Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Teacher’s poetry in the classroom
IT WAS a proud moment for business studies teacher Nashville Blaauw when his poem was used as unseen material in the exam for matric pupils at Elsies River High School.
Blaauw attended the school and now teaches there.
Blaauw’s former teacher, Rozelle Miller, chose the poem titled: Ek slaan my oë op na die flatse (I turn my eyes to the flats).
Blaauw is a published author of two poetry books under Tshienda Publications. Today, he is also part of the school’s reading club and pastor of his church, House of Elijah, and researches family tree history as a hobby.
In 2008, Blaauw was head boy of Elsies River High School and was a bookworm. During his school career he was mentored by wellknown South African poet and writer, Diana Ferrus.
Blaauw feels honoured that his own poem is being used to educate children and the writing is on omething to which they can relate – life on the Cape Flats.
“My classroom today is where the library was and where I spent a lot of my time. During high school I met Diana Ferrus, she introduced poetry to me. She mentored me and introduced me to so many people,” Blaauw says.
He was approached by Miller for the poem to be used as unseen work in the exam and said he regarded it as a great privilege.
“The children came to me afterwards saying how they enjoyed the poem because it was about their lives living on the flats.”
Miller said the poem has revived reading in pupils because they can identify with the content.
“Nashville used to be one of our pupils and I am so proud of him. I decided to use an unseen poem for the Grade 12 exam paper and the children are from Elsies River like he is and they can relate to it.”
The poem speaks about life on the Cape Flats while facing violence and domestic issues.
Ferrus said Blaauw showed a love for both reading and the community from a young age and was honoured that he remembered her. “He attended a poetry workshop in Elsies River. I was the facilitator. I am so proud of him.
“He always displayed an enquiring mind, a deep concern for his community and that led him to ask questions about who the community was, where did they come from and how did that impact on who they are today.
“This led to Nashville’s commitment to have others tell their stories, also to read it and to write it, which led to the act of reading. He realised that if you don’t read, how you will acquire knowledge of who you are, where you come from? It gives me tremendous pride to know that Nashville acknowledges me in this way.”