Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Mainland Tanzania with a population of one million people. There is little access to pre-school education and the majority of children enter over-crowded government classrooms at the age of 8, with few materials and resources. There is a shortage of qualified early grade teachers, and a history of didactic pedagogy, compromising the quality of early year’s foundational learning.
CEFZ aims to open a Kindergarten and Grade One class in January 2013, combining the local curriculum with Waldorf-based methodologies, and small class sizes. The school will be sustained by a mixture of fee paying students and sponsored students, building the capacity of local teachers by harnessing the skills and knowledge of volunteers and teaching mentors.
CEFZ seeks to establish a small grade one class of 10 to 15 pupils guided by a qualified volunteer Waldorf Teacher and we need an energetic and motivated teacher that can not only lead the initial efforts for the first grade class but who can also supervise and support a local teacher who will be leading a kindergarten class. The kindergarten teacher will be in the process of attending the Nairobi Rudolf Steiner Teacher Training Course on a part time basis, and will have received work experience in another Waldorf Kindergarten outside of Zanzibar. As CEFZ grows year by year, we will continue to utilise the East African Steiner network to send our local teachers on training courses and provide mentoring to build local teacher capacities.
We are seeking a dynamic and passionate Volunteer Grade One Teacher to help us realise our dream and guide us as we begin our journey.
This role will include, but not be limited to the following duties;
Leading a grade-one class
Mentoring a local kindergarten teacher
Helping establish school protocols
Over-seeing the daily operation of the school (basic administrative tasks) with the support of CEF members
CEF is seeking a candidate that :-
Shares our commitment to beginning a Waldorf-inspired school in Zanzibar
Is a certified Steiner Waldorf Primary Teacher within your country of residence with ideally 2+ years experience in early grades teaching in a Waldorf setting
Has some experience with English Language Learners as the majority of the first grade pupils will have limited English. A local teaching assistant will be provided to assist with efforts to make the class as bi-lingual as possible
Is flexible and committed to grow with CEFZ during our start-up phase and available for at least a 12 month contract, preferably two years
Is resourceful in terms of classroom supplies and equipment
Understands that CEFZ is operated on a volunteer basis and is beginning with a very modest resource base
Creative and ready for a an exciting opportunity in a developing country
Interested applicants should email a cover letter with the following;
1) CV,
2) Cover letter explaining why you would be the ideal candidate
3) Scanned copies of teaching certifications and references
4) Brief sample lesson plan for the first week of school
5) Contact details (email and phone) for three referees
The successful candidate will receive a monthly stipend, accommodation, and a one month intensive introduction to Kiswahili. He/she should be ready to begin in January 2013, or before, to assist with the school opening and to begin the Kiswahili language course. CEFZ expects candidates to provide their own comprehensive medical/travel insurance cover. Police background clearance documents will be requested as part of the interview process.
Please email all documents to cefzanzibar@gmail.com with the phrase “Volunteer First Grade Teacher Application” in the email title bar.
Applications close on 10 October, 2012.
