Cape Teachers of Year get glowing reports
THIS year’s top high school teacher in the Western Cape has been described as committed, passionate, talented, helpful and enthusiastic.
Grade 12 mathematics teacher, André Rix, of Westridge High School, Mitchells Plain, had those accolades showered on him when he won the provincial leg of the 2017 Year of the Teacher award for high school teaching.
Congratulating Rix at the ceremony on Friday, Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said: “Committed, passionate, talented, helpful and enthusiastic – these are all words used to describe Mr Rix.
“We received several nominations for Mr Rix, where learners described him as the most ‘unbelievable’ and dedicated teacher they have had in their 12-year school career, making lessons interesting and fun, which has assisted individual learners to achieve better results in maths.”
She described the primary school category winner, Dr Tanya Spamer, as a teacher whose level of commitment was “extraordinary”.
She added that Spamer, a teacher and cross-country coach from Parow West Primary, was “a hero and an inspiration, filled with passion, who tirelessly supports her learners until they cross the finish line”.
Schäfer described Steinthal School of Skills teacher, AnnaMarie Sidego, who won in the high school special needs education category, as an “outstanding person and mentor”.
The teacher awarded for primary school special needs education was Elani Bezuidenhout, who teaches at the Parow Inclusive School. Schäfer described her as “a diligent, committed and hard-working teacher, who makes her learners feel special and safe”.