Week 16 - Leaving Cape Recife - Professional

Finishing teaching practice is usually something which causes me to breathe a sigh of relief, however I must admit that I was a sad to say goodbye to the staff and pupils of Cape Recife High School this week. I have been touched by the welcome I have received here and I can sincerely say that the send off I received was truly brilliant.

During the past number of weeks I have got to know my school teacher tutor Melanie very well and so I was thrilled to be invited to join her family for a kudu steak braai at her home. Kudu is a wild South African animal, and the meat we were eating was from a recent hunt at Melanie’s parents’ game farm.  Kudu is delicious, tasting similar to steak with a slightly more gamey flavour.

Sitting at the back of the hall during Friday assembly I wasn’t expecting to be called to the front by the Principal to say a few words (I think everyone could probably tell this)! It was even more of a surprise to me when the Principal announced that she had re-arranged the timetable to allow for an extra long lunch so that the staff could have an opportunity to thank me for my work over the past few weeks! Needless to say, both staff and pupils were smiling when they heard this!

The hospitality I have received from the staff here has been outstanding and no more was this obvious than the thank you party they held for me in the staffroom at lunch time. I think everyone left the room a few pounds heavier with the huge spread of food that was made! After receiving a card, money and a gift as a token of the schools appreciation the Principal approached me and said that they would always have a teaching position for me should I wish to return to South Africa – I was flattered by this generous offer and told her that I may indeed return in the future!

Teaching some of my classes for the last time, it was nice to hear pupils ask me why I had to leave, giving me an indication that they have enjoyed my company as much as I have enjoyed theirs. Since finishing teaching practice I have had the opportunity to reflect on what I have learnt during my time teaching in South Africa.  My time in Cape Recife has been very valuable to my professional development and I have learnt a lot from the experience. Teaching in a school with limited resources has certainly made me a more resilient, resourceful and creative teacher. I think that in Northern Ireland, many learners are bored by ‘death by PowerPoint’ – I have had to develop alternative ways to capture and maintain the attention of learners, as technology access is virtually non-existent in the classroom. Special Needs Education has always interested me and so the opportunity to get experience in a Special Needs School with such a wide range of SEN has been fantastic. I believe I am more aware of and better equipped to deal with SEN in the classroom along with the additional pastoral care needs of learners.

Fundamentally, learners here are the same as learners in Northern Ireland, with similar interests and hobbies. However it is obvious that the challenges young people here face are more wide spread. Broken families, bereavement, drugs, alcohol, abuse and depression are only some of the things most learners here have come in contact with and are willing to speak quite openly about. Addressing and discussing these issues in Life Orientation class has been very rewarding for me personally and has contributed immensely to my professional development.

Cape Recife has been a great learning experience for me and it is one which I will never forget. I hope to apply what I have learned to future teaching positions in Northern Ireland.

Until next week,

Glenn