Gaining school experience is a great way to explore whether teaching is for you and York Students in Schools (YSIS) is on hand to support you to do this. 

Each term, there is a range of opportunities you can get involved with, from Classroom Assistant roles, Speech and Language assessments, to Maths Workshops. YSIS recruits volunteers each term, and the majority of roles take place once a week, for 8 weeks across the academic term – however, if a shorter term placement sounds more appealing, Summer Term Block  Placements may be for you! 

Block Placements offer a full time Classroom Assistant role in Weeks 9 and 10 of Summer Term and they are a great option for those looking to gain two weeks of full time experience. Block Placements are an ideal alternative for students who may not be able to commit to a longer term placement, or as a way to gain additional experience!

As a Block Placement Volunteer, you can expect to:

• Observe a variety of teaching styles and age groups, as well as having the option to teach a lesson in the second week of your placement if appropriate.
• Help children who are finding their class work challenging.
• Support children who have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
• Talk to children about your experiences of Higher Education.
• Receive training from the University of York’s PGCE Team.

So why might you consider completing a block placement?

• Block Placements are a great opportunity to experience what a career in teaching may feel like in practice. Previous volunteers have said “ I would recommend the block placement if you’re wanting a good idea of what a teacher’s day-to-day work is like and to get an understanding of what a full week in the classroom feels like”

• Block Placements also give the opportunity to see different teaching styles and gain experience working with groups of different pupils. Volunteering full time, students have fed back the advantage of getting to know the pupils and members of staff that they support. One student said “ I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with the teachers – they were all very friendly and welcoming. I really enjoyed talking to them about their experiences!”

• Finally, Block Placements are a great way to build up your confidence, identify what areas or age groups you are interested in and determine whether teaching is the career for you. YSIS placements enable students to try out different school environments and gain essential experience to support potential teacher training applications.  A former Block Placement Volunteer expressed;  “I have become more confident in my own ability to work with children – I am more aware of what my future career might involve, and I have a renewed drive to pursue this career after meeting children who benefit from extra intervention”

If this sounds like something you are interested in, applications for YSIS Block Placements are open now!  Please visit Handshake to apply, applications will be closing Monday 6th March, 8am.

Introducing YSIS Plus!

You may also be interested in YSIS Plus, an exciting set of workshops available to students who are interested in a career in teaching or other related professions. 

YSIS Plus will be running in the first 4 weeks of Summer Term and will include a series of workshops. These workshops will be delivered by a range of experienced staff across the education sector and will explore a variety of topics relevant to teaching and working with young people. 

You will be able to register for YSIS Plus Workshops on Handshake from Monday 6th March. To get updates on the YSIS Plus workshops, please sign up to our Volunteering Mailing List or follow our social media pages @UoYVolunteering.