ISI Dublin High School Programme (HSP) Tutor-Jessica

High School Student

One of our HSP Tutors (programme coordinators), Jessica, is sharing her tasks with you in this blog.

The typical responsibilities of an ISI Dublin HSP Tutor

TUTOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Monitor the student’s welfare, progress, and behaviour during their time on the programme.
  • Serve as a liaison between schools, partners, host families and the students.
  • Assist student to their hospital/dental/physio appointments.
  • Organise host family placements and necessary transfers for airport arrivals and departures
  • Organise social programmes for mid-term breaks.
  • Support students with any issues that may arise during their time here.
  • Attend school Parent-teacher meetings and send feedback to student’s partners.
  • Send monthly reports outlining students’ progress and any other necessary comments.

A TYPICAL MONTH

I check in with my students at the beginning of every week to see how their weekend was and how everything is going. The students come to ISI at least once a month and we have a monthly meeting. This is a great chance for students to ask questions and let their coordinator know how they are finding the programme. I am in frequent contact with students’ partners to give them updates on the students’ progress. I am also in contact with their schools to receive school reports and attend parent teacher meetings. We send monthly reports to students’ partners to outline their progress. We also assist students to their doctor / dentist and hospital appointments. Our team arranges social programmes for mid-term breaks and organise orientation days for new students.

HANDLING DAILY ENQUIRIES

Student inquiries and requests are taken seriously, and we do what we can to give the student an answer in a timely manner. We usually communicate any requests with partners to keep them updated and we work together to find a solution that the student and their parents are happy with.

Students can contact their coordinators anytime on WhatsApp. Coordinators also contact their students frequently to check in and see how everything is going in school and with their host families.

Administrative duties are a big part of a HSP coordinator’s role. We send monthly reports on students’ progress, email partners and schools daily, organise and arrange transfers for students’ departure and arrival flights. We also create weekly newsletters and student blogs.

HANDLING UNEXPECTED ISSUES

If any unexpected issues or challenges occur during the day, the students can contact their coordinator and we will do what we can to resolve the issue. If anything happens outside of our working hours, students can call the emergency number and the person on the emergency phone will do what they can to help and support the student. All students are given their coordinators number and the emergency number on orientation day when they arrive in Ireland.

WEEKLY AND MONTHLY CHECK-INS

I regularly check in with my students during the week to see how everything is going. All students come to ISI for their monthly meeting with their coordinator. This gives the student a chance to communicate anything that may be bothering them or else just share their experiences so far. Many students come to the English classes in ISI on Wednesdays, so this is a good chance for.

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS AND PARTNERS

I always make sure to handle communication and coordination with partners in a calm and professional manner. It is always important to take the opinions of partners into consideration and look at situations from the student’s perspective.

TRACKING STUDENTS’ PROGRESS

Students’ progress is tracked by their coordinator, their school tutor and host family. If an issue arises, we make sure to monitor the student closely and ensure it is resolved. We always update partners with all situations so they can inform the students’ parents.

COLLABORATION WITH SCHOOL AND TEACHERS

Coordinators collaborate with the school principals and teachers to ensure students are settling in and progressing well in school. If we have any concerns about students’ behaviour or well-being, we make sure to speak with their school. We also use their school app to monitor their attendance. We also communicate with the English teachers in ISI to see how students English is progressing.

MOST ENJOYABLE ASPECT

As part of my role as a HSP coordinator, I really enjoy witnessing the growth and progress of my students. When students arrive for orientation day in ISI on their first day, they are usually out of their comfort zone, missing home and sometimes they do not know anyone else on the programme. It is always so lovely to see how fast the students settle in and make friends. By the end of their programme, it is very rewarding to see how much the student’s confidence has grown, their English has improved, and they have made great friends and amazing memories.

ISI’s High School programme was launched in 2001 and since then we have aimed to provide the highest level of care and guardianship to our students. We have won the prestigious Study Travel English Language School Europe Award four times, in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020/2021. ISI became a founding member of the Association of Guardianship Providers in Ireland (AGPI) in 2016 – indicative of our determination to uphold the very highest standards of student guardianship.