‘We need your excellence’
GROWING up, Refiloe Malatji didn’t have any positive role models she could look up to and envision a better future.
She didn’t want the children in her community who came after her, to have the same experience, so she decided to become a school teacher.
“I became concerned about how, during my teen years, I had no one to guide or give me advice about career choices, and believe in myself beyond my evident socio-economic background.
“I wanted to be the teacher that viewed the learner beyond the classroom, as a social being that brought his/her own experiences and learning into the classroom. I wanted to give back what I longed for and didn’t experience in the classroom… wisdom beyond academics and that is someone dealing with a learner not only from the marks.”
Malatji, who has been teaching for nine years, was one of the winners in the Excellence in Secondary School Teaching category at the National Teaching Awards earlier this year.
She is a Grade 10 to 12 life orientation teacher at the UJ Metropolitan Academy High School in Joburg.
She admits that being a teacher has its challenges, but that these are outweighed by the positives. Malatji said other than the huge classes and administration that teachers had to do, she sometimes felt she didn’t have enough time to give all her pupils enough attention.
“In addition, we are dealing with a generation that has minimal work ethic and resilience to overcome failure and pursue to do better. This I believe is due to the minimal support parents are able to give, with some of our learners leaving home at 6am to only be back home around 5pm, to do chores, homework and studying, plus their struggle to manage their time well, and parents working long hours does not make it easier.”
The change in curriculum from the outcome-based education to the current Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement has also been hard on teachers.
“The process of adapting to the changes is still ongoing. However, I believe with the introduction of tablets in the classroom, it can only make learning more relevant, interesting and most importantly provide innovative ways to teach lessons that will get learners involved in their own learning process.
“Teaching is a calling, you must have the passion, not only for the subject you teach, but also for children.
“Learners are more observational learners, than textbook learners. Learners will learn more from what they perceive of you, your attitude towards them and the subject. You get the greatest opportunity of having the next doctor, engineer and chartered accountant.
“You hold the power to propel a child to his/her greatest potential. Your classroom is one world that you get learners to anticipate, to learn, to be critical thinkers and to be the best they can be.
“So, I definitely encourage young people to join, especially in maths, science, accounting and languages; we need teachers.”