Teach English to Children, Teens and Adults

What will you be doing?

This role will entail teaching English to primary-school children, teenagers and adults in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. You need to commit to 16 teaching hours per week, with additional time set aside for preparation.

You will receive our full support while at the post. We will provide basic training and teaching materials upon your arrival, weekly progress reviews, and regular assistance from our Volunteer Coordinator and the team of volunteers, that is our culture, we support each other as we work together towards our goals.

We are very open to feedback; in fact, we encourage personal initiative, and would love to work with you on maximizing the impact you can make in this role. That’s why we’re looking for self-starters who are passionate about education and eager to make a difference.

How do we work?

We live and breathe our values in everything we do

As volunteers, we work as a team as we know we go further together. Locally, we look to collaborate with other organisations to make the most of available resources, creating synergies and using each organisation’s expertise to best serve the local community.

We adapt and are flexible to changing situations with the aim to best support the community in every given moment. We use our imagination, skills, and proactiveness to make things work in a sustainable way. We are grateful for feedback so we can continuously improve.

We create on the ground and use active listening as our most precious tool. The program is developed with and within the communities, truly understanding the context, needs, and priorities. We seize on opportunities as they come and ensure personal growth and passions are tapped into as the program evolves. We look for passionate volunteers, keen to lead and be responsible for positive change. You will be part of a proactive and supportive team where your ideas and thoughts will count in the day-to-day of the project.

We live and teach with utter respect. We learn from the local culture and support each other with kindness, curiosity, humility, and empathy.

Responsibilities

• Teaching English to beginners and intermediate level students in the public schools
• Teach English to beginners, intermediate and advance level students at our learning centre
• Make lesson plans, worksheets, grading, etc.
• Work along with the teachers and our team of volunteers to ensure the maximum potential result for the students and keep the class engaged
• Any other admin work related to the schools or learning centre if assigned by the coordinator
• Implementation of new ideas and teaching methods

Requirements

Before applying, please consider if you meet the following criteria:

• The ideal length of stay is between 3 to 6 months, as it provides much-needed continuity for the students. We will also consider applicants who can only stay for a month to 3 months; however, please note that 4 weeks is an absolute minimum, and we will give priority to volunteers who plan to stay longer.
• Communicative level of English. Most classes are given to beginners, so fluency is not necessarily required. It is important to note however that you need to be comfortable speaking English as you’ll be conducting English classes every day, and making friends with volunteers from different countries.
• Beginners to intermediate Spanish. Our goal is to conduct as much of the class as possible in English, but some Spanish will still be useful to navigate everyday life and in school. Alternatively, you can also opt to take Spanish classes while in Guatemala - we can help you arrange that.
• Some previous teaching or volunteering experience is a plus.
• Passion for education, openness to new cultures, and a drive to learn new skills.
• Proactive, creative, flexible, and self-motivated minds
• Full of energy and enthusiasm to make a difference
• When choosing the period to come, please take into account that holidays in Central America go from mid-December to early February.
• A police record issued by your local authorities certifying that you haven't committed any child-related crime
• Volunteers must get their own travel insurance