MCC Service Opportunity ______
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MCC Service Opportunity ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Assignment Title: Intensive English Program Teacher Term: 5 weeks (June 28 – August 1, 2015) FTE: 1 Location: Ankawa / Erbil, Iraq Start Date: Jun/28/2015 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to: a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and biblical nonviolent peacemaking. MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply. Synopsis: The Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil has asked MCC to provide a minimum of 3 and not more than 6 English teachers to teach English language skills to teachers, seminarians, nuns and members of the Chaldean community in Ankawa, Iraq. Three English language teachers will have primary responsibility for working together to teach English vocabulary, grammar and reading/listening and speaking/writing skills to Iraqi teachers at Mar Qardakh School. Additional teachers will provide English language instruction to members of the Chaldean community who are not teaching at Mar Qardakh School but who need to improve their English skills. Classes will be held each day, Sunday – Thursday, from 9:00 am – 12:30 PM. The program for students will begin on Sunday, July 5 and end on Thursday, July 30, 2015. Financial arrangements. The partner organization will cover food, lodging, travel to and from the assignment as well as work-related transportation. The short term teacher will cover all other expenses including visa costs, health insurance, medical costs and all personal expenses. Qualifications: 1. All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian faith and discipleship, active church membership, and nonviolent peacemaking. 2. Participants should have a college degree, a teaching certificate and at least three years of experience in one or more of the following fields: English as a second language, literacy, or teacher education. 3. Participants should also be ready to provide student teachers with guidance on good teaching practices, lesson plan development and research skills. 4. Participants should feel comfortable working as a team under the guidance of the MCC Service Worker who teaches English at Saint Peter’s Seminary and provides teacher training and English language support at Mar Qardakh School under the guidance of the MCC Representatives for Iraq-Iran-Jordan. 5. Participants should be willing to participate in the life of the Chaldean community, including evening and weekend activities and attendance at weekly Mass. 6. Cultural flexibility, patience, a sense of humor and a high tolerance for frequent schedule changes and some physical discomfort because of heat, will also be helpful. Assignment Narrative: MCC Iraq, Iran, Jordan (IIJ) seeks to support the ministry and mission of the Chaldean Church in Iraq, and the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil in Ankawa. Mar Qardakh School (http://www.marqardakhschool.org/) is operated by the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil, and registered with the Ministry of Education of the Kurdish Regional Government. Presently, the school offers a K– 10 English language curriculum and has been accredited as an International Baccalaureate (IB) School in its Middle Years Programme (grades 6-10). In the next two years, Mar Qardakh School hopes to offer grades 11 and 12 under the IB Diploma Program curriculum and receive IB authorization for its Primary Years Program (grades 1-5). The Mar Qardakh teachers who will participate in the program all have some facility in English but need to improve their language skills to be able to effectively teach, develop lesson plans and follow an English language curriculum. Others who participate in the program will also have some facility in English and need to improve their facility to better serve their work in the Chaldean community. Applicants selected for this position will receive a general orientation from the MCC Reps for Iran-Iraq-Jordan. Upon arrival in Iraq, teachers will receive further orientation from the MCC Service Worker who provides teacher training and English language support at Mar Qardakh School and who teaches English at St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Seminary. Also, through the duration of the program, the MCC Service Worker will provide coordination and support for teachers. Duties: 1. Work as a team to provide daily classes in English language designed to improve English vocabulary, grammar, and reading/listening and speaking/writing skills for Mar Qardakh teachers, and for others active in the Chaldean Church community. For Mar Qardakh teachers, special emphasis will be placed on the application of these skills in the classroom, the use of English language teaching materials, and the process of writing lesson and unit plans in English. 2. Meet together daily for planning, schedule coordination, and feedback. Also contribute to weekly reviews of program effectiveness and student progress. 3. Meet as needed with the Archbishop of Erbil and/or administration of Mar Qardakh School to review progress of the program. 4. Participate in occasional evening activities and weekend field trips with students enrolled in the program. These occasions will provide an opportunity for students to use English in a social setting and will give teachers more insight into the culture, community, history and geography of the area. Location Description: During the English program, the MCC teachers will live in the largely Christian town of Ankawa. Just adjacent to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Ankawa provides a safe and secure environment. Housing, including air-conditioning or air-cooling units, Internet access, phones and funding for meals will be provided by the Archdiocese of Erbil. Local travel into Erbil and to surrounding villages is by taxi or by diocesan drivers. Challenges: Iraq is a country where insecurity exists for Iraqis and expatriates alike, although the security situation in the Kurdistan area is relatively calm. Despite the calm, living with some degree of risk is part of the assignment. Bombings and violence still occur in Mosul and Kirkuk, both about two hours from Erbil, but it is highly unlikely that teachers will be in these cities. Even so, effects are felt as many families in the Chaldean community have relatives in these communities or in Baghdad. The greatest risks or inconveniences faced by volunteers in this assignment may be more related frequent (but usually short) electricity outages, and extraordinary heat. June and July weather ranges from 32C to 48C (90F to 115F) daily. It is very dry heat and attention to hydration and protection from the sun is a must. Local travel conditions can also be challenging, (roads are often in need of repair and local driving habits may be unreliable). .