Spain (SPA 1222)

There are four children: a boy (13), his sister (11), a younger brother (5) and the youngest brother (10 months). The two eldest siblings are the central focus of this search. The family will be relocating from the United States to Spain – either Valencia or Barcelona – for a year, and the children and the Tutor will continue to work in parallel with their current school to ensure they can return seamlessly after their year abroad.

The eldest boy is a thoughtful young man who is severely impacted by the learning differences of dyslexia and dysgraphia. He enjoys project-based learning and prefers teachers who are knowledgeable about their subject and involve him in the learning process. He is insightful and has a high EQ. He likes to learn interactively and appreciates problems being broken down into manageable steps to master. The young man enjoys playing chess and would like a tutor who could join him in this hobby. Despite his dyslexia, he is an avid reader who reads at least an hour each day and typically much more. In addition to a typical seventh grade curriculum, the student will need to really focus on developing his writing ability through creative and perhaps non-traditional means (for example voice-to-text). He also enjoys fencing and art.

The young lady is a bright, dedicated student who works well across the board. In her spare time, she enjoys practising karate and learning the cello. She prefers teachers who are gentle in their approach, not didactic and formal, and she also appreciates a sense of humour. She likes clear explanations and teachers who help her to make sense of things. Her current school is quite academically rigorous, and it will be important to keep her current with her sixth-grade peers.

The 5 year old is still young and just starting his schooling, but he will benefit from starting work on the first year of the primary curriculum including early language and number acquisition skills. Since he will not be attending kindergarten with his peers, it will be important to help think through opportunities for building social skills. He would also benefit from joining in with the older children’s projects where possible and appropriate.

The children and their parents are hoping to learn Spanish during this year abroad.

This role will be first and foremost, to work with the children’s current school and deliver the content that their peers in the USA are covering. Therefore, knowledge of US educational practice and curricula is necessary.

The family plan to travel from their main location, outside Spain, for one to two weeks at least five times during their stay, in addition to travel within Spain. The Tutor will be expected to help with organization as well as suggesting possible excursions that would be of educational benefit to the children. The Tutor will need to be highly organized, resourceful and plan to incorporate the locations and experiences into the children’s lessons in preparation for these trips. It is expected that the Tutor will join the family on some of these trips and perhaps even go ahead to prepare for the family’s arrival on others.

Clearly then, the Tutor will need to be flexible, creative, and accommodating, and able to make their time with the children vibrant and interesting to gain the most benefit from their involvement. The Tutor’s responsibilities are to help develop and maintain a general love of learning, so that this change from regular schooling is turned into an opportunity. The Tutor will lead the children in developing their wider interests, along with providing structure to keep up with lessons, homework and a functional routine. In addition, the Tutor should help the children “stretch” in their learning and challenge them throughout the academic year so that they return to their schools, not just performing at grade level, but perhaps a little above.

The children will continue to improve their Spanish and it is also expected that the parents will want to learn and practice Spanish with the Tutor as well. As such, the Tutor will ideally be a native (or native level) Spanish speaker.

Experience with dyslexia and dysgraphia will also be essential to the role. The Tutor must be OG trained to help the eldest with his learning needs. A Tutor who plays a musical instrument and can encourage the young lady's musical skills would also be beneficial.

The Tutor will be mindful in their approach and do their utmost to create a coordinated, yet unperturbed atmosphere. A good sense of humour and ability to make lessons entertaining and memorable would be gratefully received. Above all, the Tutor must be a consummate professional and uphold the family’s values. They will be expected to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and keep their personal views and opinions on potentially contentious subjects, such as religion and politics, to themselves.

The Tutor should expect an average of 40 hours of contact time per a week, with preparation in addition. This will be a combination of individual lessons with each child and project-based group work that will be differentiated appropriately.

The Tutor will be entitled to two consecutive days off per week, normally at the weekend, but it is essential that they understand the need to be flexible regarding the family’s travel plans and other commitments.

The Tutor will have a minimum of 9 weeks off per annum, to be taken at times agreed upon with the family. The Tutor will be flexible with respect to any changes in schedule, be they travel-related or otherwise and will adapt accordingly. The Client will strive to give up to two weeks’ notice of any planned alterations.

The Client will provide an accommodation allowance and the Tutor will need to arrange their own accommodation – this will not be done for them by the Client. The Client will not provide a vehicle for the Tutor to use in Spain but will cover the cost of travel on public transport.

The Tutor will likely be required to accompany the family on some, if not all, of their trips abroad from Spain. The Client will ensure that the Tutor stays in private accommodation when travelling. When travelling, expenses will be covered by the Client except for the Tutor’s personal phone bill and personal fuel use.

The successful candidate will be able to offer more than the minimum requirements of this position and must have been raised in a socially appropriate background. He or she will not only be an excellent educator, but also a good role model: educated and polished, with excellent manners and personal values.

The Tutor will be physically fit and healthy, a non-smoker.