Picture a Grade 8 class where nobody is copying a comprehension from the board. Instead, groups are on their feet at whiteboards, arguing in Afrikaans about how to pitch a product for their pop-up shop, and you are moving between them asking the question that gets them unstuck. If that sounds like the classroom you want to run, keep reading. If you prefer notes, worksheets and quiet rows, Verve is probably not the right fit.
The role
This is a permanent post teaching Afrikaans First Additional Language to Senior Phase learners in Grade 7-9, starting 1 January 2027. You will cover the full CAPS curriculum through Verve's progressive approach, connecting language to our Art, Business and Design focus areas. Every learner works on an iPad, and you may also be a mentor to a group of learners, getting to know them well and staying in close contact with their parents.
What you will do
- Open lessons with a question, a scenario or a problem, then let learners work through it in groups at vertical surfaces before you step in.
- Build Afrikaans speaking, reading and writing into real projects: advertising copy for a pop-up shop, a design brief, an interview with someone in the Rustenburg community.
- Use iPads for learners to record, research, write and present in Afrikaans, never to fill in digital worksheets.
- Cover the full CAPS Afrikaans FAL content for Grade 7-9, planning ahead and meeting deadlines for planning, marks and reports.
- Help learners reflect on what they learnt and how they learnt it, including where they struggled and what helped.
- Greet learners at the door, know them by name, and contact parents early with good news as well as concerns.
- Join Monday afternoon team talks and training, take part in school events and duties, and share your resources and ideas with colleagues.
Who you are
- You are comfortable with silence after a question, and you let learners wrestle with a problem instead of handing over the answer.
- You correct behaviour calmly and privately, follow through on consequences consistently, and then repair the relationship.
- You raise concerns face to face with the right person, not in corridors or group chats, and you back the team's decision once it is made, even if you argued for something else.
- You try new methods, tools and systems with an open mind, give honest feedback on what works and help fix what does not.
- You own your mistakes, apologise when you get something wrong and learn from it.
- You do what you say you will do, and you put learners and parents first.
- You see Afrikaans as a living language learners can use, not only a subject to pass.
Requirements
- Registered with SACE, or eligible to register.
- A recognised teaching qualification (B.Ed or PGCE).
- A clear criminal record and Sexual Offences Register check.
- A degree or major in Afrikaans.
- Fluent in English and Afrikaans.
Why Verve
Verve is a young, growing independent school in Rustenburg, Grade R to 12, with a focus on Art, Business and Design. You will be part of a team that is still shaping how things are done, where your ideas are heard and where learners are known as people, not just marks. Things change here, sometimes quickly, and facilitators who enjoy building something new tend to thrive.
Applications close on 6 November 2026. Applying takes about 5 minutes online: upload your CV, answer a few questions and record a 30-90 second introduction video. Only online applications will be accepted.