*** Volunteering ***
We are currently looking for volunteers for these roles:
Tutor
The main task is to teach/tutor a small group of adults whose first language is not English.
Volunteer Tutor training CPD sessions take place regularly. A mentor will advise and support a new volunteer tutor.
Qualified or trainee teachers of any subject are welcome, ideal for someone with a TEFL certificate or degree who would like some teaching experience, but friendliness, patience & respect for other cultures are as important as qualifications.
”I would definitely recommend volunteering at SSE to anyone who has an interest in teaching and/or other cultures. I was able to demonstrate pre-existing skills as well as to develop new ones. I felt a sense of accomplishment after each class and having something to focus on outside of university work was good for me. Everyone at the school is super friendly and the extra cultural events that happen throughout the year add something special to the school. I think there was plenty support from Ilona and the other tutors, if needed.” Stephanie, volunteer tutor in 2019/2020
”I really feel like I’ve improved on my lesson planning. As a result my lessons are more structured and my student’s follow them better. My teaching confidence has genuinely shot up after a few years of it being fairly low. In terms of personal and community life I’ve made great friends with a lot of people and have taken more steps into community activities with SSE. Professionally my belief in my own abilities has increased.” Max, volunteer tutor in 2019/2020, 2020/2021
”The chats I always have with my students are most rewarding; joking with them, seeing how at ease they are, and how comfortable they are getting regarding speaking English. It does warm my heart to see them doubting themselves less and less, step by step.” Viola, volunteer tutor 2020/2021
”Volunteering at SSE has impacted my personal life because of the pandemic I had to face my fears and learn how to teach online. In my professional life, I’m starting to have my own students elsewhere. I have a stronger sense of community being part of SSE. It was very rewarding to learn from experienced tutors. I felt very supported. I was part of many workshops and classes which helped me boost my knowledge, my creativity and my accuracy. The online parties were awesome! I intend to continue.” Julianna, volunteer tutor 2020/2021
Social media editor
This role for someone creative and with good communication skills. It involves designing images for language learning posts, writing posts related to our school and communicating with our students. There’s lots of space for creativity and new ideas are welcome.
Childcare Worker
Childcare workers look after the children of students whilst they learn in the same room.
Fundraiser
Funding applications can take a lot of time and need specific knowledge. Most of our volunteers are teachers who like what they do. A fundraiser will support this work by finding relevant funders & sponsors and taking the necessary steps to obtain funds.
Events Manager
Every year we run a number of social events such as a Burns Supper, a Summer Ceilidh, a St. Andrews Night celebration, an Easter Bonnet competition, a European Day of Languages, some sponsored events, a Christmas Party, etc. Could you help organise these?
Due to Covid-19, we can only organise online events, if you are interested in organising these, we would love to hear from you.
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Stirling School of English SCIO 
Hello, I’m currently doing a TEFL course with the intention of teaching abroad at the start of next year. I hope to have finished my course within the next two weeks and although I have done a practical weekend in-class course I still feel quite daunted at the prospect of teaching a whole class in a foreign land. Basically, I’d quite like to get some experience and as you are looking for volunteers, thought I’d ask to see if you think I could help you while you help me? I have a full time job at the moment so I’m limited as to how many classes and what times I’d be able to volunteer but I’m really keen (and nervous) to give it a go and get some experience! Would it be at all possible to sit in on a class to see how it works/get some ideas? I’d be available until the start of February or possibly longer.
Hi Suzee,
Thank you very much for your interest in volunteering with the Stirling School of English. We’ve had many tutors who got a job abroad after volunteering with us. We usually ask new tutors to observe some classes before they are given a tutor group or do one-to-one teaching.
We have classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 10 to 12.30 at the Rock Centre and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 8.30 at Wallace High School. It would be best if you could come to either the Rock Centre or to Wallace High School for a chat and we’ll take it from there.
Please let me know which day would suit you best,
Looking forward to seeing you,
kind regards
Lore