Pre-Interview Module

Got your interview for VCE Summer Tutoring coming up but you don’t know how to prepare? Didn’t study high school in Australia, so you’re unsure of how the education system works? No need to worry, this pre-interview module will give you a better picture of the program, VCE and some tips for the interview!

Table of contents

1. What is VCE Summer Tutoring?
2. Education Disadvantage in Victoria
3. What is VCE?
4. Roles at VCE Summer Tutoring
5. The Teaching Demonstration (“Demo Teach”)
6. Interview Tips

What is VCE Summer Tutoring?

VCE Summer Tutoring Inc. is a registered charity and volunteer not-for-profit organisation with the aim of fighting educational disadvantage in Victoria. We do this mainly through the delivery of our two-week summer tutoring program in January of each year. The program is targeted towards high school students who are commencing a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) year and experiencing educational disadvantage in some form.

Our program combines academic classes, wellbeing support, social activities, and tertiary information seminars to prepare students for the year ahead. The program is youth-led, with most of our volunteers being current university students, creating opportunities for young people to volunteer in academic mentoring roles and deepen their connections to the community.

In January 2024, we delivered a hybrid program of in-person and online classes and activities. In January 2025, we intend to deliver a fully in-person program from 6-17 January at the Learning and Teaching Building (LTB) of Monash University Clayton campus. Volunteers are expected to be in Victoria for the duration of our January 2025 program.

Educational Disadvantage in Victoria

As a program dedicated to fighting educational disadvantage, VCE Summer Tutoring commits itself to providing a social and academic experience that welcomes students from all backgrounds. Disadvantage can affect students in a variety of different ways; at our program, we have students who may experience financial hardship, difficult personal circumstances, under-resourced schooling, or marginalisation along lines of ethnicity, disability, sexuality and gender identity.

At our program in January 2024:

• 31.1% of students came from a non-English speaking background
• 24.6% of students reported financial disadvantage
• 19.7% of students lived in a regional area
• 19.7% of students were the first in their family to attend university
• 1.6% of students were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

All volunteer tutors receive training in how to adequately support students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

What is VCE?

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the credential that the majority of students (aged 15-18) in Victoria obtain by the end of their Year 12 or secondary education. VCE provides diverse pathways to further study at university, TAFE and/or employment. For most students, VCE is completed over the final two years of their secondary education, with most students completing five to six subjects.

Each VCE subject is divided into four units: Units 1 and 2 are typically completed in Year 11, and Units 3 and 4 are typically completed in Year 12, with the possibility for students to “accelerate” in a subject and take it a year early.

One semester at high school is typically allocated to teaching and assessing for one unit of a subject. Ultimately, it is Units 3 and 4 which determine a student’s final subject result – their “study score”. Study scores are then used to calculate an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), which grades a student’s overall academic performance as compared to their peers (e.g. a student with a 90 ATAR is in the top 10% of their cohort).

Each subject has its own Study Design that provides an overview of the curriculum. The study design includes: learning outcomes that students will need to achieve by different assessment tasks, terminology used in the subject, and other pieces of key information. If you are new to VCE, reading the Study Design of subjects that you intend to tutor is a great start!

Roles at VCE Summer Tutoring

All volunteers (that’s you!) in VCE Summer Tutoring will be Volunteer Academic Tutors who deliver lessons for allocated classes, and support students through individual tutoring sessions. Academic Tutors will be asked to take on one or more classes either in the same subjects or across different subjects in similar discipline. You can read the Role Description for Volunteer Academic Tutor here.

Along with the Volunteer Academic Tutor role, you can also take on one Specialist Role that supports the operation of the program with additional responsibilities and helps you to develop key competencies in a variety of skillsets. These Specialist Roles include:

• Communications Officer: Produce a daily publication for students and tutors that includes program news, study advice, fun memes and artistic expression. Good for creative types, writers and memelords!
• Group Activity Leader (GAL): Oversee a small homeroom of students across the program and support the delivery of social events and activities. Good for volunteers who want to have a bit of fun with the students outside of class time!
• Operations Officer: Provide logistical and administrative support to students and tutors. Good for volunteers who love to solve problems or have experience in customer service!
• Teaching Support Officer (TSO):: Optimise teaching quality on program by offering supervision and feedback to other tutors. Good for those who love to teach!
• Welfare Officer: Ensure everyone on program feels safe and comfortable by maintaining a Welfare Space and popping in to classes. Good for those friendly faces who love to help others!

Additionally, each Specialist Role team is led by 1-2 Specialist Role Coordinators, who receive additional support from the Program Directors in managing their team, providing them with training and an overall strategic vision. Specialist Role Coordinators often have experience with that Specialist Role, but not always – if you consider yourself a strong leader and want to really get involved, then consider enquiring about Specialist Role Coordinator!

On top of these Specialist Roles, if you’re someone with a lot of passion and content knowledge, then we highly encourage you to consider the role of Subject Coordinator, developing a subject booklet for students and other subject tutors. The learning resource you produce in this role is an essential part of the academic support we provide to our students and volunteers.

The Subject Coordinator role can be held in combination with a Specialist Role.

All Position Descriptions are available here. These outline the time commitment and responsibilities for each Specialist Role.

The Teaching Demonstration (“Demo Teach”)

In your interview, we will ask you to present a one-minute teaching demonstration on a specific topic of your choice, preferably from a VCE subject you intend to teach. Check out the information provided below to help you prepare for this segment and imagine what teaching looks like on the program!

What do classes look like at VCE Summer Tutoring?

• Study Skills > Content: Of course, you’ve got to talk about content – but as we are a head start program, we find that students get the best value from you sharing revision skills, exam tips and advice on how to be an independent learner in your subject of choice.
• Lots of fun, engagement and interaction! We love classes where students have opportunities to be active learners, getting to ask questions, participate in discussions and activities, and take charge of their own education, so that they feel more confident navigating VCE.

What should I know for my demo teach?

• Tailor to your audience: Your students will be between the ages of 16-18 and with varying levels of knowledge and confidence.
• Simple is Best: Due to time constraints, it is best to get straight to the point and focus on a single topic, skill or aspect. That one minute will go quicker than you think!
• Be specific about your intentions: You should clearly state the chosen topic and teaching goals at the beginning to make your lesson focused and easy to follow (e.g. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to do…).
• Whip out those examples!: You can always check out past exams to find questions or tasks that you can model how to complete for students.
• Use visuals (if you want)!: While not necessary, you’re certainly welcome to share your screen or use physical resources to supplement the content of your demo teach.
• Give off those good vibes: We want to see your passion for your topic! Teach with high energy, make it seem like something students should want to learn.

Some ideas for what you could cover in your demo teach include:

• Touching on a point of “Key Knowledge” from the study design
• Breaking down or answering a past exam question (e.g. working out a maths question, unpacking a short answer task word)
• Explaining how to implement an important skill (e.g. close reading, prompt analysis)
• Demonstrating a practical element of a subject (e.g. how to do a dance movement or solo performance)

And if you need examples for how to handle your demo teach, then:

• You can find an example of a visual aid for Japanese as a Second Language here.
• You can find an example of a recorded demo teach for English here.

Interview Tips

• Refresh yourself on what to expect: read over this module, the Role Descriptions, our website vcesummertutoring.au, and your application.
  • At our website, you can even read up on who will be interviewing you!
• Take your time and relax: Think through the questions deliberately and don’t be afraid to ask for more time or for clarification if you need it. The questions are not trying to trick or confuse you!
• Structure your answers: The STAR Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a great way of breaking down your relevant experience when integrating it into a response to our questions!
• Practice!: with your friends, family, or even neighbors!
• Check that you can access your interview:
  • If online, make sure to check your device and internet access and/or notify whoever is living with you that you need 15 minutes of isolated time for your interview;
  • If in-person, do some research on how to physically access the venue and aim to get there 5-10 minutes earlier, especially if you have never been to the venue.