Where do I sign up?

FAQ

How often are lessons?

The teacher and student will agree on a class schedule that works for them. Most meet 1 time a week, but others meet 2 or more times a week. 

How long is each lesson? 

The teacher and student will decide how long they want the class to be. Most are about 45 min -1 hour per session. 

How long will the program run?

You and your student can continue to meet for as many lessons as you'd like. If at any point one of you wants to drop out, feel free to send us an email (madwish@itsrainingraincoats.com) letting us know and we will assign you a new partner.

Who can teach? 

Anyone can! As long as you know English, you can surely help improve the language for someone who knows very little of it! There is no minimum teaching experience needed. Use your head and your heart and you’ll be fine! 

Is there a minimum age? 

We encourage all youth volunteers to please refer to IRR's Next Gen program, which is designed specifically for you! Also not that if you are under 18, you must conduct all your classes under the supervision of an adult.

What materials do you provide for lessons?

When you are matched with your student, we will email you guidelines for how to get in touch with your student and what to do during your first lesson. After that, the structure and content of the lessons is up to you to decide based on your student's wants and needs. We have teamed up with the British Council here in SG and you are welcome to follow the materials they have provided. We also encourage you to look through our Google Drive for supplementary resources, and to rely on our MADWISH Teacher Facebook Group for ideas and support from other teachers, both of which are linked in your matching email. 

Do you issue any certificate? 

We do not have any certificates at this time and there is no final assessment. Our main goals are to share language skills and  to build community :) 

What app should I use to contact my student?

Teachers and students can be in touch via any platform. Most are using WhatsApp calls, but some people are using Zoom, voice messaging, or calling and texting directly to the phone number.  If available, we suggest using a shared language for the first contact to facilitate communication.

How will I know I've been matched? 

Once you are matched, we will send you an email with your student's contact information. We ask that you please initiate contact with your student within 24 hours of opening the matching email, as they are waiting on you to reach out to start arranging your lessons. Please add madwish@itsrainingraincoats.com to your contacts to ensure that you receive our email, and be sure to check other inboxes (spam,  promotions, etc) 

I signed up, but I haven't been matched yet.

Our teacher sign-ups have been a bit faster than our student sign-ups, and the matching process has a few steps (namely determining if a shared language is necessary for communication between teacher and student).  We will match you as soon as we can! If it's been a long time, feel free to email us at madwish@itsrainingraincoats.com.

My student hasn't replied to me-- what should I do? 

Don't worry! Sometimes, the student hasn't had a chance to put money on their phone card, or they are just busy. Particularly during this time, the workers' lives can be extremely volatile as their housing, employment, and personal health and safety are all at risk. Give them a few days to respond, and feel free to nudge them, and give WhatsApp/SMS/calling all a try (different methods are better for different students/numbers) After 3-5 days, you can email us to request a new student at madwish@itsrainingraincoats.com.  The students have been notified of this policy. But keep in mind that it applies to you, as well!  Always do them the courtesy of replying, even if just to say "I'm busy right now but I'll message you later."

My student's number doesn't work/ doesn't exist-- what should I do? 

Unfortunately, the number they gave us is the only way we can contact them. Please send us an email letting us know what happened and to request a new student at madwish@itsrainingraincoats.com.

Who is the MADWISH Team?

We are ALL volunteers :) Here's a brief list of our behind the scenes superheroes (and this doesn't even touch all the volunteers for other parts of ItsRainingRaincoats!)