The Teaching-Learning Journey of Yesterday.

Each and every individual learns in their unique way, in their own time and at their own pace. It should be with this acknowledgement and understanding that children are guided forward as valued independent thinkers through the teaching-learning landscape of formalised education.

I went to a conventional South African State School that taught all 32 of us students in the very same, mundane manner. The day started with the Lord’s prayer, followed on by Mathematics, English and a break. We then went on to study Science and Geography and another break. When most of us were too exhausted to concentrate or care, we were generously afforded either a quick class of music or art, woodwork or home economics before bundled off to our waiting families.

We were not allowed to think outside the oh so very conventional, archaic box. Those of us that did were labelled trouble-makers. We were relegated to the back of the room reserved for those with labels- Dumb Desiree, Sulky Susan, Idiot Imran, Moron Mike, and so forth. Our teachers happily stroked our palms with a sound whipping for girls and a lash, often more across the behind for boys. We endured, for if we went home to complain, our parents added to the beatings believing that the teachers were indeed noble professionals that had our best interest at heart repeating to us in the accents of their forefathers- Mother, Father, Teacher and God, respect needed to be dished out in that peculiar order.

I hated teachers, I hated school. I hated Mondays, but Sundays more. In my mind true hell was being stuck in school forever - as a child, teenager and then as an adult. As my luck would have it, I went to hell - I became a teacher.

I think back to those days of my own schooling to both superior and inferior educational practices. Superior in the sense that grammar, spelling, handwriting and timetables were perfected and starched uniforms were worn with pride, yet inferior in the sense that discipline was violently enforced and respect undeservingly demanded. Only the traditional, teacher’s pet was valued. The very ones us deviants bullied to no end. Academic excellence was measure by those that attained all A’s in Math and English and Science, yet failed miserably in social skills and humility.

What about those of us that excelled in our unique ways: the child who wrote a piece that made you cry with her description of a worn old shoe, the art student that painted leaving you speechless with his depiction of his version of The Last Supper, the woodwork student that made you want to touch to believe that his carving was made of wood and the eccentric girl that cooked once a week and in so doing, delighted your taste buds with a simple mix of ingredients - learners that expressed from their very souls.

I promised myself to become the teacher that true educators were meant to be - To teach from the heart and soul for the heart and soul…

And so I gravitated to the unconventional - students with disabilities, student who were from non-English speaking backgrounds, those that needed learning support, the gifted and talented in both the conventional and unconventional sense, the troubled, underachieving youth that simply needed to be seen and heard.

I taught those that others labelled as they labelled me.

My hell became heaven when I saw my kids, each and every one of them that passed through my hands, excel as the unique gifted individuals that they were - natural wonders who needed to be nurtured not judged.

I knew then as I know now that I was meant to teach and learn - for my kids have taught me the true beauty in idiosyncrasy….