About this role
Elementary School Literacy Teacher
Project Description: Ready to ignite a love of reading and learning in young students? Rural elementary schools in Botswana are looking to strengthen literacy and life skills with your support.
Elementary schools in Botswana often face limited resources and sometimes large class sizes, making individualized support difficult. Recent examinations indicate these challenges result in a decline in reading competencies. With the improvement of literacy and life skills a national priority, teachers are interested in developing learning materials that complement the curriculum and strengthening their instructional techniques. Additional support is needed to improve student learning outcomes, leading to higher academic success and expanded opportunities for young learners.
As an Elementary School Literacy Teacher, you will collaborate with teachers and school staff to strengthen the instruction for literacy and life skills. Together, you will develop a school library, facilitate student-centered learning activities, and create extracurricular literacy activities that reinforce lessons beyond the classroom.
Required Skills: Bachelor's degree in any discipline.
Living Conditions: During training, Volunteers will have a private room within a host family’s house. The Volunteer will then move to their assigned site within the country’s northeast, northwest, central, or western regions, and can expect to stay in a small, private house on the host family’s compound. The Volunteer should be prepared for limited or unreliable electricity and water in these rural areas. Public transportation via a mini-bus, bus, or taxi will allow the Volunteer to travel to a larger shopping village anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours away.
Activities: Teach literacy and life skills lessons with counterpart teachers. Plan and facilitate reading support, tutoring, reading clubs, or camps. Plan and facilitate literacy events, including spelling bees, theater, and music. Teach life skills curricula and mentor students. Plan and facilitate student clubs and camps focused on life skills development. Engage in peer observations and model teaching to strengthen instructional practices. Train teachers on effective general and literacy teaching strategies. Support the development or improvement of school libraries and digital literacy activities.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as leading an art club or youth health camp.
Training: As an Elementary School Literacy Teacher, you will receive comprehensive technical training on childhood literacy instruction, student-centered teaching methodologies, classroom management strategies, and the Botswana education system. Peace Corps/Botswana will teach you Setswana to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community. You will also receive language resources and learn Ikalanga, Simbukushu, and Sekgalagari in case you are placed in those areas.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community, where you will collaborate with teachers and school staff. You will work with the community to assess learning needs and develop solutions based on the national curriculum.
Job Highlights: Strengthen your ability to support early literacy and foundational life skills in the classroom.
Build marketable intercultural communication and community engagement experience through daily collaboration with teachers and families.
Immerse yourself in Botswana’s warm hospitality and culture while building lasting relationships with Batswana.