National Center for Teacher Professional Development program "Teach and Learn with Georgia" has been joined by a new group of volunteer teachers. This year, the program, in addition to English and Chinese language volunteer teachers, has been replenished by French and German speaking volunteer teachers.

After arriving in Georgia, the volunteer teachers and local foreign language teachers attended an interim meeting. The meeting included a 12-hour training module "Co-teaching methods" and "Classroom management". During the summary meeting, the volunteers and local teachers shared their experiences on the methods used when working in the classroom with different levels students.

The foreign volunteers are assigned to Tbilisi, Adjara, Imereti, Guria, Kakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi, Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo – Zemo Svaneti and Shida Kartli public schools, where each volunteer collaborates with three or four local foreign language teachers.

It should be noted that over the past two years the program has undergone positive changes. The volunteer teacher selection criteria have improved. The preference is given to those candidates who have experience in the field of education; in addition, the volunteers’ contract terms have also increased: Volunteers spend a full academic year at the school, which significantly improves the quality of language learning.

In the scope of the program "Teach and Learn with Georgia", several groups of volunteer foreign language teachers visit Georgia every year. Volunteers stay with host families and are employed in Georgian public schools, where in cooperation with the foreign language teachers and other members of the local community are actively involved in school and community life. Together with the foreign colleagues, the local foreign language teachers improve their language skills, search and develop additional materials based on learners’ needs and become familiar with and introduce the language teaching modern methods.