About this role
Middle School English Teacher
Project Description: Schools in Timor-Leste are seeking aspiring and experienced educators alike to enhance English instruction.
Timor-Leste faces significant challenges in improving the quality of education and student learning, especially in rural and remote communities. Many Timorese English teachers have limited access to ongoing professional development, training resources, and practical classroom support. At the same time, the Ministry of Education is rolling out newly revised curricula for grades 7-9, creating a growing need for mentoring, teacher support, and interactive learning approaches. English proficiency is an important national priority as Timor-Leste increases regional engagement through Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and seeks to expand educational and employment opportunities for young people. Geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and resource constraints make it difficult for many schools to fully implement reforms without additional support.
As a Middle School English Teacher, you will collaboratively facilitate trainings, assist with teacher workshops, support English clubs and extracurricular activities, and help educators practice new methodologies in real classroom settings. In the short term, students benefit from more engaging learning environments and more opportunities to practice English develop critical thinking skills. With your support, teachers will gain confidence in implementing the curriculum reforms for consistent, higher-quality instruction across municipalities, ultimately expanding students’ academic and professional opportunities.
Required Skills: Bachelor's degree in any discipline.
Living Conditions: Living with a Timorese host family is central to Peace Corps service in Timor‑Leste, helping Volunteers build trust, strengthen language skills, and deeply engage in community life. Volunteers are placed throughout the country—from the coast to the mountains—and live within a 15‑minute walk of their worksites. Cross-country travel is available via small buses or open‑backed trucks along winding, dusty roads. While water and electricity are usually available, blackouts and brownouts are common, and some households must purchase water in the dry season.
Activities: Plan and teach English lessons at middle schools. Provide formal or informal English language training to teachers. Organize and facilitate after-school activities, such as English clubs or computer classes. Pilot new English teaching materials to support the national curriculum. Conduct municipality-level trainings for English teachers on the new curriculum. Engage in community-based activities that develop English language skills. You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as refurbishing a school library or starting a smallholder garden.
Training: As a Middle School English Teacher, you will be trained on the national English curriculum, student-centered teaching methods, lesson planning strategies, and classroom management practices. Peace Corps/Timor-Leste will teach you Tetum to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 11 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will collaborate with the staff at middle schools to assess learning needs and develop solutions.
Job Highlights: Build practical skills in teaching, facilitation, and classroom management that will strengthen your effectiveness in any educational or training environment. Learn Tetum from skilled Language and Cross-Cultural Facilitators. Make a lasting impact by helping to strengthen English instruction and contribute to a more effective national curriculum.