application cannot progress.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications once the training deadline has passed. You are welcome to apply again for the next term when applications reopen.

No. Applications open twice a year, one month before the beginning of each term. We announce reopening dates on our website and social media.

If applications are closed, you can join the waiting list to express your interest. Teachers on the waiting list receive priority notification when applications reopen and may be contacted if a place becomes available earlier.

Certainly. If you are available and can commit for three months, you may choose to volunteer for more than 90 minutes each week.

Three months is the minimum period for which we ask teachers to volunteer. However, we would be delighted if you chose to continue teaching your student beyond the initial term.

Volunteers are expected to complete the minimum commitment set out in the code of conduct. This consistency is important for students’ stability. If exceptional circumstances make this impossible, contact us as soon as possible.

Certificates and awards are provided when volunteers reach the relevant milestones. A certificate depends on completing the required number of weeks and, for teachers, fulfilling the student-assessment requirements. References are considered individually rather than issued automatically.

Mini-groups typically contain three to four students.

We recommend creating a WhatsApp group chat for the volunteer and all mini-group members. This keeps scheduling, reminders, materials, and asynchronous activities in one shared place.

Never force a student to speak. Use a trauma-informed approach: acknowledge them, give them time, offer low-pressure ways to contribute, and invite rather than demand participation. For example, let them answer in the chat, choose between two options, or prepare before speaking.

Use interactive activities such as debates, role plays, polls, games, collaborative tasks, and student-led questions. Ask open-ended questions, connect topics to students’ interests, and make sure each student has meaningful opportunities to contribute.

Vary the pace and activity type, give each student a clear role, and avoid allowing one person to dominate. Use pair exchanges, turn-taking, shared problem-solving, and brief individual tasks. Build activities around the students’ interests and celebrate progress.

Keep the same overall topic but adjust the level of support and challenge. Give students differentiated tasks, ask questions of varying difficulty, provide sentence starters where needed, and offer extension activities to more advanced students.

You will receive access to Google Classroom and a curated list of teaching resources, activities, and useful websites.

No. We provide a textbook and curated resources, but volunteers are responsible for creating session plans that suit their group.

Give regular positive feedback and recognise each student’s progress. Do not correct every mistake, as this can discourage participation. Focus on errors that affect understanding, recur frequently, or relate directly to the lesson’s language focus. At the end of the session, briefly highlight what went well and one or two priorities for improvement.

Attendance forms help us confirm that sessions are taking place and identify where support may be needed. They also provide programme data that allows us to evaluate performance, report our impact, and support grant applications.

Give your students at least 24 hours’ notice whenever possible. Agree on a new time and arrange a make-up session for every cancelled lesson.

Speak with the student first to understand what is happening and try to resolve the situation together. If the problem continues, email us. We will follow up and, where necessary, arrange another match.

You do not need to wait longer than 15 minutes. If it was a lesson, send the planned material asynchronously. If it was a conversation session, post two or three planned questions in the group chat and tell students when you will review or respond to their answers, so the missed session does not disrupt everyone’s schedule.

Record the absence in the attendance form and continue with the available students. Reschedule only if everyone in the group prefers to do so and can agree on another suitable time.

When technical difficulties prevent a live lesson, continue learning asynchronously. Send structured lesson activities consistently, or maintain a planned asynchronous conversation through an agreed messaging platform. Keep the work purposeful and connected to the student’s learning objectives.