Women play a big part in the development of children, nurturing them from birth to adulthood.
And none more so than that of a young Reddam House Helderfontein teacher. Embeth van der Wal (26) has been teaching for four years in the early learning school at Reddam and has aspirations of encouraging, growing and educating children to reach their goals. While she had always known she wanted to be a teacher, when growing up her teachers paved a portion of the way for her in choosing the career.
With August being Women’s Month she said, “My hope is that every girl that enters my classroom holds onto her dreams and continues to dream big over-the-moon-dreams. I hope she never doubts her capabilities. Not everything in life is easy but she has the self-confidence to know that she has the abilities and drive to fulfil any dream she has.
“[Women’s Day] is an incredibly important day for all women in South Africa. I believe it is a day that allows us to consciously show appreciation and admiration for the important women in our lives. I believe it’s an opportunity to empower amazing women and celebrate our uniqueness,” she said.
Van der Wal’s typical day begins at 07:30 when she receives greetings and hugs from the children. The children move on to planned activities for basic literacy and numeracy skills and then participate in creative activities. The day ends with outdoor exploring and catch-up sessions with the parents.
“I don’t think a teacher’s duty can be summarised into just a few hours a day, we carry our learners throughout the day, weeks and years in our minds and hearts. They are what keep me motivated.
“The children burst into school with such energy and passion that it is hard to not have the same motivation. I think no matter how tired you get, that it is all worth it when a child’s face lights up after completing a task they thought was difficult, or when they are proud to show their parents an artwork they have completed,” she told Fourways Review.
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