Essential Requirements
- You must have a CELTA, Trinity TESOL, or equivalent initial teaching qualification
- The role is open only to those with the right to work in the EU.
- You must have a degree
Job Description
Join our friendly, lively and dynamic teaching team at Giga IH Catania in Italy. We are a well-established language school in the centre of Catania (24 years of experience) and a Cambridge Examination Centre. For many years, we have been part of AISLi (the Italian Association of Language Schools) and IH (International House).
We are looking for 1 CELTA qualified, enthusiastic and well- organised teacher who is willing to join our team and work with us at least until mid June 2024, with a possibility to join the academic team in the next academic year and become a permanent member of the academic team. Our academic team comprises 5 CELTA qualified teachers with varying levels of experience and representing a range of nationalities.
Collaboration, teamwork, passion and proactivity are the features we are expecting to see in the ideal candidate so if you are not a good team member and do not generally teach with passion, this job is not likely to suit you. Although it is not essential, it will also help if you have some experience in preparing students for Cambridge exams such as Starters, Movers, Flyers, Key, Preliminary, First, Advanced and IELTS. You should also enjoy teaching young learners and teens as most of our students are going to be teenagers and children. The majority of our students attend classes once a week for the total of 60 hours in an academic year. We also offer individual and semi-individual lessons for students who prefer to study in a more personalised way.
Our teachers are expected to plan and deliver quality group/or individual lessons according to students’ needs and course programmes. Classes are maximum 10 students (onsite) and if you are asked to teach offsite, groups are usually bigger. Ninety percent of our courses are Cambridge or other exam preparation classes - YLE, Key, Preliminary, IELTS etc. which means that experience in preparing students for exams is always helpful, but candidates with no or very little experience are also welcome to apply for this position as they will be provided with training.
Our teachers’ professional development is very important for us and this means that:
- you will be asked to attend regular, teacher training sessions delivered by the Director of Studies, AdoS, YL and IELTS coordinator.
- you will be given support with lesson planning
- you might be asked to complete some relevant IH online training
- you may be sent to conferences
- you may be given the opportunity to deliver sessions at said conferences
- since we are a Cambridge exams centre, there are plenty of opportunities for any teaching staff member meeting Cambridge requirements to be trained up as a Speaking Examiner
Although most of our courses are onsite, you may be asked to do some teaching at state primary and secondary schools in and outside Catania so having a driving license is essential.
The regular amount of teaching is 23 contracted hours per week plus 2 hours of meetings. If there is no developmental/organizational meeting in a given week, these two hours may be turned into teaching hours. This does not include lesson planning and preparation which is to be done in your own time.
Once a year, you will need to attend parent meetings and you may be asked to participate or help with the organisation of school events.
- Oral Examiners - possibility to be trained up as oral examiners (paid extra).
- Bureaucracy - help will be given to new teachers to help set up bank account, residency, medical care
"I started working at Giga 6 years ago and I've never looked back! The opportunities for professional development drew me to this school in the first place, and I've come to really appreciate the familiar, supportive atmosphere and emphasis on teamwork. Sicily is not without its challenges but it is also wildly beautiful and easy to fall in love with!" Leonie Riffel (Teacher, IH Catania)
Other Benefits
Flight: Flights are reimbursed up to 200 Euros (paid at the end of the contract).
Holiday: Holiday: All Italian holidays plus 12 -15 days which are taken from the contractual allowance and attached to national holidays e.g. Christmas. Teachers will also be entitled to a few extra days off during the academic year (the number of these days changes every year and it is usually between 3-5 days).