Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America High Impact Tutoring Education Officer Chicago, IL · Full time Company website

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A refugee empowerment center based in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago, FORA provides over 50,000 hours each year of individually customized high dosage tutoring to refugee SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) children. Our vision is a world where refugees in need are welcomed and empowered, and our mission is to ensure that refugee families are provided access to an education sufficient to prepare them to become economically self-sufficient and robustly engaged in American civic life.

Administration:

1. Ensures the classroom is prepared for tutoring success; including and not limited to daily bin and binder preparation, educational material restocking, and technology distribution, as needed.
2. Documents significant student interaction within 24 hours of interaction. Follow-ups with other staff members as required to ensure that issues are being rectified and students are getting the necessary support.
3. Assists in the evening closing process at FORA.  
4. Gains expert knowledge of all FORA learning platforms including but not limited to Lexia Core5 and PowerUp, ALEKS, Dreambox, Sticks and Splits, Rocket Math, and Quick Tables.
5. Responsible for ensuring that the most current Learning Plan is printed and placed in each student’s binder.  Collaborates with the Director of HIT and Chief Education Officer.

Classroom Management:

1. Responsible for managing all aspects of operations in one of FORA classrooms.  
2. Welcomes all students and tutors with warmth and ensures every student and tutor is seen.
3. Observes the room to identify if any tutor needs assistance with a student. Walks the room for the entirety of the tutoring session to be able to effectively work with each student to establish mutual learning and behavioral goals to be included in the student’s lesson plan.

Tutor and Student Interaction:

1. Instructs students and tutors on start time, break time, and end time for each tutoring session. 
2. Ensures the student has filled out the daily activity sheet and/or yellow sheets appropriately.
3. Mentors tutors on academic instruction.  This includes but is not limited to instructing the tutors in reading strategies, homework support, student self-advocacy, and  all FORA routines. Both Education Officers and the tutors they support are expected to encourage students to perform to high standards of work.
4. Speaks to students in a warm and kind manner and affirms the student's feelings. Provides support to students who are struggling during a session and praising students exhibiting positive behaviors.
5. Assesses the student to determine what support the student needs to be successful in school, what FORA activities are working and what are not working to incorporate in the student’s learning plan and/or to request assistance from Family School Partnership staff.
6. Provides technical support or instruction to tutors on all learning apps.  Responsible for documenting technical issues as necessary within 24 hours.
7. Collaborates with other FORA staff and volunteers as appropriate to find ways to help students and optimize the classroom environment.

Communication Skills:

1. Composes, distributes and responds to a variety of correspondence related to assigned liaison and support services.
2. Exhibits excellent verbal communication skills for  initiating conversations, actively listening to a person’s message, responding appropriately, and using tone of voice to convey respect.
3. Utilizes active listening skills to ensure students and tutors feel heard and listen for opportunities and needs.

Other Responsibilities:

1. Assists Director of High Impact Tutoring with special projects and programming as deemed necessary.
2. Participates and attends staff meetings, professional development meetings, and technical knowledge based learning meetings.
3. Attendance and punctuality are crucial to ensure the smooth start of sessions. The employee is expected to arrive on time.
4. Assists in donor relations/fundraising as deemed necessary by the Managing Director.  Such as but not limited to attending donor functions which may occur outside of normal working hours.

The High Impact Tutoring Education Officer must endorse, embrace, and enact FORA’s vision, mission, and values (as described at www.refugeefora.org). Employees are expected to support all other FORA departments as requested by staff supervisors in order to ensure the smooth operation of FORA programming and special events. This job is a management job and additional hours will be expected outside of and in addition to normal working hours as deemed necessary, and no overtime will be paid for those hours. 

The position is in-person for eight hours per day, Monday through Friday. During the school year, the hours generally are from 1:15 pm to to 9:15 pm. During the summer, the hours are generally from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The location is in the West Ridge area of Chicago.