Words of Wisdom before they Go

Mrs Olivier and Mr van Niekerk’s chapters at Worcester Gymnasium are drawing to a close. Through the years of teaching, they’ve had many experiences, so the Circum thought it best to see if some of these life lessons could be shared...

MOST IMPORTANT TIP FOR CHOOSING A CAREER?

Mr van Niekerk: Be careful of making a hobby into your career. It’s dangerous. What happens very quickly, which I learned the hard way, is that once your hobby becomes your job, you stop enjoying it as much. Look at the kind of person you are, try and figure out what’s going to make you happy – working with people, working with numbers, etc. don’t look at the potential paycheck, because if you work hard, and well, you’ll get paid well enough and you’ll be happier – simple as that.

Mrs Olivier: It must be something you’re passionate about and something that you know will not only suit your ability but also your heart. I think too many people decide a career based on the financial gains and you must not want to work every day just because you want the salary. You need to find something that you’re excited to get up in the morning for and where you can make a difference.

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?

Mr van Niekerk: My son! But honestly speaking, it’s seeing learners I’ve taught going on and doing very well in their

lives. I think my greatest achievement so far is that I have an incredibly happy family life and that, to me, is the most important thing.

BIGGEST REGRET?

Mrs Olivier: I think it would be not spending enough time with my children and allowing my school life to dominate my life to such a point that I sometimes feel that I neglected them. They don’t feel that, they tell me, “Mom, you were around. You were there for us,“ but if I could have my life over, I would maybe have said no more to what the school expected of me, which I did over and beyond what lots of other people do. I just feel I missed out on spending more time with my kids.

ONE SENTENCE YOU WISH YOU COULD SAY TO YOUR PAST SELF?

Mr van Niekerk: Just try a little bit harder. I wish I could go back to my high school or university self and just say try a little harder.

Mrs Olivier: Breathe. Stay calm and breathe because God is in control. Especially this year, I’ve learned to just give over things I can’t control. I feel if you have a relationship with God, you’re never alone, no matter what you face. I think I want to have everything under control, I want everything to be organised, but He’s taught me to breathe.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO MISS MOST ABOUT TEACHING AT WG?

Mr van Niekerk: The kids. The fact that you get to work with amazing children and you get to create amazing opportunities for them and see them grow – definitely miss that the most.

WHICH STAFF MEMBER HAVE YOU DRAWN A LOT OF INSPIRATION FROM?

Mr van Niekerk: One of the teachers I admire the most, is definitely Mrs Malan. She just has such a good heart and such a gentle approach to life, which is a wonderful thing to have and see. I don’t think she has a mean bone in her body. I try to be more like this, but I mean, come on, when a person’s acting like an idiot, I get annoyed and she’s just not like that at all. I really admire that quality in her, it’s something I aspire to - to have that kind of unwavering kindness and compassion for anyone and anything.

FAVOURITE STAFF MEMBER?

Mrs Oliver: My husband! (Giggles) I’ve built a lot of good relationships with older and younger staff members, so I wouldn’t want to single out a favourite, but Mrs L. van Wyk has really inspired me. I wish I could be as organised as her!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT WG AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE OR IMPROVEMENT THAT YOU’VE SEEN?

Mrs Olivier: It’s my 30 th year. I think one of the biggest changes has been the staff here. When I started, there was a huge gap in younger staff members and that was a problem. Now, the school has brought in a really great group of young, dynamic, diverse staff members.

FAVOURITE WORD AND WHY?

Mrs Olivier: I use amazing quite often in class. I like “amazing”. I just think there are so many moments that are amazing, you need to look for them. I also love enthusiasm and motivation because I think if that’s part of your lifestyle, you’re never going to get bored because any little thing that happens, you can get excited about – I love that!

Our school has definitely lost two gems - we’ll miss them greatly! However, we celebrate with them that a new chapter is beginning and we wish them all the best for the future!

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STEP AWAY FROM TEACHING?

Mr van Niekerk: I firmly believe in the potential of e-learning, but I also believe that a lot of the right decisions involving e-learning aren’t being made. I think the management in e-learning at the moment misunderstands the purpose of e-learning. That misconception is resulting in the failure of e-learning. I’d like to be in the position [E-Learning Advisor for the District] where I can start influencing those decisions and start guiding the process so that we can start delivering effective e-learning because I’ve seen the undeniable potential. I’d like to get involved so that we can do it right. I think it can make an impact on a bigger group than the one I’m helping at the moment. I’m definitely going to miss the face-to-face teaching experience though.

Mrs Olivier: I didn’t ever think I’d apply for a job like this [Subject Advisor for Life Sciences], because I’m extremely happy in teaching, but in the last ten years, I’ve had opportunities to develop not only as an educator but also in presenting workshops for teachers and that’s where I realised that I really enjoy teaching teachers and adults, then this opportunity arose. What it entails is being there to support educators. My hope is to motivate educators to learn and be the best they can be to the benefit of the learners. I like to see that as the main reason I’m shifting over.

By Emily Voigt