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United Kingdom

GEMs for professional development

Call for Applications

We are keen to expand our GEM (German Expert Mentor) programme and would like to offer teachers across the UK the opportunity to offer school-to-school support via coaching and training. We are currently looking for German teachers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who would like to work for us as professional development trainers for German teachers. On behalf of the Goethe-Institut they will be offering coaching and training courses for German teachers across the UK.

Are you interested?

  • Are you a teacher with a passion for student-centred teaching and learning?
  • Would you like to develop professionally and expand your expertise?
  • Are you interested in an exchange with colleagues from the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands?
  • Would you like to promote German as a subject at your school or in your city/region?
  • Would you like to organise training and coaching programmes for German teachers in your city/region on behalf of the Goethe-Institut?
Then become part of our team!

The role

GEMs for professional development offer and develop specialist knowledge for German lessons and, on behalf of the Goethe-Institut, provide professional development sessions for German teachers in the United Kingdom. The focus will be on methodological and didactic aspects of German lessons. This can take place in individual or group formats on site and consist of a variety of support measures:

The Goethe-Institut will support you in planning these measures and you will receive a fee for carrying them out.

Remuneration

Once you have completed the basic training course, you will be paid per assignment for planning and preparation time and your school will be reimbursed for supply cover. The professional development to become a GEM is free, including all the costs for the training course in Germany.
 

Become a GEM for professional development

To prepare professional development trainers for German teachers for their role, we are planning the following training:
  • Online training DLL (Learning to teach German) in May / June where the selection process will be finalised.
  • 4-day face-to-face workshop: Role as a trainer, introduction to the basic modules (end of August, probably in Munich)
  • Basic training, phase 1: 6 online modules of 2 weeks each (Sept.-Dec.)
  • 3-day face-to-face workshop: Coaching and counselling (end of Nov.)
  • Online training DLL 4 (Jan/Feb 2025)
  • Basic training, phase 2: in-depth content (Feb./March)
This programme enables you to acquire new specialist knowledge and to put it directly into practice. You will share your experience, skills and expertise with colleagues in your network. Participation in the entire training course is a prerequisite for admission to the professional development trainers for German teacher network.

Who is eligible to apply?

To apply, you should have the following qualifications:
  • Several years of experience in teaching German as a foreign language at a primary or secondary school.
  • Passion for effective and motivating teaching.
  • Expertise in planning an effective, sequential and motivating German lesson.
  • German language skills at C1 to C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work sensitively and co-operatively.
Confirmation from your school management that you are suitable for this role and that they will support you in gaining further qualifications.

Timeline and hours

Participation in the 10-month in-service development course is mandatory (May 2024-March 2025). Your subsequent assignment as a professional development trainer for German teachers can be planned individually with us depending on availability and time frame. However, you should be willing to offer at least 10 teaching units in further training or coaching for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 school years.

Application process

Applicants must have the support and approval of their headteacher confirming that the school supports their participation in the programme. We require a reference from the head teacher which shows their support of your application and that you fulfil the qualification criteria. 

Please submit ...

In order to apply to the  programme, please fill out the application form and submit the following: 
  • Reference from your headteacher
  • A letter of motivation explaining your approach to teaching and learning German and why you believe you are suitable for the role of a professional development trainer for German teachers.
  • A lesson plan using the template “Lehrskizze”, with further links to resources
  • A current curriculum vitae

Templates and Application form

Lehrskizze(DOCX, 32 KB)

Application form ⟶

Apply before 03 May 2024

Once you have submitted your application, we will contact you shortly. If your application meets the requirements, we will invite you to participate in the online training course DLL 6 (Curricular Guidelines and Lesson Planning) (15 May-28 June). After participating in the DLL training, the Goethe-Institut will make a final selection of the group of participants who will start the training to become a professional development trainer for German teachers at the end of August.
 

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