Matthee has mastered the art of combining both music and art
Anri Matthee has successfully incorporated music and art into her everyday teachings in order to teach her learners to be more creative
POLOKWANE – The 26-year-old teacher was born and bred in Polokwane and recently opened her own school after she realized that there was a huge need in the community.
Her school, located in Eduan Park, is called Art and Music School and officially opened in December 2016.
Matthee has always been fond of children and knew from an early age that she would follow the teaching profession. It was so important to her that she even travelled abroad to further her studies.
“I moved to Bangalore, India in 2007. That’s where I attended the Canadian International School and completed a two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma. I had visual arts as a subject and with the help and guidance of my extremely talented teacher Praveen David, I was able to do extremely well,” Matthee said.
She first worked at Pietersburg English Medium Primary School (PEMPS) in 2011 as a student teacher of a Gr R class.
This was her defining moment when she realised that she hadn’t made a mistake.
“I met Karin Adlem who really pulled out all the stops to train me in every aspect pertaining to early childhood development. “It was such a growing time and I really learnt so much. I knew that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. My favourite age groups are from 18 months to Grade R. Informal teaching is where I thrive,” she continued.
The opening of her school was a pivotal moment in her life because she had plans of making her dream a reality.
Matthee is also a talented artist who has mastered the art of combining both her passions. She has successfully incorporated music and art into her everyday teachings in order to teach her learners to be more creative.
She has plans to expand her school but in the meantime is focusing on honing the skills of the children she already has.
“My school stands out because the kids really enjoy exploring the arts and it is so important to develop their creativity and expression. Children are under a lot of pressure to excel and too much emphasis is placed on academics with no time to explore their emotions and their senses. At Art and Music school’s ‘Arty Aftercare’ the programme is not very rigid and we allow for free expression. We do facilitate activities but we allow for creativity,” she explained.
She admits that teaching children is no easy feat but says she is up to the challenge. She gets her love for teaching from her mother Maxie, a teacher at Good Hope Primary School in Westenburg.
Her caring spirit is not just limited to the tiny tots she teaches at her school. Matthee an avid dog lover, is also part of the Limpopo K9 Academy where they train man’s best friend.
“I train every Saturday morning with my dog. We hope to join and volunteer with Pets As Therapy (PAT), the pet therapy here in Polokwane to bring people some joy with some canine interaction,” she said.
The hard-working young woman hopes to change the world with some of her teachings.
“If I can change the world for one child, then I will be happy. I want to teach kids to be confident in themselves and to have perspective on the world,” Matthee concluded.
