facilitator's guide
Information to help you successfully lead the in-person volunteer training.
instructional goal
By the end of the training, volunteers will be able to set and reach meaningful language goals with students to improve their learning outcomes by:
1. Using and following a set routine
2. Following principles of goal setting
3. Filling out progress sheets
4. Choosing to attend class and arrive on time consistently
5. Communicating with the coordinator during or between each class session.
audience
This training is designed for community volunteers who may or may not have previous teaching or tutoring experience, ESL or otherwise. Many (if not all) are busy students or professionals in the downtown Salt Lake City area who have chosen to participate in English SLC. Some may have learned another language, some may have a native language other than English, but all of them should have the basic skills they need to be successful volunteers: high proficiency in English, experience in online and in-person learning environments, and the ability to make friends with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
length
There are 6 online modules of 45 minutes each, 2 modules of 30 minutes each, and one in-person session that runs for 2.5 hours. The total training experience runs for 8 hours.
delivery
The volunteers should have completed 8 online modules before attending the in-person session. You should review the module content to ensure you are very familiar with it prior to facilitating the in-person session.
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You will lead the on-site session. Your role here is as a facilitator rather than a lecturer. They already have all the information they need to succeed. At the beginning, you can still stand at the front of the group, but the students should sit in a semicircle around you so they can talk with each other. As a facilitator, you will answer questions at the beginning of the class, introduce them to the physical materials in the classroom by passing them out and asking for questions, guide them through in-person practice (role plays) by dividing them into pairs/small groups and then walking around to listen and provide feedback, and assess them using a yes/no checklist during a live performance assessment with the assistance of experienced volunteers. Always keep your role as a facilitator in mind as you follow the lesson plan. The primary pedagogies involved in the delivery are question and answer, full group discussion, and small group/partner discussion and practice with feedback.
instructional sequence
The 2.5-hour in-person session comes after the 8 online modules, because the in-person session is practice-intensive. No new information will be delivered, besides where to pick up their materials when they arrive at class and to clarify any questions.
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Each of the eight modules follow the same lesson sequence: introduction, lesson, practice, and assessment. The in-person session will also follow this format, with a heavy emphasis on practice and assessment.
materials and resources needed
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Copies of the LSPs for each student and volunteer
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Folders for each volunteer that include copies of the Daily Routine and SMART Goals infographics
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Copies of Yes/No assessment checklists for the final assessment (one for each volunteer)
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Regular class materials, including small and large whiteboards, markers, erasers, notebooks, paper, and pens/pencils
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Tables and chairs
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Enough space to divide into small groups for practice and assessment
module lesson plan
Pre-Instructional Activities: Ask the volunteers about what questions they still have after the online training. Answer all questions or write some down if you plan to discuss them later.
Content Presentation: Briefly review the eLearning module concepts by showing the volunteers their folders, where they will find all the handouts they practiced with previously. Review the handouts, ask for questions. Review the process of goal-setting, and reinforce the idea that this course is goal-oriented.
Learner Participation: Volunteers will practice setting goals with each other by doing role plays for the rest of the first 1-1.5 hours. They should work in groups of 2 or 3. They will suggest a goal they’d like to accomplish, and the other volunteer will write down specific goals based on this information. Together they will come up with lesson plan ideas for these goals.
Assessment: Arrange for some actual students to arrive for the final hour. During this time, volunteers will use what they have learned to conduct a live session with their first student in a one-on-one situation. Assess them using a checklist based on the daily routine and the objectives of each of the modules covered previously.
assessments
Since you will not be able to assess all volunteers on your own, you need to arrange for current volunteers who have already passed the assessment to help you with the assessment portion of the class. Assign one of them to each volunteer who needs to be assessed, and give them a blank assessment checklist. You will assess only one of the volunteers, as the assessment will comprise the entire last hour.
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Volunteers should not end early; this is a mock class, so they should work to fill the time in an effective manner.