One morning I was handed a folded note — a testimony — with a loving message from a learner, Sannabu Ngubane.
I regularly get messages from learners. Many express their gratitude and thanks to me for going beyond the call of duty for them.
But, of all the messages, there was something about this one. I have never been so emotionally touched. I even cried. Sannabu lovingly poured out her feelings and summed up my 27 years of teaching.
Sannabu comes from a poor family in an informal settlement called Amoutana in KwaZulu-Natal. Her mother is sick and she and her sister take charge ofthe family.
There are other learners who face similar hardships. But Sannabu’s spirit makes her stand out. She has not let her personal or family circumstances stopher studies.
Her testimony read: “Mrs R Naidoo is a loving, sensitive and motivating educator who displays patience and tolerance to all learners. She treats all children equally and has time to get to know every child she teaches.
“She is always willing to help and she is caring and sharing. Mrs Naidoo loves sports, especially cricket and soccer, and does everything to help the children to do best in their sports codes. She is the helping hand for poor children and ensures that we all have something to eat and comforts us when we are troubled. She is a mother, a teacher to all the community.”
Unfortunately, I face these challenges every day. I believe my responsibility as a teacher is to ensure that every child is helped. I do not see a weak learner in my class but a challenged learner who strives to do his or her best.
I believe my commitment to the children and community extends beyond the schoolyard into the province and even nationally. I am a happy teacher and that’s what I bring to the school, touching and changing lives. I want to be the change I want to see in others.
The learners enjoy priority in whatever I do. I try to lead by example and embrace every child as my own, nurturing and developing to the best of my ability. My best lesson in life is not how much you do but how much love you put into it. That’s what counts.
Romy Naidoo teaches grades six and seven at Acacia Primary School in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal. She was a finalist in the category Lifetime Achievement Award in the National Teaching Awards last year