Passionate educators rewarded for excellence in teaching

Let me just get behind my desk, Annie Chauke laughingly says as she makes herself comfortable on a tiny, bright green chair and settles in at a learner’s desk where she spends many hours a day.

This cheerful and passionate educator at Lekkerbreek Primary School in Modimolle was recently named as the best Grd R educator in the province.

She received the award from the Department of Education for Excellence in Teaching Grade R-learners, during a ceremony held in Polokwane. In 2022 she held the third position.

“I have always loved working with children and dreamt of starting my own crèche one day,” she said.

She obtained her diploma from Lyceum College and is currently completing her degree through the University of North West.

“I’ve been mentored and inspired by many of my colleagues over the years,” she said.

One of the challenges Chauke — and many other educators across the country — faces is the large number of learners in their classes. The learner-to-educator ratio that is proclaimed is far from the reality in public schools.

She currently has 50 Grd R learners in her class that was not built to accommodate so many learners and has to keep her wits about her to ensure each of them gets the required attention.

One of her methods is to divide her class into two, by grouping those who will need extra attention and helping them to acquire the set level whilst stimulating the other group that can cope with less attention. The trick however is to keep both groups occupied. Often, the learner has to be educated in a language that is not spoken at home which can slow down the learning process.

“I do background checks on my learners so that I know why this girl tends to cry or that boy does not adhere to instructions, as he should. Doing that enables me to assist them more effectively. I take notes of everything so that I can refer back to my notes when the need arises.”

Chauke is passionate about the learners she educates and the young lives that she helps to form. She knows many of them face harsh challenges at home.

“I once had a learner who was absent from school over a prolonged period of time. I spoke to the educator of an older sibling and we realised that the siblings had also stopped attending school. When we paid a visit to their home, we realised the three children, the oldest of which was in Grd 2, were living by themselves. There was no adult supervision or care. It makes me cry to know that children have to face such difficulties at such a tender age. One must have empathy and support them.”

She says that the educators at their school have a great support system and thank Mirinda Jansen van Rensburg and M.L Falange for their support.

The Grd R learners, when they first attend school are not used to the school environment and being away from their mothers, and they need special attention and lots of nurturing, she believes.

“We structure our classroom and schedule so that it offers them a sense of safety.”

She meticulously fills out her observation book.

“When we do an activity, I need to know how many of the learners could reach the outcome. And those who were struggling need special aid and attention. Then I can ascertain if we need to spend more time on the topic. I also make notes of each learner’s learning style, so that we know if they learn best visually, through movement or if music stimulates them to perform. We need to find a way that can benefit all the learners.”

Educating is a great outlet for her creativity and she loves to recreate stories with pictures she finds on the internet.

“One cannot just tell a child what to do. One must involve them and keep it interesting. They learn when they explore.”

Chauke also educates basic robotics and coding to the Grd 3 learners and loves being involved with the school choir.

Her contagious laugh, never far from the surface, bubbles up and she says: “You won’t believe it, but I’m also the u.13 rugby coach and teach the young boys bulletjierugby skills. I love my job!”

•  Janie Pretorius, a Grd 1educator at Nylstroom Primary, was in second place in the category for Excellence in Primary School Teaching.

“There is value in taking part in such competitions, as one learns where your shortcomings are and can work to improve yourself,” she said.