My SBL Teaching Experience July 2016:

Who Am I As a Teacher?
Teaching is a multi-faceted profession. I would refer to it as a career but in order to be a
successful teacher you need to be passionate, caring and have a true calling. Without this, you
cannot be a successful teacher. Teaching is a lifestyle choice - not a job that you get up and go to
each morning; it requires much more than that.
I decided to become a teacher from a young age but I have had my times of uncertainty.
Teaching is a profession that will test your limits and will push you where you never knew you
could be pushed before but it is a very rewarding experience: that moment when you are able to
help a learner to overcome something they have been struggling with brings immense joy and is
a feeling that can truly not be described unless experienced for oneself.
So who am I as a teacher? I play so many roles in the lives of my learners: a teacher, a friend, a
psychologist, a guide and even a mother or a sister in some cases; a teacher encompasses all
these roles which is why a teacher is such a unique individual. I am the guide for the future and
my duty as a teacher is to guide my students to be the best that they can be.
School Situational Analysis:
The school that I conducted my School-Based Learning at is truly an amazing school - although it
is only an all girls school there is a vast array of personalities, abilities, talents and traits that are
all encompassed into one large family. It was truly a privilege to be at Riebeek College Girls'
High School (Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, South Africa) as I learnt so much in my two weeks of
being there.
The school is more like a big family as I said in the first paragraph: the girls all work hard
together and play hard too. The school is both a junior and high school meaning that the grades
extend from grade four to twelve (ages 8 to 18). There is a wide array of activities available to
the girls to take part in ranging from sports like hockey, swimming, tennis and cross country as
well as cultural activities like debating, drama committee, choir committee and dance
committee. The girls thus have many opportunities to show their true potential and to shine at
what they are able to do best.
The school itself is situated in a quiet neighborhood and houses 724 learners in total whom are
under the care of approximately 30 teachers for both junior school and high school. The school is
well resourced in that all learners have access to learning materials i.e.: textbooks, a fully
equipped computer lab, library, science lab and biology lab. These facilities allow for the learners
to extend their learning in a fun and meaningful way and provides them with access to practical
knowledge in their chosen subjects.
Overall, the school is lovely and the girls are all stars: they are hardworking, cooperative,
diligent, energetic and wonderful ambassadors for their school and carry the school name well.
As an ex-Riebeek girl myself I have to admit that I am truly proud to see the school in the same
stature and I am proud to say: "Once a Riebeek girl, always a Riebeek girl."
My First Impressions of the School:

My overall first impression of the school was that nothing has changed since I was there: it felt as
though I had never left and I felt right at home. The girls are just as talkative, energetic and
enthusiastic as usual. They are as willing and eager to learn as usual but there are the few
learners which tend to become a bit over-excited in the classroom but that is just normal for us
girls as we get excited about just about everything.
However, this type of problem is something that is experienced world-wide and is not limited to a
single school only. The school is well organized and has professional, hardworking and
experienced teachers in place to run the daily operations of the school. As previously stated the
school has ample facilities available to the learners where they are able to actively extend their
own knowledge. The school has a good reputation in both academics and extra-murals: the
hockey team is especially good. To my surprise, the school also now has a band which includes a
guitarist, bassist, drummer and two ladies on the vocals. The band performs beautifully which
truly exhibits the talent which the lovely ladies have.
Overall, my experience and impressions of the school were all good ones: I felt welcome and did
not feel as though I wanted to run away at any point. The ladies are enthusiastic in the classroom
and readily want to answer questions and get involved in the lessons. I enjoyed teaching there
and feel that I have indeed learnt a lot from the experience and the ladies alike.
What Have I Learnt?

These past two weeks have been a truly enlightening experience for me - even though it was not my first
School-Based Learning experience, I still feel as though I continue to learn. Learning is a never ending process
and we continue to learn until the day that we die. This is why I want to pass on my knowledge bit for bit as
knowledge is the most powerful tool that any person can have access to.
What have I learnt?

I have learnt that each learner is different and unique and that every person learns in a different way.

Being a teacher requires a lot of patience: not only when teaching but also with regards to discipline.

Discipline is not as easy as it looks: there are various skills that I still need to learn when it comes to
handling my classroom.

Punishing learners is heartbreaking: it truly breaks my heart to punish my learners when they do not do
their homework or disobey rules or instructions but it is sadly a part of the job I will need to get used to.

Helping learners is rewarding: there is truly no greater pleasure than being able to help another person.

Teaching is fun: I enjoy interacting with the learners in my class.

The key to a great classroom is getting to know your learners: not just in terms of their needs but also
their personalities and their interests. It is important to develop that teacher-learner relationship.

What we have learnt at university is not always enough to deal with the real life situations in the school:
sometimes it feels as though it is a "learn on the job" type of work.

The teacher is not the only provider of knowledge and that learners also have their own knowledge to
share.

The most important thing for any student teacher/current teacher to know is that the learners have so much
knowledge that they are willing to share in the class; a lot of teachers think that they are the sole providers of
knowledge in the classroom but this is not the case. The learners should be provided with that platform and safe
environment to be able to prove what they know and to share their experiences. This experience has been
wonderful and I cannot wait for next year where I can put into better practice all that I know now.