Job Description: Johannesburg Middle School French Teacher Tentative

CAMPUS: Johannesburg Campus | SUPERVISOR: MS Principal | CONTRACT DATE: 27 July 2027 |POSTING DATE: 05 October 2026 | CLOSING DATE: 01 November 2026

Inspire Learning to Build Our Better World. At the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), we are committed to providing an exceptional education that empowers global citizens to fulfill their future purpose. Our vision is to inspire learning to build a better world. We seek a dedicated and passionate professional who aligns with our commitment to excellence and believes in the transformative power of education. Every team member is crucial in creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment. At AISJ, we value every employee as a learner and expect them to embody and support the AISJ Portrait of Learner (Resilience, Mindful, Thinker, Globally Connected, Curious, Contributor) through their work. We are dedicated to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within our school community.

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Position Overview

This is a full-time position teaching Middle School French in Grades 6–8. AISJ's World Language program is proficiency-based and aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards and the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Students are placed by proficiency, not grade level, in two pathways:

• French 1–3 (Language Acquisition): for students learning French as an additional language, building from Novice toward Intermediate proficiency.
• French 4 (Native/Near-Native): a multi-grade heritage-language class for fluent speakers. It runs on a three-year content rotation that develops literary analysis, academic writing and oral expression, and prepares students for Language A study in High School.

Students are assessed and reported on four Academic Competencies (Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing) using the Middle School proficiency descriptors. The teacher works with the K–12 World Languages team to keep a coherent pathway into High School French, including IB Diploma French A and French B.

We are looking for a teacher who keeps the classroom in the target language, makes French feel alive and relevant, and draws on the wider Francophone world, including francophone Africa, which is represented in our Johannesburg community.

The Middle School operates on an 8-period rotating block schedule, and teachers are assigned to teach 5 of 8 blocks. Each Middle School Teacher is also responsible for an Eagle Forum cohort, which is integral to the Middle School experience as well as participating in our CWW, FLEX and Club programmes. We anticipate the successful candidate will also teach one elective to round out their time table.

Qualifications & Experience

Required Educational Qualifications & Certifications

• Native or near-native French proficiency (CEFR C1/C2)
• Bachelor's degree or higher in French, Francophone Studies or Language Education (Master's preferred)
• Teaching license or certification for Secondary World Languages
• DELF/DALF examiner or corrector certification, or IB World Languages training, is an advantage

Required Professional Experience

• At least 2 years teaching French at Middle or High School level, including heritage or native speakers
• Designing curriculum and assessments with the ACTFL standards: Can-Do statements, Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs), and rubrics for the interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication
• Staying in the target language 90%+ of the time, using comprehensible input and communicative teaching strategies
• Differentiating in multi-level and multi-grade classrooms
• Teaching literature, media and culture from across the Francophone world
• Tracking proficiency growth with data, and understanding MTSS
• Inquiry-based learning and concept-based curriculum design
• Knowledge of the CASEL SEL Framework
• Adaptive Schools training
• Teaching Experience in the MYP Framework is an advantage
• Integrating the ISTE Standards and language-learning technology
• Teaching Spanish at novice level is an advantage but not required
• First aid / CPR training
• Coaching, club facilitation or service learning (for example, a French club or Francophonie Week events)

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, teach and assess French 1–4 courses aligned to the ACTFL standards and the MS Academic Competencies
• Maintain a language-rich, target-language classroom culture where students feel safe taking risks
• Build and refine the French 4 heritage curriculum and its three-year content rotation
• Work with the K–12 World Languages team on vertical alignment, placement testing and pathways into High School
• Organize cultural events and connect students with the local Francophone community
• Keep accurate records of assessment, attendance, planning and parent communication
• Communicate regularly and clearly with families about student progress
• Serve as an Eagle Forum teacher and take part in CWW, FLEX and Clubs
• Supervise students during Break and/or Lunch periods on a rotating basis.
• Engage in our Co-curricular program for at least one season per year.
• Engage in ongoing professional learning and contribute constructively to team and staff meetings
• Support new colleagues and take part in school events as required

Teacher Competencies:

Planning for Learning

• Curriculum Design: Creates personalized, challenging learning sequences that build on prior knowledge while ensuring knowledge transfer and regular reflection opportunities.
• Collaborative Planning: Partners across disciplines and specialties to create cohesive learning experiences that connect global contexts while anticipating student needs.
• Inquiry-Based Learning: Designs flexible conceptual units that honor student choice, pace, and multiple pathways to demonstrate understanding.

Maximizing Teacher Efficacy

• Student Agency & Critical Thinking: Creates self-directed learners who think critically, set goals, and drive their own learning journey.
• Research-Based Instructional Excellence: Implements proven teaching strategies that adapt to individual student needs through continuous assessment and adjustment.
• Connected Learning Design: Weaves together global perspectives, real-world applications, and cross-disciplinary connections to create meaningful learning experiences.
• Collaborative Leadership: Builds a learning community where students develop leadership skills through structured collaboration and personalized engagement.

Reflecting as Practitioners

• Student Agency: Builds student capacity for self-assessment through modeling, tools, and targeted feedback that drives individual growth.
• Data-Informed Practice: Analyzes student achievement data to align curriculum, refine teaching strategies, and measure instructional effectiveness.
• Professional Growth: Engages in collaborative reflection and data analysis with colleagues to continuously improve teaching practices and student outcomes.

Promoting Relationships, Community, & Culture

• Builds strong community-school partnerships and actively participates in community initiatives to enrich the learning environment.
• Adapts teaching practices by staying informed of educational and societal changes while understanding each learner's unique cultural background, learning style, and needs.
• Creates an inclusive learning environment that embraces diversity, challenges stereotypes, and connects learning to students' real-world experiences and cultural contexts.
• Fosters a growth mindset by encouraging calculated risk-taking and developing students' autonomy, personal responsibility, and ownership of learning.

All community members are expected to be committed to the AISJ Community Principles.

• We are better when we act together.
• Our differences make us stronger.
• Every voice counts. Every voice matters.
• Every team needs individuals. Every individual needs a team.

Work

Number of Work Days: : Monday through Friday - 188 (one hundred and eighty-eight) days per school year.

Work Day: 7:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 7:10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Other Duties As Assigned: The Teacher will be expected to perform any work assigned to them that is within their skills and capabilities and to be flexible about changes to this function that may be required from time to time for operational reasons. This includes other duties as assigned by their supervisor from time to time.

APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply, please complete the electronic form [Click here]. Information captured will be securely stored and used for a reference check on the candidate's compatibility. AISJ reserves the right to appoint the strongest candidate before the closing date if required.

SAFEGUARDING & CHILD PROTECTION
AISJ maintains robust child protection policies to ensure a safe, secure, and caring environment for our students. All employees must undergo criminal background checks, attend annual training, and sign a safeguarding agreement.

PRIVACY
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