Reflection 1 : What messages did I receive growing up about peace?

 




Growing up, peace felt like an elusive dream to me. As a South African, I learned about Nelson Mandela as a symbol of forgiveness and hope, but that narrative often felt disconnected from our reality, especially coming from a history of apartheid. Many injustices remain unaddressed, and the deep-rooted racial inequalities still affect us today.

For my peers and me, peace often seemed like a distant fantasy. Our education system highlighted the trauma experienced by my community, reinforcing the pain rather than offering solutions. Anger and hurt were prevalent, and it often led to responses rooted in violence, whether at school or in the workplace.

We were taught that peace might only be achievable through wealth, but we also learned that such opportunities were limited for people like us. In my neighbourhood and at school, peace wasn’t modelled by teachers or community leaders; instead, every day felt like a struggle for survival, with the constant threat of violence looming over us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Refection 4 : What is best for the child

Image
  What is best for the child ? That is a question we as teachers all think we know coming out of university. Little did we know that our very first teaching experience will humble us. Education is not a linear process , although many a times we find our selves referring back to standards that need to be met , we have to ask ourselves is that really what is best for the child? Truth is every decision we make is based on our experiences, trauma and life lesson. Children today do not have the same challenges as we once had and for that reason we as educators have to adapt to catering for what is truly best for the child by providing ways and means for children to feel a sense of belonging and that they are valued beyond the point of where children feel their self worth is based on academic results. Reflecting on what is best for the child , we have to look at the context and the personality of the child not our own experiences 
Read more

Reflection 5 : Adaptive Leadership

Image
  As teachers, we often encounter gray areas when assisting our students, extending our care beyond the walls of the classroom. Our professionalism is guided by a code of conduct that provides us with boundaries for protection, but not all situations are set in stone. Relying solely on a technical approach can negatively impact our relationships with students. While technical approaches should serve as guidelines for various scenarios, we must be adaptable to effectively support our students. Being adaptive is crucial for educators, as we are expected to make hundreds of decisions daily, each influenced by a variety of factors. Best practice involves a transparent and flexible approach that allows us to meet the unique needs of each student.
Read more

Reflection 7: Response Choices

Image
  Often we insert comments into students reports stating that he/she “ has the potential to improve” but what does that actually tell us. Looking at how students make their decisions I have learnt that it’s a combination of efforts that can lead to a student’s reaching their full potential, we have those who are willing and able, willing but not able, able but not willing, not willing but able, neither willing or able. We encourage students for vast majority of the day but in doing so are we encouraging the good choices in students achieving their goals or are we weaponizing result based outcome. Although attitudes towards school work is what shapes the learning experience for the student, it is important for students to realize that there is a short- and long-term consequence to falling in the “not willing nor able” to wanting to learning
Read more