The Role
The British Youth International College (BYITC) is looking for a volunteer teaching assistant to help children aged 6-17 work on their English and Maths, using our unique methods which have won acclaim in regional and national media.
The Company
British Youth International College (BYITC) is a private educational institution based in Glasgow, Scotland. We teach primary and secondary school kids computer skills that are essential in the modern age and will stand them in good stead for the rest of their education and for their future careers. We also run innovative maths classes for children using the ancient abacus tool and we are currently the only centre in Scotland that teaches this method. In addition, we run English classes, helping children improve a wide range of English skills such as spelling, grammar and reading comprehension.
To read more about our abacus maths and English classes, please click here.
To read more about our IT courses, please click here.
Abacus
The abacus is a calculation tool that existed hundreds of years before the first numeric systems. By moving beads on wires, users can make various calculations, including multiplication and division into the hundreds of thousands.
The abacus provides children with a more hands-on, interactive way of learning maths than traditional Western methods taught in schools. Use of the abacus from a young age can sharpen concentration, improve problem-solving abilities, and boost calculation skills.
Job Description
You will help children overcome problems by identifying where they are struggling and keeping them on task during lessons. You will also help with group work.
Children start out their abacus maths journey using “finger theory”. This is a unique method where they use their fingers to add and subtract numbers up to 99. They will then use their abacus to solve increasingly difficult sums. As they advance, they are introduced to “mental theory”, which involves calculating mentally while visualising the abacus. As a volunteer teaching assistant, you will help by reading sums aloud to the children while they work on one of our large abacuses; by marking their work; and, eventually, by helping them with any sums they are stuck with.
Desirable Skills of a Volunteer Teaching Assistant
Communication skills are important for a volunteer teaching assistant as you will have to relate to parents and colleagues as well as the students. As with any teaching work, patience is important. Other personal qualities that we’re looking for are a passion for working with children and an ability to stay calm in all situations.
Ideally, you will have experience, but full training will be provided to help you do the job.
Working with Children
You will be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and have a membership number which will allow us to apply for an update.
This will be a challenging but rewarding role which will give the successful applicant invaluable experience in a supportive atmosphere.