Teacha! Magazine - First Term 2019

The Magazine for South African Teachers

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First Term 2019

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Volume 2 - Issue 3

Back to School Tips - Worksheets for Primary School Teachers - CPTD

FOR SOUTH AFRICAN TEACHERS

BY SOUTH AFRICAN TEACHERS.

THE TEACHER HUB TO FIND 5500+ RESOURCES, JOBS, CPTD COURSES, NEWS & INSPIRATION.

www.teacha.co.za www.teachingresources.co.za

In this issue Editor's Letter: The Silent Teacher Reading aloud: A necessity in 2019 When scholastic intervention isn’t enough, who should be approached?

Visual Art project: Textured Flower Garden How Can Taking Part in Fine Arts Activities Help Kids?

The Importance of Gross Motor Movements 5 Tips for New Teachers Learning Language Through Play The Impact of Mother-Tongue Audiobooks in a Rural Preschool in Kenya Our Intro to Project Based Learning Ensuring ROI on your Professional Development Investment Plan Your Way Through 2019 And Earn Your CPTD Points SACE Points Guide Spotlight Teacher to Teacher: Byron Abrahams South Africa’s children aren’t getting the mental health care they need Foundation teachers are more than simply childminders. Here’s why Smart-Kids Worksheets for primary school teachers

HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY

The Silent Teacher - Page 7

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MT Audiobooks in Rural Kenya - Page 22 Teacha! Magazine | 3

IT’S THE START OF SOMETHING NEW Every year we have the opportunity to change something in our teaching practice. Throughout the year, we learn more about how we teach. We may even learn that we have achieved something great, or perhaps we actually failed terribly at something.

At the beginning of a school year we can look back, reflect, and decide what’s staying the same and what needs to change.

Here are a few tips to get started on something new - and how to stick with it.

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Be informed. Are you part of a PLN? Do you listen to education podcasts? How do you learn informally? Things change all the time. You don’t need to be a researcher or masters student to read up on teaching practices that work, all you have to do is follow some hashtags on Twitter and find excellent ideas that work from all over the world. If you don’t know what works, how will you know what needs to change? If you still find yourself being a bit confused, why not check out the previous Teacha! Magazine’s article on PLNs! Be clear about why you want to do something new. If your new year’s teacher resolution is to “be more organised”, ask yourself why this is important, why this hasn’t been a priority for you, and why it should be. When you can see what the benefits will be to your teaching practice, you will be more likely to follow through with implementing the changes. Being more organised, for example, will help you to save time, be more prepared and in turn reduce your daily stress.

Don’t take on too much at once. Set goals and break them up into smaller goals and tasks.

If you want to be more organised, start with one area. For example, keep the files on your computer organised into folders. When you have achieved this, move on to the next goal, by creating an IN and OUT system on your desk to minimise paper chaos.. When this has become your new practice, start thinking of other ways in which you can improve. Being specific really helps with getting things done.

One of the greatest things about being a teacher (well, for me), is that the content might stay the same, but the way that pedagogy and technology

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develops enables us to change our practice to become better at what we do. We are developing the minds of our future generations, not just teaching them content that they will forget in a few years.

In this issue, there are many tips for you to start something new: Francois ‘Super Teacher” Naudé gives novice teachers some excellent tips that we all can make use of; Renate Röhrs proposes a way to start talking less in our classes but still teaching effectively; and if you are keen to get started with Project Based Learning in a primary school setting, Jenna Swano from Disa Primary in Imizamo Yethu showcases what they did during the “dead time” at the end of the year.

A huge thank you to Pearson for sponsoring a great portion of this issue and providing primary school teachers with some excellent worksheets from the Smart Kids / Slimkoppe range!

Please send your contributions, suggestions and letters to editor@teacha.co.za. Teacha! magazine is a publication for teachers, by teachers and we need your help to keep it going with fresh ideas, content

Teacha!

Teacha! is a collaborative effort between South African & international teachers and organisations. We would like to thank the following contributors: Jean Vermeulen - Editor Ali Mills - Subeditor Teachers / Former Teachers: Renate Rรถhrs Ali Mills Leyla Norman Mari Buys (Spraakborrel) Juffer "My Klaskamer" Francois "Super Teacher" Naude Jenna Swano Dr. Angela Buckler Mari de Kock (KiddieKuns) Kim Barnard Emme Scholtz Byron Abrahams Organisations: The Conversation Teacha! is published by Onnie Media Pty Ltd. www.onniemedia.com

Teacha! is a hub for South African teachers. Find and sell your original resources in our resources marketplace, engage with your colleagues in the Teacha! Helpline group on Facebook, and find news, resources, teacher tips and inspiration on our websites. www.teachingresources.co.za and www.teacha.co.za

RSA Teaching Jobs The leading job board for South African school-related vacancies. Schools can find and post teaching positions on our website. Set up a job alert to receive the newest vacancies in your inbox weekly. Send us your vacancies to jobs@rsateachingjobs.co.za. www.rsateachingjobs.co.za

Support South African teachers by advertising on our platforms: jean@onniemedia.com Images: Freepik, Unsplash or provided.

SACE Points Guide We know how difficult it is to get to grips with the SACE CPTD system. On SACE Points Guide we try to make it easier for you by listing SACE activities all over South Africa. We also try to answer your questions regarding SACE. www.sacepointsguide.co.za

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The Silent Teacher Do you know that feeling when you are sitting in a workshop and the person presenting says something profound that you want to write down, but then you realize that whilst you are writing, you could be missing out on vital information?

Now ask yourself, how often do you do this in your own class?

It seems that a lot of teachers, myself included, are actually uncomfortable with silence and feel compelled to fill it with talking.

Or we feel so much pressure for time that we try to get the most out of every moment, without realising that it’s often ineffective.

I was recently introduced to the “Silent Teacher” in Craig Barton’s book How I wish I’d taught maths. It is no new or revolutionary concept to the world of education, but to me, this book was a whole new revelation. At first I thought it was silly - after all, a teacher’s job is to teach, which in my mind equated to literal talking. However, I decided to give it a go, and I am mighty glad that I did!

While the definition of the Silent Teacher can be used in any subject, I find that it is best suited when modelling a complex multistep process, like the ones you find in maths and science.

Here are a few key deductions that I made after reading the book:

HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY

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What I used to do: When I introduced learners to a new

process or method, I would do a number of examples, modelling the method. Whilst writing I would provide running commentary, explaining what I was doing and highlighting pivotal points. Whilst doing this, my learners would be copying the example into their own books and would ask me questions along the way.

This was often about something I had done a step or two prior, or at times, something that I would still be solving in the next step. While it seemed to be very time efficient, there was a lot going on simultaneously and often things would fall through the cracks.

What I do now: When I am modelling this new method for my class, I make it clear that I will be in Silent Teacher mode. Nobody is allowed to talk at all until I reach the end of the explanation. There is no talking, no questioning and no explaining to classmates during this time. The only thing I will be doing is writing and the only thing that the learners may do is think and give me a thumbs up or down (when asked), to indicate whether they are still following.

Once I reach the end of the example there are two options to choose from. Firstly, I can go back and talk them through my thinking process, or they can ask questions about the reasoning behind any of the steps. At this point they are familiar with what I have written, so they are not really reading and are able to focus on what they are hearing and thus able to ask questions. The alternative is to pair them up with a partner and give them a few minutes to take part in peer learning, talking each other through the example and then asking questions.

It is vital that at some point I talk my learners through the process for consolidation purposes. Remember: Silent Teacher is not about not talking, it is all about splitting talking from understanding and writing. Only after we have talked through the steps, are they allowed to pick up their pens and copy the example down. When learners are listening to your explanation whilst reading what you are writing and thinking about the question they want to ask, things can often go awry. But when you split the reading from hearing and then from the writing, you reduce redundancy and limit the input to a single stream - first visually ,then auditory and finally kinaesthetically.

teacher to explain until the learners understand.

Silent Teacher shifts the responsibility to the learners and makes them an active participant in the learning process. It also forces learners to think before they ask questions, enabling them to first try to work it out themselves.

From the teacher’s point of view there are two big advantages of making use of the Silent Teacher method. Firstly, it allows you to focus completely on what you are doing. Yes, talking while you are writing is also splitting your focus and makes it more likely that you will make a silly mistake, but it prevents you from having to jump around answering questions about steps that you have moved on from or that may still be coming.

The second advantage is that there are clear boundaries. Firstly, nobody talks, then everybody talks, then everybody writes. How often have you asked two learners to stop talking only to hear, “But I was only explaining it to him!”? With the Silent Teacher method, there is a clear expectation that nobody may talk at all until given permission to do so.

At first, one may think that this Silent Teacher method is a passive learning method, but don’t underestimate the active thinking and the engagement that needs to take place during the process. As with any new method of teaching, in order to fully see the advantage, you will have to give it time. And yes, my colleagues have pointed out that it may be more time consuming than the norm, but in the long run, I have certainly saved a lot of time as I don’t need to reexplain processes multiple times.

Is the Silent Teacher the silver bullet that will enable all learners to suddenly understand complex procedures? Of course not. For me, Silent Teacher has become a teaching method of quality over quantity, and I sure hope that you find the same advantages whilst employing it in your classroom.

Renate Röhrs, eLearning Specialist, Butterfly Classrooms

When the teacher is giving running commentary whilst doing an example, the responsibility is on the

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Reading aloud: A necessity in 2019 In this day and age where technology seems to be surpassing all, it is vital that we do not forget about good old “reading aloud”.

Many of us have fond memories of the last few minutes before the end of a school day – your teacher reading a chapter or two out of a fantastic book and the class not making a peep as you are lost in the story!

While it remains true that education is also impacted by the fast worldwide technological developments and should by no means stay stuck in the past, there are a few very basic principles and activities which should never change. Reading aloud in class is one of these core educational activities. Allow me to point out why:

3. By reading aloud, listening & attention skills are developed Due to the enormous amount of visual input, many learners have insufficient listening skills.

Additionally, they find it difficult to visualize auditory information and struggle to make a mental picture.

This has a

1. By reading aloud, reading skills are modelled When a teacher or adult reads to learners, they provide an opportunity for students to see and hear skilled reading behaviours. Through this high level scaffolding, students begin to imitate and internalise the modelled reading strategies.

This pertains especially to reading comprehension.

significant impact on reading comprehension.

2. By reading aloud, vocabulary development is supported

4. By reading aloud, critical thinking and creativity is stimulated

Reading fiction and non-fiction will provide many opportunities for expanding a child’s vocabulary.

Good vocabulary supports reading comprehension.

When reading a story, the teacher can actively engage in eliciting critical thinking.

“Creativity is now as important in education as literacy” is a quote that educators often hear. How this is done, however, is not always very clear. A simple read aloud will provide ample opportunities for thinking further than

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just the text; in other words, being creative. For example, asking your learners: “What do you think will happen next?” or “What if….?”

5. By reading aloud, positive responses to reading are nurtured Learners’ responses to reading is strongly linked to motivation.

Many children experience reading as effortful and difficult, they see little

are encouraged. As Frank Serafini famously stated, “There is no such thing as a child that hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.”.

6. By reading aloud, a culture of reading is cultivated Teachers can create a culture of reading at their schools so that on a daily basis children can see that reading is important, that books are valued and that learning about the world through books is a normal part of learning.

When you want to be a teacher who uses every possible opportunity to develop good readers, reading aloud should be your first choice when you have a few minutes at hand.

READ FURTHER: https://teach.its.uiowa.edu/sites/teach.its. uiowa.edu/files/docs/docs/What_are_ the_Benefits_of_Reading_Aloud_ed.pdf http://resep.sun.ac.za/wp-content/ uploads/2017/10/RESEPp_ZenexTeaching-ReadingWriting_Email.pdf https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/

purpose in it and they get no pleasure from it. What’s the point of reading if all they do is say words aloud when a teacher points to them on a chalkboard? This may cause a negative response to reading that can affect them for the rest of their lives. By reading engaging and interesting books, positive responses

teachers/teachingresources/discipline/ english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/ teachingpracmodelled.aspx#link77

Mari Buys is a Speech and Language Therapist who has been focusing on Foundation Phase learners for the past 18 years. Her store on Teacha!

Resources is called Spraakborrel.

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When scholastic intervention isn’t enough, who should be approached?

As teachers, we often notice when something’s amiss, but we do not always know how to help. In the Foundation Phase - to name just a few - we notice difficulties discerning between sounds, struggles to provide rhyming words, difficulties in spelling, reversals and discrepancies between the content of verbal discussions and written work.

It is always valuable to help a learner individually or in small groups, as an extra example or explanation of work is often needed. Sometimes we need to take a few steps back and revert to a lower number range, a concrete level, easier books or even lessening the load for the learner.

Here are a few ideas to help you with additional intervention methods for your struggling learners: If your school has access to a remedial teacher, they are most probably going to be the first person to contact and connect with proactively. A remedial teacher is a qualified educator – with extra training in assessing and supporting scholastic struggles.

In a lot of cases, these teachers work closely with other clinicians to create a multi-disciplinary team

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(involving occupational therapists, speech therapists, audiologists, learning support teachers, educational psychologists, etc.) and form an effective support structure for learners, teachers and parents.

If you have a learner whose eyes skip back and forth between words read, it might indicate irregular eye movements. It could also indicate that the learner is repeating known words in order to decode the subsequent unfamiliar words. In this case, it is beneficial to address possible difficulties by pointing out new or difficult words and blends in the text. If the back and forth reading persists, it is advisable to have a consultation with an ophthalmologist to check the child’s vision and eye movements (tracking skills).

If you have an alphabet chart visible and sing the “ABC” song, you can track the letters from left to right. "b" will be first in line. Also create the “thumbs up” sign with both hands and put the knuckles together. You have now created a mini-bed and will be able to see the “b” in the left hand and a “d” in the right hand. These associations work wonders for many learners.

Consistent reversals of letters and numbers can indicate a lacking understanding of left and right.

One can review these directions by putting the left hand palm down on the table – thumb extended.

You’ll notice that your left hand has just formed the “L” for Left.

Should children experience difficulty aligning the work appropriately on ruled paper (lines), have them make a dot in every second line down the margin. Draw a picture of a cat – with the head in the top space, the tummy in the second and the tail in the space. The dots resemble bellybuttons and serve as a quick reminder of where to write the letters a, o, c, r, s, u, w, v and z. Letters that extend into the first space are “letters with necks” and letters that extend into the third space, can be referred to as “letters with tails”. Some educators use the image of houses with attics and basements or flowers with roots, stems and petals to create a similar idea.

I usually address reversals by referring to the margin. Numbers such as 2, 3, 5 and 7 create bubbles away from the margin or would “reach out to” the margin.

If the reversals and confusion of spacing continues, a consultation with an occupational therapist will be beneficial. An occupational therapist can also help with

learners who struggle to hold the pencil correctly, are unable to cut on a given line and who may have postural difficulties.

When a learner consistently struggles to discern between similar sounds (e.g. k/t) and/ or struggle to produce age appropriate sounds – despite all efforts at school, conversations with an audiologist and speech therapist can rule out specific speech and hearing concerns.

Should a learner struggle to focus, try using a wiggle cushion (as used by occupational therapists), a yoga ball, tennis balls on opposing chair legs (e.g. front right/left back) or have the learner straddle the chair

“cowboy style” with the stomach against the back of the chair.

support – through a very clear and descriptive report and discussions.

Some children have a combination of aspects that we need to address. If we see a discrepancy between the expected academic results and what the learner is producing, have a conversation with the parents and the learning support teachers. There might be a history of interventions and recommendations on record. An educational psychologist will be able to determine whether the shortfalls are related to emotional difficulties, a fluctuating attention span, academic backlogs, developmental delays, etc. Such a clinician can then suggest other therapies and means of

These referrals are best made in conversation with the head of the department and the school’s support team – as some situations may be slightly difficult to word to parents. However, when we make those referrals, we’ll do so in kindness – to support our learners best.

My Klaskamer by Juffer has been the "go to" blog for Foundation Phase teachers for the past decade.

Juffer also has a store on Teacha! with many resources for Foundation Phase teachers and parents, both in Afrikaans and English.

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Visual Art project: Textured Flower Garden

Visual Art Resources: A3 white cardstock, tempera paint: red, blue, yellow and white, blue food colouring, thick black wax crayon, Bubble wrap, Toilet roll, Coloured card / crepe / tissue paper / serviette

Art Elements • Discussion about colour & value • Creating texture with prints

Art Technique • Painting with tempera paint • Painting a background wash • Print texture

Visual Art project: Textured Flower Garden The following Visual Arts lesson was designed to correlate with any of the following Life Skills topics: • Grade 1: The weather, plants and seeds • Grade 2: What we need to live, seasons and soil • Grade 3: Recycling, product and processes (DBE, 2012:30,42,54).

The Visual Arts lesson was designed for the learner and teachers who have to gain drawing confidence. A limited amount of art supplies have been selected and variation in the project can be considered depending on the age of the learners. The lesson explores an array of the Visual Arts criteria, concepts and vocabulary in an integrated way. In this lesson, learners learn about texture prints, colour mixing and creating a value.

Contrast is achieved by drawing and lining the picture with a black wax crayon. Note that this lesson was designed to be completed over the course of two Visual Arts hours (1 hour per week).

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Learners paint the A3 cardstock with the diluted blue food colouring, this forms the background. By applying this colour-wash, it creates a lighter technique eliminating the density of the tempera paint. It also dries quickly enabling the moving on with the following tempera paint layers, grass & sun.

Demonstrate mixing yellow and blue to create green. Learners paint the grass layer at the bottom of the page.

Bubble wrap prints: Mix a little bit of white with the green, paint the bubble wrap & press over the painted grass overlapping at the grass and sky line.

(Explain a value: namely, tint is created when adding white to a colour).

Wash the green paint off the paintbrush.

Mix a tiny bit of white with the yellow paint, paint a large half circle with yellow for the sun.

(Explain a value: namely tint is created when adding white to a colour). Toilet roll prints: use a toilet roll, press over the sun overlapping around where the sky and sun meet.

Wait for all the painted areas to dry. Use the black wax crayon to draw grass at the bottom of the page. Draw 3 stems with leaves overlapping on the painted green.

Line the sun with squiggly lines.

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Depending on the age of the learners, as well as the available resources, different types of flowers can be created.

For younger learners, let the learners trace circles using the black wax crayons on red card or painted cardstock. Cut and paste the circles on the painted background. Finish the flowers by drawing the flowers center.

For older learners and with availability of the needed materials, more complex flowers can be created.

Use either the tissue, crepe paper or the serviette. Cut squares of 12x12cm and fold each square to form a rectangle. Repeat by folding the folded rectangle in half again.

You will now have a small square with two folded edges and two open edges.

Round the top corner of the open edge. If a serviette was used, remove the white backing. Open and arrange the flowers by pinching the center of the circle together, paste on the painted background.

Thank you to Mari de Kock for sharing one of her KiddieKuns lessons. You can find more of her lessons on Teacha!

Sources: South Africa. Department of Basic Education.

2012. Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS): English Life Skills for Foundation Phase. Pretoria.

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How Can Taking Part in Fine Arts Activities Help Kids?

Schools across the country have been faced with situations in which they have had to cut funding for programs like art, music, and choir. These programs are not considered essential to the education of a child where schools are struggling to help children learn to read and do math on grade level. Despite the need for excellence in language arts, social studies, math, and science, research has shown that fine arts activities can help students excel in school.

Take music, for example. There are many benefits of a musical education as they can help support what students are doing in the traditional classroom to a great extent. According to the National Association of Musical Education, musical education can help children develop the part of the brain that handles language and reasoning. Students learn to memorize, recognize patterns, and fine-tune their work, which are skills that are needed in all subjects.

Music can also help build children’s imaginations and their curiosity about life. An attitude of wanting to learn is essential for anyone to succeed in school. As far as the effects of music education on standardized tests, one study in America found that students who took music appreciation classes scored 44 more points higher on math and 63 on the verbal section of the SAT (The scholastic assessment tests completed in American schools)

It is important to note that there is more than academic benefit to a fine arts education. The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation brief states that “[t]his success in school also transfers to success in life. Children learn self-discipline and attentiveness, as well as develop critical emotional, social, and cognitive tools. A fine arts education allows children to express themselves and learn to connect with others.”

Additionally, the Katy Independent School District in Texas noted that “fine arts also provide learners with non-academic benefits such as promoting selfesteem, motivation aesthetic awareness, cultural exposure, creativity, improved emotional expression, as well as social harmony and appreciation of diversity.”

Children should take part in fine arts activities because they are essential to not just their academic success but also to their success as individuals in life. As a result of a fine arts education, children can become more creative, more socially aware and competent, and develop skills to think creatively and to work hard to attain a goal. Fine arts education is more than just a budget line item to cut. It can be critical to a child’s life success.

Beyond these benefits of music education, perhaps more important is the development in the ability to think outside the box. Innovative workers and creators are necessary in the new economy where there is more freedom of thought and a push to create new solutions to old and emerging problems.

According to a Stanford University study, cited by the Arts and Education Research Brief from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation in June 2016, students who took part in fine arts classes for at least three to four hours a day for three days in a week, were “4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, “among many other similar academic successes.

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The Importance of Gross Motor Movements Kinderkinetics is a scientifically based movement program that works at developing every child to their optimal level. It aims to promote & enhance the neuromotor development of young children (0-14 years) through play based physical activity.

Movement plays a crucial role in the development of young children, as it reflects neurological organisation and provides stimulation to the neurological systems that are essential for development and optimal functioning. It is not only important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, physical activity also plays a imperative role in the development of a child. Exposing a child to movement at a young age is crucial as it ensures that they will progress through all the various developmental milestones.

These milestones include aspects such as midline crossing, directionality, bilateral integration, and coordination. All of these milestones are extremely important for a child’s success, both in an academic and behavioural manner.

Here are two examples of how movement, or a disconnect of

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movement can affect a child’s success: • A child that has a weak core will not be able to sit upright at their desk. This child will most probably struggle to read what is on the board, always be fidgeting to try and stay upright and tend to lean on their arms.

This can cause them to miss out on a lot of information.

•

A child that struggles with bilateral integration (the ability to coordinate both sides of one’s body at the same time in a controlled manner) will struggle to write with their one hand whilst holding the page with their other hand. They are also likely to struggle with cutting skills and any other classroom activities that involve their one hand doing one thing whilst the other hand is busy with something else.

In this day and age, children are being exposed to far less movement than in the past. This is due to both the influence of technology and the shortening of time allocated to physical education in the school curriculum.

Here are some everyday activities that you can incorporate into your child’s daily routine to promote movement and enhance neuromotor development: • Make your child jump like a frog when they go and brush their teeth.

• Let your child push the grocery trolley and help carry the groceries from the car.

• Get your child to help you cook – let them do the stirring and cutting whilst holding onto the bowl and cutting board respectively.

• Wheelbarrow walk your child to bed every night.

• Play clapping games with your child to help improve their hand-eye coordination • Cut out shapes with scissors, allowing your child to hold the paper whilst cutting along the lines The author of this piece, Kim Barnard, runs a Kinderkinetics program in the Helderberg basin.

Kinect Kids has been around since 2012 and has raving reviews with both child and parent alike. For more information on Kinect Kids and the Kinderkinetics program, visit www.kinectkids.co.za

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5 Tips for New Teachers In education, the new year tends to be accentuated by two things: New learners starting school and new teachers venturing into new teaching environments (some fresh from their studies, others transferring from previous employment.). New learners get a lot of attention from teachers, school governing bodies and society at large, but the new teachers are often overlooked and left to their own devices. After four years of studying, young teachers suddenly have their own classroom and are responsible for the young people entrusted unto them. This is very exciting, but it can certainly also evoke anxiety.

Here are 5 tips for helping new teachers to settle into the new school environment:

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Be yourself Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Many novice teachers suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’. This is a feeling characterized by anxiety towards the new position you are placed in and the belief that you are not worthy or competent to have been placed in such a position. This is quite common in teachers, but it rarely receives much focus in staffroom discussions as many fear that their feelings of inadequacy would be confirmed if spoken out loud. A fatal mistake would be to give in to this belief. Rather improve your confidence by capitalizing on your unique strengths.

There is no other teacher like you. You have unique insights, understanding and principles that inform your teaching style and this will certainly bring much value

to the classroom. Don’t try and copy other teachers; be yourself. Authenticity will let you gain respect from the learners as well as from your colleagues.

Find a mentor

that you’ve done all the theory whilst studying, you cannot know everything. Don’t feel uncomfortable or embarrassed if you don’t know something. Every teacher has been there and most will be happy to assist.

Make mistakes Finding someone who you can go to for advice or just sit and reflect with is truly priceless in becoming the You shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes. It’s bound best teacher you can be. Many schools have initiated to happen. When it does, revert back to your training: induction programmes that assign new teachers to reflect and discover the cause of the mistake, and then more experienced mentors. If this is not the case in implement the fix. You have been equipped by your your school, take matters into your own hands and learning institution. Have confidence in your ability and buddy-up with an experienced teacher. This does take on the challenge to turn mistakes into learning not necessarily have to be a teacher who teaches the opportunities. Learning from your mistakes is most same subject (but it does have many advantages in effective when you take the time to reflect on your pairing with a mentor that knows the content that you days’ teaching. teach). You During can reach "After four years of studying, young teachers suddenly have their out to other own classroom and are responsible for the young people entrusted reflection you can look back teachers as unto them. This is very exciting, but it can certainly also evoke on your actions well until anxiety." and decide you find what you need to change in order to improve on and someone who really understands and supports your minimize teaching challenges in future. As a teacher, teaching and professional development journey. The you are a lifelong learner and you should embrace the head of your department is often a great choice as a fact that you won’t know everything. If you are willing mentor as you can share your challenges and learn to invest time into thinking about what needs to be from their experiences. done to refine your practice, you will only improve.

Ask for assistance Stay motivated Despite your enthusiasm, you shouldn’t try to do everything on your own. Teaching is often described as While every new teacher hopes for a smooth and wonderful transition into teaching as a career, it is good being the same as being stuck on an island. Although to be prepared for challenging moments that may your classroom is filled with learners, you are often found to be alone from a supportive perspective which materialize. As with any job, being new to something can be tough and demotivating. Having realistic can certainly hold many challenges. Novice teachers expectations of your new situation is very important. are often overwhelmed by the pressures of managing When the days are long and the challenges are a class on their own. To remedy this feeling of isolation though, stay motivated by reminding yourself why it is imperative that you join a community of practice you became a teacher in the first place. Above all, – a group of teachers who teach the same subjects ensure that you have fun because enjoying what you or grades as you do. Belonging to a community will are doing is a great motivator and also a great way to help you feel supported and they can often help you keep your learners engaged. Grab their attention with out by sharing ideas and resources to lighten your exciting activities and innovative lessons. load. These communities become a refuge as you can ask questions and share ideas to help manage These tips are by far not exhaustive. There is sage the isolation that often comes with teaching. If there advice at your disposal, just go look for it. You have isn’t a community within your own school or district, chosen a noble profession and the journey that lies look toward social media. There are many Facebook ahead may be difficult but also extremely rewarding. groups, Instagram pages and YouTube channels that aim at inspiring, motivating and supporting teachers.

Francois Naude is a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg's Education Faculty .He also has a It’s important to remember that there is nothing YouTube channel called Super Teachers Unite! wrong with asking for assistance. It is your first year of teaching at your new school and despite the fact

Teacha! Magazine | 19

Learning Language Through Play As a mother of a 21-month-old, it has been fascinating to see that from such a young age, my daughter is so eager to learn about the world around her, absorbing every sound she hears and image she sees. Our aim as parents has been to create a space at home where our daughter can learn through play, particularly focussing on language learning through play.

Through teaching I have learnt that creating a love for reading as well as making a child aware of sounds and letters should start at a very young age.

Having had the privilege of working in a variety of schools, the lack of reading and comprehension skills found in the Foundation Phase really concerned me. We don’t necessarily need kids to be star readers, just eager to learn. Kids with all backgrounds and abilities sit in front of us on a day to day basis. As teachers we are expected to teach them all in the same way.

The norm nowadays is to assess their abilities and try meeting them where they are at- be it intervention or enrichment. Time consuming?

No doubt. Worth it? Definitely.

use of. Below are some tips to create a fun interactive way of learning: At home •

•

•

•

•

• My desire as a teacher and as a mother is to encourage you to help equip parents to instil a love for reading and language in their homes. Language development should start at home and our aim as teachers should be to encourage and equip parents with helpful, practical tips that they can make

20 | Teacha! Magazine

•

Read aloud to your child every day, whether your child can or cannot read to themselves.

Make cards with words and pictures of items in different rooms in the house. Paste the picture and word cards in the allocated rooms for your child to see and say.

Using letters (plastic, sand moulds, rubber letters) play “hide-and-seek” with your child.

Have your child find the letters that you have hidden and say them as they find them. They can also say a word starting or ending with that letter.

Form letters in sand, make letters out of clay or paint letters with water outside on the tiles.

Sing with your child using action songs where they must follow you (e.g. the wheels on the bus).

As you drive in the car point things out to your child and ask them what letter the word starts or ends with.

Play your child Audiobooks.

This can imprint a love for stories and story telling.

At School • •

•

•

Have a reading corner Write your own stories with learners in your class as the characters. This really excites and engages the learners and it is a great way of introducing learners to telling, and eventually writing of their own stories.

Read aloud to your class and have your learners in the class read to each other.

Change the reading environment – why not go and read outside with your class?

Remember: Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body!

In order to improve, one has to practice.

Emme Scholtz is a Foundation Phase teacher who, after 5 years, has taken a break from teaching to focus on creating a love for learning for her two year old daughter, Anna. Her store on Teacha! is called Anna & I.

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Teacha! Magazine | 21

The Impact of MotherTongue Audiobooks in a Rural Preschool in Kenya

Editor's note: Whilst attending the 2018 eLearning Africa conference in Kigali, I had the honor of meeting Dr. Angela Buckler. Though her research relates to Kenya, I believe it is something that we, too, can apply to education in South Africa.

An important influence on a child’s early education is the relationship between learning and the use of the child’s mother-tongue (MT) language. These early years are fundamental for intellectual, social, emotional and physical development, laying the foundation for future learning opportunities. As such, using the MT in the early years of a child’s education increases learning outcomes and overall cognitive development.

However, in many schools, specifically in Kenya, there is a mismatch between the education policy that mandates the use of MT language as the language of instruction (LOI) for lower primary grades, and actual implementation that instead has been focused primarily around the national languages, English and Kiswahili.

One way to promote the use of MT in the classroom is through the use of audiobooks. Audiobooks can

22 | Teacha! Magazine

help children begin to make the association between spoken and written words, and aide in developing reading comprehension. Listening to stories develops children’s understanding of story structures, written language conventions, vocabulary, and aspects of their own culture. In addition, the digital technology has the potential to increase children’s emergent literacy skills.

In a recent study I explored the impact the implementation of MT audiobooks could have on a preschool classroom. The study was conducted in the two classrooms of a private preschool* in Loitoktok in Southern Kenya to see what role audiobooks could play in enhancing the use of the MT. MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT The tablets were equipped with audiobooks using Bloom (https://bloomlibrary.org/), a software application from SIL International. The original stories were obtained from African Storybook (https://www. africanstorybook.org/), formatted into EPUB files, recorded into the school’s four languages (Kamba, Kikuyu, Maasai, and Swahili), and transferred to the tablets with the Bloom Reader app (Google Play).

IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURE Before the tablets were in the hands of the pupils, the teachers were trained on proper operation and guidelines. Then, pupils were given access to the tablets daily to listen to stories in their individual MT for 10-15 minutes. During each session, teachers met with individual pupils to discuss a story and to monitor comprehension. I visited the site bi-weekly to observe, talk with each teacher, and troubleshoot any problems.

In between visits, contact was maintained through the school leaders to handle any issues and provide encouragement.

PRIOR LOGISTICS A few logistics that eased the execution of using tablets in a rural preschool were that the school was already equipped with a locked storage room to ensure security, and working solar panels for charging the devices.

EASE OF ACCESS Prior to the study, the children had no previous experience using technology of any kind. However, within the first few weeks of handling the tablets, the pupils were able to easily access the application and navigate the audiobooks on their own.

the problem, allowing pupils to adjust the volume as needed. It also reduced the overall sound in the classroom for the teachers to be able to discuss the stories with individual pupils.

LARGE CLASS SIZE The large class sizes presented the issue of not having enough tablets for each pupil to have their own. This was coupled with the challenge of some of the tablets not being fully charged each day because the solar panels were not receiving enough sunlight during the winter season. The inclusion of headphone splitters countered this issue, allowing pupils to share the tablets and listen together.

The results of this study highlight some important features of audiobook learning and its impact, particularly in the local languages of Kenya. The technology provided a resource for the teachers to see the benefits of using mother-tongue as a language of instruction, as well using the stories for teaching emergent literacy and language development skills.

Overall, the research suggests the implementation of tablets in a rural preschool in Kenya, and potentially elsewhere, is possible with minimal challenges and positive benefits.

Dr. Angela Buckler, Language and Education Consultant, SIL International

NOISE LEVEL When the tablets were first being used, the noise level in the classroom was too high for the pupils to hear the stories. The inclusion of headphones resolved

*The preschool in the study is under the direction of Operation Blessing International (https://www.ob.org/)

Teacha! Magazine | 23

Our Intro to Project Based Learning Finland, a leading country in Education, has virtually done away with traditional subjects in favour of a more integrated PBL approach. It feels like everywhere you look these days, there are articles about project-based learning (PBL). But what exactly is PBL and why all the fuss?

According to the Buck Institute for Education, “Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.”

This method sounded ideal to our team of Grade 5 teachers who were looking for something to do with our learners at the end of the 4th term. We needed something that would keep our students actively and meaningfully engaged and would motivate them to come to school so that we wouldn’t lose valuable teaching time.

What the project entailed For our first adventure into PBL, we decided to go for a structured approach. Our learners were not used to extended independent work, so we wanted to provide a bit more guidance, whilst still giving freedom of choice.

We did some research and found a storybook called “If I Built a House” by Chris Van Dusen. In the book, a little boy starts fantasizing about what his dream house would look like, but instead of all the boring rooms that we are used to, he envisioned exciting rooms. Rooms like an antigravity room (perfect for flying), or a race-track room that was equipped with a full-size racetrack and silent race cars!

With the book as a starting point, the project was created in two sections in the form of a multi-

24 | Teacha! Magazine

disciplinary booklet that included tasks from most of the Grade 5 class-based subjects.

The aim of the first section of the project was to get learners enthusiastic and dreaming of possibilities. To kick things off, we watched a YouTube reading of the book, “If I Built a House”.

Learners then responded to questions based on what they saw and heard – such as what types of rooms were included in the house and what special gadgets there were. We wanted our learners to start flexing their imaginations.

The remainder of the first section focused on getting a broad overview of what their own dream house would look, feel, smell and sound like. The activities included: • Brainstorming their fantasy home: What rooms, gadgets and equipment would they include?

• Drawing a rough floorplan of their home on grid paper.

• Using a 5-senses mind map to imagine what it would be like to walk through their home.

• Writing a descriptive essay on what it would be like to walk through their home.This was then shared with the class via Google Docs and members of the class were invited to leave comments and give feedback to the author.

Once the basic planning had been completed, we began Section 2. The goal of this section was to select one room on which to focus all design efforts, and eventually build a model of that room to scale.

Learners began by completing a mood board for their room using Google Slides. They considered all the design aspects of the room - what the colour scheme would be, what the furniture and gadgets would look like and what special

The start of a restaurant with a built-in fish tank in the ceiling. features the room would have. Learners then drew scale drawings of their room design and collected recycled materials with which to build. Finally, building day arrived and the class got stuck into building scale models of their fantasy rooms. At this point, we allowed learners to choose whether they wanted to work alone or collaborate with a peer.

Reflection A key component of PBL is reflection. Once we had completed our projects, learners were given an opportunity to reflect on their process and how well they thought they did. They spoke about whether they were proud of the work that they had completed, what aspects had been particularly challenging and what they would do to refine and improve their approach in future.

In the same way, I feel that it important that we, as teachers, reflect on the effectiveness of our teaching.

For us, this project was successful in many ways. The most important for me, was how engaged the learners were. We got incredible, unique and elaborate ideas for an underground dungeon gaming room, an underwater restaurant, a waterslide bedroom and more. The learners were invested in doing this well and for that reason, the quality of work was much better than what I am used to. Some learners even sourced special paint colours and fabric samples for

the big build!

Having said that, there are a few changes that I would make when we do this again.

The biggest change would be to rather give learners a real-world problem to tackle, or better yet, allow my learners to identify their own problem. This would go a long way to giving the project even more meaning and relevance as it would allow learners to critically assess, reflect upon and meaningfully tackle a problem that they have identified.

A further change that I would make is to reduce the amount of structure provided by the teacher. While I feel that this was a good introduction for our learners with a lot of scaffolding provided by teachers, I would really like the next PBL experience to have a bit more freedom. In that way, learners will take even more ownership of the project and the end result.

This, for me, is what is so great about teaching. You can have a great lesson series with engaged learners and meaningful work and there will always be something that you can learn from and improve on as the teacher. In this way, our craft is ever-evolving, meaning that there is never a dull moment or opportunity to become bored.

Jenna Swano, Disa Primary School, Imizamo Yethu.

Teacha! Magazine | 25

VIA AFRIKA DIGITAL EDUCATION ACADEMY

Ensuring ROI on your Professional Development Investment

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As a teacher investing time, money and effort into Professional Development, it is important that you get value out of it.

Consider the following when you choose your next digital education training. A business looks for a monetary return on investment, but for teachers, the return on investment must come from the benefits received from the training.

Consider this formula: Benefit =

Quality Time X Costs

The training must benefit the teacher in the following ways. Personally, the teacher must enjoy growth at intellectual and emotional levels to allow them to feel great about themselves and their jobs. Professionally, the teacher must benefit with easier teaching, improved outcomes and the status that comes with this success.

When the teacher receives high quality professional development, others benefit too. The learners receive benefits like better career prospects and increased lifetime earnings because of their improved outcomes. And the whole education system then improves too.

How can these benefits be achieved?

Research shows that quality Professional Development has the following characteristics:

• a focus on content • active teacher participation • alignment with teachers’ teaching goals • opportunities for higher order thinking and collaboration including the chance to reflect on the learning • adequate training time.

Training is one thing but taking the learning back to the classroom is another. Research shows that there are several factors that come into play when it comes to teachers using the learning in the classroom. These must be considered in the design of the training to ensure its quality: • teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about, and philosophical alignment with, the PD • teacher perceptions of, and actual support from school leadership • teacher mindset – a change mindset is critical • teacher life stage. A teacher nearing retirement is going to have different personal goals to a young one raring to rise up the ranks.

Quality has to be weighed against two critical issues – time and cost.

Time taken to do the training comes from class time (which is counterintuitive to improving educational outcomes) or from life (the time the teacher has to do marking, prep, and day-to-day living).

Research shows that adequate training time for positive impact on the educational outcomes of learners is at least 5 hours in length, and ideally 49 hours in length. Costs include the actual financial costs as well as the effort required to do the training. Resources to do the training, and to use the training back in class must be factored in.

At Via Afrika we have been working hard at making sure that we are able to offer teachers the benefits of training by examining how we can get the quality, time and cost equation right.

The Via Afrika Digital Education Academy offers training for implementing digital education from developing a change mindset, through getting going with a device all the way to advanced digital education implementation. There is over 72 hours of digital education training, which the teacher can do in bite-sized pieces when she has a moment. The online system allows her to do a few minutes at a time and is supported with notes to keep her on track.

Experience the benefits of Via Afrika’s online training today. Go to viaafrika. com/academy and register. Your first TWO sessions are on us – just use the coupon codes FIRSTFREE and VADEA1801 when checking out, and the sessions will be free!

Have teachers found benefit in this Professional Development?

(Results of a pilot of the VADEA Online platform, 2018) When asked whether teachers felt that because of this training, their knowledge of how technology can be used in the classroom to improve learning and teaching has increased, more than 55% indicated that their knowledge increased a lot. More than 29% of teachers said it increased a great deal. More than 70% of teachers agree with the statement that in doing this training, they think their learners will demonstrate improved learning outcomes, while more than 11% strongly agree with the statement.

In partnership with the Department of Basic Education.

26 | Teacha! Magazine

72 online two-hour Windows or Android tablet training sessions @ R125 each (VATincl.).

Visit our website www.viaafrika.com/academy or call Maria de Witt 021 4063005.

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Plan Your Way Through 2019 And Earn Your CPTD Points Being a good teacher means continuously improving your capabilities so that you are provide the highest quality of education to your learners. To do this, you need to invest in developing and deepening your knowledge and core skills as part of Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD).

Whether you’re a recent graduate or have been teaching for decades, taking part is mandatory. Here’s to earn points and fit the process into your busy 2019 schedule.

Where to start and what to focus on?

We are all tempted to focus training on areas of our expertise. However, it’s important to develop new skills to keep building our careers. Aim to specialise in an area that will improve your teaching practice. If you’re not sure where your focus lies, try a self-assessment tool.

Earning CPTD Points Once you’ve established a target area, you can generate points with the following activities: Type 1 - Teacher initiated activities Type 2 - School initiated activities Type 3 - Externally initiated activities (SACE endorsed activities) Type 1 Type 1 activities focus on educational materials. You earn points by reading articles, magazines and blogs, watching

28 | Teacha! Magazine

educational videos, and attending educational conferences and workshops. If your workshop isn’t accredited as Type 3, you can still earn a point for attending. PLUS, you can get 12 points for signing up for a professional learning community outside of school.

Type 2 School initiated activities range from attending and participating in staff and cluster meetings, to participate in extra-curricular activities and workshops. It also involves running staff workshops and getting involved in community projects. You earn 10 points for attending meetings longer than 1 hour and 40 points for attending and participating in school-based workshops.

Type 3 Type 3 activities cost money, must be SACE approved and must include providers from universities, non-profits, unions and other private and public sectors. Activities include CAP training, ACE courses and other courses listed in the SACE database of PD activities.

Plan your points With a little planning and foresight, you can achieve your points goals and more. Here are some practical steps you can take: 1. Create a calendar – Now that schools are closing, and you have more time on your hands, it’s the perfect time to sit down

and create calendar a based on your daily activities, spreading them across several days to create a CPTD library. For example, you could complete specific Type 1 activities at certain times – having your morning coffee while reading magazines or catching up on the latest blogs after dinner.

2. Involve others – It’s easier to stick to goals when you’re being accountable to other people. Why not involve other educators in working towards hosting, participating in and attending relevant workshops?

This can lighten the load and give you company during Type 2 activities.

3. Think budgets – As Type 3 activities usually cost money, they will need to fit into someone’s budget and be SACE approved. Start researching potential training opportunities in advance so that you can submit a proposal if necessary and ensure you don’t miss out due to timing or pricing.

It might seem like a lot of work to invest in, but it’s the kind that will make your 2019 (and beyond) SACE points so easy to achieve that others will be asking you how you did it!

Good luck everyone!

This article was originally published on SACE Points Guide.

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For SACE CPTD advice, activities and more, visit www.sacepointsguide.co.za

Teacha! Magazine | 29

Teacher to Teacher: Byron Abrahams We interviewed Byron Abrahams, Head of Department at Golden Grove Primary School in Cape Town.

Please give us some background information about you and your experience as a teacher in South Africa.

I have taught at a variety of schools since 2012 and am now at Golden Grove Primary in Cape Town, where I am the HoD. The schools I have worked in have been vastly different and have had a variety of learners and challenges respectively. I have taught very privileged children who have had everything at their beck and call, and then on the other side of the

30 | Teacha! Magazine

scale, I have taught children who if it rained could not get to their taxi to come to school. I have had to deal with gang violence and with that, children who really struggled with schooling as a result. I am, however, very glad to have worked in all these different environments as it has given me a much bigger and broader perspective of schools and children. I am much wiser and more aware as a result. It’s also very strange to see how small the difference between the actual teaching is very high and very low

performing schools. It’s very much breaks down to the contextual and socioeconomic differences more than the actual school and teachers.

Why did you become a teacher?

I became a teacher not by first choice. I originally studied computer sciences, then changed to Medical Bio science, then to Biotechnology and finally ended up studying psychology. My then girlfriend (now my wife), and I both decided to move to

teaching together and I just found that I excelled in this area. Being someone who had a shopping list of learning disabilities when I was at school, and being told by a teacher that I could not take my Ritalin as it was giving me an unfair advantage over the other learners, I struggled though schooling.

Studying to become a teacher opened my eyes to why I struggled and I was finally able to know how I, myself, learn. This gave me a much broader view on differentiation in how everyone else learns and this has allowed me to be more effective at teaching all my learners and not just appealing to a few. Finally being able to learn myself, I have also begun to excel in my studies. For someone who barely scraped though my schooling, I now have two honours degrees and a Masters. I am also planning to do my PhD this year. By learning how to learn, I now enjoy teaching others how to learn too. I can actually say that I have fun every day at work - with my class at least.

If you were the Minister of Education in South Africa, what changes would you make?

In my short time as a teacher, I have learnt not to talk about doing a job, without actually sitting in the seat. It’s easy to blame a principal for not doing things correctly, but if you actually become one you will really see how difficult their job is. I was privileged to have had very supportive principals and HoDs who have let me see what their jobs entail. This had given me a lot of insight into what my superiors have had to deal with and prepared me for my job as an HoD. What I can say is that I would like to see our minister win the labour force back. Right now, teachers are demotivated. A demotivated person does not apply themselves to the fullest. All our best up and coming teachers are going abroad for this reason or leaving WCED for private schools. I can’t say what needs to be done, but the negativity around being a teacher in SA needs to be addressed.

What do you love most about teaching?

There are two things I love most about my job. Most importantly, I love that I can act like a child for most of the day. I enjoy just being childish with my class, having fun, linking what we are learning to Marvel and DC movies, as well as what’s happening on Cartoon Network (I love cartoons) and just enjoying every day. I also love learning. I love to learn new things and improve at everything that I can. This makes me passionate about learning in general. This is why I don’t only teach my class, I also make opportunities to be part of teacher training by presenting at conferences and publishing in journals, and I play as many leading roles in educational bodies as possible (I am currently the AMESA chairman for WP and am a Green Shoots Lead teacher). I don’t think I will ever stop learning, I have been studying consistently since 2006 and don’t see myself stopping soon. This is why I love being in education.

What advice do you have for teachers teaching where there are a lack of resources?

There is never a lack of resources. Teachers need to know that you are the primary resource. Having worked at a school where the fees were R42 000 pa and then a school where the fees were 800pa, where in both classes I had a blue DBE book, chalk and a black board, I learnt that additional resources are secondary. You as a teacher need to empower yourself to be able to create teaching moments and not wait for them to arrive. Everyone is good at something but not everyone is great at everything.

Find your strengths, grow them, and be the greatest resources in this area. All other things can and will come later. But in the same breath, you need to make the opportunities to expose your kids to more than just their circumstances. So raise funds, irritate companies and do what you must to make it happen.

Teacha! Magazine | 31

South Africa’s children aren’t getting the mental health care they need Mental health clinics exist in South Africa’s public health sector, but children with ADHD often never reach them Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has received increased scientific, clinical and public attention over the past few decades. It’s the most common psychiatric disorder in children – affecting 2% to 16% of the school going population.

But in South Africa data on prevalence rates, access to care, and treatment for ADHD is limited.

Despite the known efficacy of treatment, access to health care and treatment remains limited for many children in the country. This is a problem as untreated ADHD results in substantial costs and has a negative impact both on educational attainment and quality of life.

We have recently completed a study that looked at the mental health barriers South African school children face. Our research focused on the work of a not for profit organisation, set up in 2017 to provide mental health screening services for school children and with a particular focus on ADHD. Our research found a prevalence rate of 2.5% among the more than 500 children we screened at 13 schools. However, most of the children referred to us were in their foundation phase of

32 | Teacha! Magazine

schooling – that’s, aged between about 5 and 14. It’s possible that many of the children in the higher grades may also be struggling with ADHD and other mental health disorders but were not referred.

More significantly, our research shows that there are very low levels of awareness among teachers who had very stereotypical views of how ADHD presents itself. There was a lot of stigma attached to the condition.

It was also clear from our research that various government departments which should be working collaboratively – such as education, health and social development – are working in silos, each with separate processes and procedures. This hinders the provision of services for children.

requires that children first be assessed and assisted by school based support teams before they are referred for treatment.

These teams are responsible for, among other things, identifying children’s needs. In collaboration with teachers, they should assess individual pupils and provide support where necessary.

However, 61% of the children were directly referred to the not for profit organisation by teachers.

That’s because the school support teams were not functional in most of the schools which we visited.

The NGO visited 18 schools and 13 participated in the screening.

The schools are located in the Metro North Educational District in Cape Town and are all in underprivileged areas where no school fees are being charged.

Findings

Falling through the cracks Although there are mental health clinics in the public sector, children with ADHD and other mental health disorders often never reach this point of diagnosis and treatment due to poor service delivery.

And on the schooling front, the Department of Basic Education

Just more than 500 children between the ages of five and 14 years were screened. They were referred to the NGO for screening by teachers due to learning difficulties (86%), behavioural problems (41%) and emotional difficulties such as anxiety or depression (33%).

More than 50% of the children referred to the NGO presented with ADHD, or symptoms that suggested they may have the disorder. In the total group of screened children 4% had been previously diagnosed with ADHD. We have referred 67% of the children for further evaluations to confirm diagnoses or to exclude other conditions which can “mimic” or accompany ADHD, while 10% of the children were referred back to the support teams without any intervention other than recommending school support and parental guidance.

The prevalence rate of 2.5% is lower than the international prevalence rates of 5% to 16%. This may reflect a number of factors, including a lack of awareness of the disorder, misconceptions about

the disorder in the community and stigma.

Other factors that could have affected our findings were that teachers opted not to refer any children – possibly because of their workload. There was also a tendency to refer children who met the “classical” picture the public has of ADHD: a naughty, hyperactive boy. This would have led to silent daydreamers – usually girls – not being identified.

Gaps in the system Mental health clinics do exist in South Africa’s public health sector, but children with ADHD often never reach this point of diagnosis and treatment. Although medication plays and important role in the treatment in some of these children, behavioural

interventions as well as educational and emotional support are also crucial.

The results from our study highlight the need to raise awareness and reduce stigma. Collaboration between government departments are crucial to reduce, and remove, mental health barriers to education.

Early diagnosis and intervention is essential to prevent long term consequences.

Renata Schoeman, Associate professor, Stellenbosch University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.: https:// theconversation.com/southafricas-children-arent-gettingthe-mental-health-care-theyneed-106379

Teacha! Magazine | 33

Foundation teachers are more than simply childminders.

Here’s why Teaching young children is complex

foundation phase teachers are not

and challenging and requires

taken seriously.

laying solid foundations for literacy,

comments were enlightening.

Most told us that family and friends

mathematics and language learning.

Some of our own experiences in

were often surprised that they were

It needs dedicated, well-educated

running a “teaching school” at the

thinking about foundation phase

teachers, along with mechanisms and

University of Johannesburg’s Soweto

teaching as a career. This was

resources to support them.

campus suggest that it’s possible to

particularly true if they were perceived

turn these misconceptions around

as “bright students”. Teaching in

The foundation phase in South Africa,

and boost foundation phase teachers’

general is not seen as an ideal career

where we conduct some of our

status. In some high performing

choice. But foundation phase teaching

research and educate future teachers,

education systems, such as Finland’s,

in particular seems to be very poorly

includes Grades R (reception year)

being a primary school teacher is

regarded.

through to Grade 3 – six to nine year

a highly esteemed career choice.

olds.

It enjoys equal status with law and

Those who express interest in pursuing

medicine.

foundation phase teaching are often

South Africa has a problem: the status

bombarded with negative messages.

of foundation phase teachers is very

Poorly regarded

low. Many believe that these teachers

We conducted research with 238

are basically childminders. This implies

student teachers in two cohorts, at

The general public looks down on

that anyone can do it and that one

the beginning of each academic year

foundation phase teachers. They think

doesn’t need intellect or cognitively

in 2010 and 2011. The students were

that it’s a low class profession. They

demanding university-level education

asked why they chose to become

don’t even believe you if you say you

to become a foundation phase teacher.

foundation phase teachers. We also

have to study for four years to become a

What is especially worrying is that even

asked what they thought of foundation

foundation phase teacher.

some student teachers believe this to

phase teachers when they were in

be true. Research we’ve conducted

high school and what their family

Some students said they held similar

among our students shows that

and friends said about them. Their

views when they were at school:

34 | Teacha! Magazine

For instance, one student told us that

I thought a foundation phase teacher

in the school located on the Soweto

accompanying messages about the

was a low class teacher and they

campus – a “teaching school”.

importance of this phase of schooling

are not well educated teachers. They

as the basis for future educational

teach young kids simple education and

This allows an integration of

therefore they don’t have to study hard

coursework with practice periods

and get high quality education.

at the school. It’s a model of

Robust foundation phase teacher

teacher education that’s been used

education programmes in which

This is completely contrary to the way

successfully in Finland since 1972.

student teachers learn to become

in which primary school teachers are

Though our model drew from the

both producers and consumers of

viewed in the world’s high performing

Finnish example, it’s been adapted to

educational knowledge, particularly

education systems. Finnish educational

South Africa’s particular context.

of child development, are needed.

expert Pasi Sahlberg has written:

success.

And more dedicated funding in the Research findings from a collaborative

form of prestigious bursaries for this

Among young Finns, teaching is

University of Johannesburg and

phase of schooling is required. This

consistently the most admired profession

University of Helsinki project show that

would attract more young people,

in regular opinion polls of high school

students integrate effectively what

especially those who are talented and

graduates. Becoming a primary school

they learn in university coursework

academically strong, into this field of

teacher in Finland is a very competitive

with what they learn at the school,

study.

process, and only Finland’s best

preparing them well for the world of

and brightest are able to fulfil those

the classroom.

professional dreams.

At the teaching school students also Finnish teacher education is excellent

have continuous exposure to expert

and our faculty has learned from

teachers, and have models of powerful

it, adapting some elements to the

teaching to emulate. Many of the

South African context. We and our

teachers at the school, who serve as

colleagues have worked hard to raise

mentors for our student teachers, go

the status of foundation phase teachers

on to pursue post graduate studies.

through advocacy, research and the

This also helps shift student teachers’

teacher education programme on the

views of primary school teaching as a

university’s Soweto campus.

soft option and a lowly career choice.

Theory and practical experience

This all suggests that a great deal can

matter

be done to shift people’s perceptions

The programme we’re involved in

of foundation phase teaching. Excellent

comprises of cognitively demanding

teacher education is crucial, but there

coursework, with a strong focus on

are other avenues that should be

child development studies. All student

explored.

Sarah Gravett, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg Nadine Petersen, Professor: Teacher education for the primary school, University of Johannesburg This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.: https:// theconversation.com/foundationteachers-are-more-than-simplychildminders-heres-why-71943

teachers are also required to do language, literacy and mathematics

Champions are required

courses for three years. During their

Strong advocacy is required from

degree programme they are placed

various segments of society. Also,

in a variety of schools for practice

excellent teaching practices in

teaching. But a large proportion of

the foundation phase need to be

their practical experience is completed

highlighted in national forums with

Teacha! Magazine | 35

[Cover page – can we have a squiggle frame around it like the activity pages] The publication will design a cover page

Welcome to

workbooks are filled with colourful activities, designed to develop children’s Language and Maths skills in a fun way. The series is aligned with the current South African curriculum to ensure activities reinforce what children learn in the classroom.

At the back of each Workbook you’ll find notes on the activities as well as the answers. This will help teachers and parents to understand what skill or concept is being practised on each page.

It is also written within the border of each activity. workbook range.

This supplement provides downloadable worksheets from the You can print these worksheets and let your learners complete them to help them practise key skills they will learn in Term 1. characters that will help your You will also meet the loveable and entertaining children have fun while learning and practising their Language and Maths skills.

Meet the Grade 1 to 3 characters

Emma & Stinky

Mandla

Jaco Jody & Honey

Lebo

Ravi

Meet the Grade 4 to 7 characters

Kurt and Stinky

Nilah and Honey Rashied and Einstein

Lindiwe

cat or Einstein, In the border at the bottom of each activity you’ll find Honey, our our rat, with three different expressions on their faces. Encourage your learners to colour in the face that best describes how they feel about the activity they have completed.

This will help you identify what kind of tasks your learners are most comfortable with and where they need more practice. was designed by experienced South African teachers who believe that children should build their skills while developing a real love for learning. So remember to make learning a fun and positive experience!

Log on to www.smart-kids.co.za for extra activities, downloadable resources, advice and much more.

Skill: reading and writing own name

Smart-Kids English Home Language Workbook Grade 1, page 3

Vaardigheid: klankleer en spelling

Slimkoppe Afrikaans Werkboek Graad 2, bladsy 20

Skill: sharing – division with remainders

Smart-Kids Mathematics Workbook Grade 3, page 15

Smart-Kids English Home Language Workbook Grade 4, page 32

Slimkoppe Afrikaans Werkboek Graad 5, bladsy 18

Smart-Kids Mathematics Workbook Grade 6, page 10

Smart-Kids Mathematics Workbook Grade 6, page 14

CAPS

English, Afrikaans and Mathematics workbooks

English, Afrikaans and Mathematics workbooks

Grades R to 3

Grades 4 to 7

Skills books for grades 1 to 6

Practice tests for grades 1 to 6

Skills

Practice Tests

To view the complete range of Smart-Kids products, including our Preschool series, Practice Test Books and Smart-Kids Read visit www.smart-kids.co.za or find us on SmartKidsSA Pearson Customer Services Tel: 021 532 6008 Email: pearsonza.enquiries@pearson.com