Secondary School Math Teacher

Description

Karibu Tanzania! Present since 1961, Peace Corps Tanzania is one of Peace Corps’ oldest programs. Despite progress in reducing barriers to secondary education, Tanzania has a need for teachers in rural schools, particularly in the fields of math and science (mainly physics). Stakeholders recognize the need for students to develop skills in these fields to support the development of problem-solving skills both in and out of the classroom. In response to this, Peace Corps Tanzania’s education project emphasizes hands-on learning, extracurricular activities, and community involvement in student learning to boost student achievement and to encourage them to become self-reliant problem solvers.

Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) Secondary School Math Teachers work in rural Tanzanian villages and teach beginning algebra through advanced calculus to students ages 12-20. Volunteers prepare lesson plans using a variety of teaching methods and syllabi developed by the Ministry of Education. To connect classroom concepts to real-world situations, Volunteers also organize experiential learning activities, including field trips and periodic recruitment of guest speakers. Volunteers might be asked to teach additional subjects as needed depending on their knowledge and background. As part of capacity-building activities, Volunteers are encouraged to develop professional relationships with Tanzanian teachers and organize communities of practice, or spaces to share best teaching practices. In addition to teaching students and working with teachers, Volunteers are encouraged to engage the community in student learning. This may be done by organizing events like math competitions or science fairs and training community members on techniques that increase access to learning.

Volunteers can expect to encounter large class sizes (50+) and limited classroom resources. The main teaching materials will probably be a blackboard and chalk, though some schools may be better equipped. In Tanzania, schools use a centralized curriculum provided by the Ministry of Education. Basic teaching resources are available locally, and Peace Corps also provides Volunteers with basic materials and resources to use in their teaching.

On average, Volunteers teach 11-16 hours per week. Along with classroom teaching, many are involved in school clubs, sports, youth conferences, and other extracurricular activities. It is expected that Volunteers will integrate Peace Corps Tanzania's cross-sectoral approach into their teaching and community development. This includes Malaria, Food Security, Technology and

HIV Care and Support

Beyond teaching, education Volunteers are required to engage their schools and communities to address life-saving HIV treatment services under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). All Peace Corps Volunteers, regardless of sector, are expected to implement HIV activities under the waiver as part of their service. This includes education Volunteers.

Volunteers will focus on the following activities:

1. Education sessions with People Living with HIV (PLHIV), including children and adolescents and their parents/caregivers, on:

-Nutrition and well-being

-Positive living (healthy relationships and other life skills)

-Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence

-Disclosure or bereavement support

-Psychosocial support, including resilience

2. HIV testing: Demand creation activities/events for targeted HIV testing with provision of or referral to HIV testing services.

3. Home visits: Supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs) for home visits/adherence with PLHIV.

Program

PCV

Post

Tanzania

Required Skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in math

OR

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with secondary certification in math

OR

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Math, Engineering, or Computer Science

OR

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with a minor or equivalent (15 semester/22 quarter hours) in math

Desired Skills

Demonstrated experience working with young people and/or communities.

Self-Starter/Initiative: Demonstrated resourcefulness and creativity to proactively take action with minimal supervision or guidance.

Language Requirement

None

Language Requirements Information

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.

Language Skills Additional Information

All Trainees will learn the local language throughout PST. Volunteers are expected and encouraged to continue improving their local language skills throughout the service. Post provides local language tutoring allowance during service except in the last three months of service. Volunteers are expected and encouraged to continue improving their Kiswahili skills.

According to the United Nations, Kiswahili is spoken by over 200 million people and is a communicative language in many East African countries. Many organizations within the United States have termed it a critical language. Tanzania presents a unique opportunity for Volunteers to demonstrate accountability for critical language learning that can be used professionally post-service. Candidates selected to serve in Tanzania can demonstrate core competencies of continual learning and initiative by connecting to resources such as Duo Lingo prior to departure: duolingo.com/course/sw/en/Learn-swahili.

Living Conditions

Tanzania has a diverse geography and climate. It can be hot and dry in central Tanzania, hot and humid in coastal areas, and the highland and mountainous areas have cool to cold temperatures seasonally.

During the hottest months (November-February), temperatures in the lowlands range from 90-105 F, and 70-80 F in the highlands. During the cold season (June-August), temperatures range from 60-75 F in the lowlands and coast, and from 40-50 F in the highlands. There are short rains in November or December and longer rains between March and May.

Volunteers are placed primarily in underserved rural communities. These communities can be within a few hours of small to mid-size towns, with banks, a variety of shops, markets, local restaurants, and guesthouses. Travel to Dar es Salaam can take anywhere from five hours to three days by road in public transports.

The host school provides Volunteer housing. It is typically a stand-alone house. Volunteers may use pit latrines, outdoor bath facilities, and fetch water from a village water source, or they may have a toilet and bath facility in their house with running water, depending on the community. Access to and/or consistency of electricity and running water in one’s home is not a guarantee. Volunteer housing is assessed to meet agency safety, security, and health requirements. In all circumstances, Volunteers will want to learn and exercise the core competencies: adaptability, flexible thinking, emotional agility, and problem solving in response to the inevitable challenges of living in a new environment.

Personal appearance is of great importance in Tanzania. Female Volunteers are expected to wear modest dresses and long skirts (with covered knees, upper arms, and shoulders) and nice flat shoes or sandals. In Zanzibar or in other coastal Muslim communities, females tend to be more accepted when they cover their heads, which is the custom for women in those communities. When exercising, females should wear a sarong or cloth tied over shorts or yoga pants. Male Volunteers should wear slacks, collared shirts, and loafers or other closed toed shoes when presenting themselves professionally. A Volunteer’s professional appearance, work habits, and positive attitude towards colleagues and community members will go a long way towards helping them gain the respect of their community.

Volunteers may witness variations in dress among locals. What’s stated here is the traditional, most widely accepted forms of dress and it is the expectation during Pre-Service Training (PST) and likely throughout service. You should think of your presentation and dress as an important tool to facilitate your integration into the communities where you will serve, especially when your local knowledge and language are just beginning to build. Volunteers will learn and practice the core competencies of intercultural engagement and accountability by adhering to dress code norms.

Volunteers will encounter different social and cultural norms that require flexibility and understanding. For example, the American sense of privacy in terms of information sharing or physical space does not exist in Tanzania. Volunteers are frequently asked personal questions and people will wonder why a Volunteer might want quiet moments alone. As a foreigner, there is also the added element of curiosity from both children and adults.

Peace Corps provides a settling-in allowance that can be used to purchase furnishings necessary to make Volunteer houses comfortable on a modest scale. Volunteers are also assisted in purchasing a bike for easy transportation.

Feminine hygiene products are provided via the Peace Corps Medical Office or Volunteers may purchase them on their own with their allowance. Those products may not be the same variety or brands that would be purchased in the United States.

Primary Sector

Education

TEFL certificate program

No

Apply By

01-Jan-2026

Know By

01-Mar-2026

Start Date

04-Sep-2026

Assignment Length (months)

24

Positions Available

6

Total Number of Positions Available

6

Accepts Couples

Yes

Couples Comments

Peace Corps Tanzania can accommodate couples teaching the same or different subjects. Therefore, your partner must apply and qualify for:

155 Community Health Educator

173 Secondary School Math Teacher

175 Secondary School Science Teacher

Couples will live together with a host family during Pre-Service Training but may be separated for short-term field-based activities if they are in different project sectors. During service, couples will live together in a village house. Due to Tanzania's cultural expectation that whenever couples live together, they are by default married, unmarried couples should be prepared to present themselves as married throughout their service.

Accepting Applications?

Yes

Request Type

173 Secondary Education - Math Teaching

Post to LinkedIn?

No