Hello! I am Hena, a third-year student studying Law at Kent. I have been a Debating Tutor since 2019, acquiring the role in my first year of university. The Debating Tutor role came to my attention when the Outreach department informed the Law school of the opportunity. I was generally very interested in debating and public speaking, and I also enjoyed meeting other people. I find public speaking to be important, and this role was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how fun, and beneficial debating can be.
To apply, first, I completed an application form answering a series of questions. I was asked about the skills I had for the role. It was an enjoyable process given how keen I was to pursue this role.
Next, I was invited for a group assessment day. During this assessment day, applicants were presented with a number of group public speaking exercises to engage in. I focused on enjoying myself to shift the nerves aside. We were assessed on a number of things, including how well we worked as a team, how we thought on our feet and how we could engage our audience.
Finally, I was informed of my success and invited to a training day, which allowed me work with lesson plans and have a go at delivering a section of the debating programme. This training was useful as it gives you a chance to see your approach to delivering a debating session.
What I most enjoy about being a Debating Tutor is how rewarding it is seeing students’ progress. Debating and public speaking are very challenging things to do. Students will often begin the programme/module unwilling to participate, or lacking confidence. You are given this fantastic opportunity to engage with students by adapting to their needs. It is extremely rewarding to see how the relationship you build with them over time has a great impact on their debating and public speaking.
My tips for anyone thinking about applying for the role of Debating Tutor are:
- Apply! Debating with students is a great way outside your studies to learn about debating, and the programme content itself is fun! It’s great for employability, and might just help you with your course too (like me with Law).
- You don’t need debating experience to apply. Just try to put yourself in the student’s shoes and think about how you would engage with them. There is nothing better than seeing the students you work with leave the sessions feeling more confident, engaged and curious. To think you have had a positive impact on them, is a great feeling.
I became an Ambassador upon acquiring my position as a Debating Tutor. Since then, I applied for the Outreach Tutor role. The Outreach Tutor role has equally allowed me to engage with students in a variety of different events. This has included communication workshops and visit days. The application process was similar, except that the assessment day was substituted for an interview. Both roles are fantastic, and I encourage Ambassadors to apply!