Teaching at Nova Pioneer

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Teaching at Nova Pioneer


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Re-imagine what’s possible for your students and your growth as an educator.

“Our students are such unique individuals who constantly inspire me. They are eager to learn and have a fresh perspective of the world around them, making me a facilitator rather than a teacher of their learning.”

Cebo, Apprentice Teacher, South Africa

Place your students at the centre of learning

Our teachers believe in the inherent capability and potential of our students and help them to unlock what’s already inside. As a Nova Pioneer teacher you won’t lecture. Rather, you’ll act as a facilitator of learning – inspiring, guiding, mentoring and cheering on your students.

“When my students realise that their voice matters and assume responsibility for the way they learn, teaching becomes the most meaningful profession in the world. These are the moments that keep me going – the moments when my students add a new chapter to their learning journey, when they extend the class discussion to something that matters to them.”

Emmah, History and Government Resident Teacher, Kenya

Inspire growth and a love of learning in your students

Our teachers know that the work they do not only has an impact on their student’s academic results, but on their students’ growth into innovators and leaders who can transform the world around them. As a teacher at Nova Pioneer you will constantly be inspired by our mission to unlock the unique potential inside our students.

“I transitioned from being a resident teacher to an Associate Dean. This was an amazing achievement for me and never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine this would happen for me so early in my career. Nova Pioneer certainly identifies and acknowledges the hard work.”

Zaakirah, Associate Dean, South Africa

Design and lead your personal growth journey

We seek to help our teachers grow so they can find personal and professional fulfillment as an educator and make a life-long impact on their students. Through Nova Pioneer’s Career Pathways, you can craft your own personal growth journey toward becoming a Master Teacher, a Dean of Instruction, a School Leader or join a team that supports our schools doing Learning Design, Marketing or even Talent Recruitment. We provide you with the guidance, mentorship, and opportunities to make your goals happen in a rich culture of feedback.

“I love the cultural diversity and getting to know people from different cultures and backgrounds. The teaching team in a classroom has helped me to develop my practice by learning from others’ teaching styles – and the immediate feedback in the classroom really helps me grow.”

Katlego, Apprentice Teacher, South Africa

Collaborate with an incredible group of educators

Our teachers come from diverse walks of life but are bound by a common passion to develop students into the best they can be. As a Nova Pioneer teacher you will collaborate with other driven and inspiring educators, inside and outside the classroom, to hone your teaching practice together as a community. Our teachers role model for our students what it means to embody our culture principle of ‘greater together’.

“The Joy of Learning (one of our Culture Principles) and academic rigour within our enquiry-based learning environments are important to us. We uphold the image of child as capable, resourceful and intelligent. The children are encouraged to think and rethink, explore, create, reflect and recreate, all within our engaging and rigorous lessons.”

Des Hugo, Academic Director

Gain experience in a unique enquiry-based learning model

The Nova Pioneer practice is underpinned by rigorous, enquiry-based learning informed by the world renowned Reggio Emilia philosophy and supported by globally recognised core curricula. Our teachers gain incredible exposure to leading teaching and learning practices informed by some of the top educators from around the world.

“We have so many talented teachers and lesson designers at Nova Pioneer with a range of knowledge and experiences – once we put our heads together we can create something great, which not only reaches individual classrooms, but the whole network of Nova Pioneer across Africa! I feel proud to be a part of all this creativity and innovation.”

Cailyn, Resident Pre-Primary Teacher, South Africa

Receive lesson design support to free you up to do what you do best... teach!

Nova Pioneer teachers are in partnership with our central lesson design team who spend their time thinking about how students learn best, crafting rich enquiry experiences. This support from learning designers ensures that teachers are spending as much time as possible with their students, facilitating great learning. Together, teachers and learning designers build curricula and share best teaching practices that will impact the education of students both in their classroom and across the continent.

Meet our teachers


Emmah Nduta

Emmah Nduta

"Once my students realise their voice matters and assume responsibility for they way they learn, teaching becomes the most meaningful profession in the world."
Read my story
Joseph Omondi

Joseph Omondi

"I feel privileged to be in an organisation that offers opportunities and support for my growth aspirations."
Read my story
Elma Mudhuviwa

Elma Mudhuviwa

"It inspires me to see how each day our students are learning different things that will add up to them becoming innovators and leaders."
Read my story
Sameerah Mahomed

Sameerah Mahomed

"I don't wait for opportunities to come my way, I create them!"
Read my story

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I need to have prior experience in enquiry-based learning?

    No. Most of the teachers who join us come from more traditional educational backgrounds so we provide rigorous training to make sure you are equipped and prepared to deliver amazing enquiry-based lessons.

  • What is the difference between an Anchor Teacher and Apprentice Teacher?

    At Nova Pioneer we have Anchor Teachers and Apprentice Teachers.

    Anchor Teacher:

    There are different levels of Anchor Teachers: Resident Teacher, Senior Resident Teacher, Lead Teacher and Master Teacher. Anchor teachers are qualified teachers who are able to lead classrooms and have strong content knowledge relevant to what they teach.

    Apprentice Teacher:

    • At Nova Pioneer Kenya, an Apprentice Teacher is someone who is fully qualified but has less teaching experience or less experience with our teaching model and in whom we provide additional investment to become an anchor teacher in a year.
    • At Nova Pioneer South Africa, an Apprentice Teacher is someone who is not yet qualified and is still pursuing a teaching degree or qualification. Apprentices who do well at Nova Pioneer are our first source of candidates for open Anchor teacher positions once they become qualified teachers.

    Apprentice teachers provide support in the classroom and receive more and more responsibility in leading parts of the classroom experience as they grow. They are expected to fully contribute and invest in their own teaching mastery.

  • What qualifications do I need to be an Anchor Teacher?

    To teach as an Anchor teacher at Nova Pioneer you need a teacher’s qualification and must be SACE registered (South Africa) / TSC registered (Kenya).

  • How many terms does Nova Pioneer have?

    At Nova Pioneer we follow a three term system.

  • How do I apply to become a teacher at Nova Pioneer?

    You can find all of our teaching positions here on our job page.

  • Do I create my own lessons as a teacher?

    We have a Learning Design team whose job it is to create best practice, tried and tested, enquiry-based lessons that you can make your own. This frees you up to do what you do best – teaching and facilitating learning.