Ainsley has learned so much by teaching

writing about my time interning at Thandokhulu. I find that my days and weeks vary a lot so it can be hard to find a theme or point I want to make about the school but as my time there is coming to a close I find that I’ve had a lot to say this whole time. At Thandokhulu, and teaching in general I’m finding, it can be very sink or swim. Most days I go in without a real idea of what my day will look like. There are constant shifts in my schedule as teachers ask me to substitute or stay in the office to grade. And like most jobs I have bad days when I don’t feel the teachers need me or my students respect me but I also have good days. But I didn’t want this blog post to be about the bad days. I wanted to show how much trust I feel from the teachers when they send me to take over their grade 12 classes. Or how amazing is feels when my class does well on their exams.

 

Ainsley with two of the learners from Thandokhulu High School

I don’t know what type of school I will work in one day or even if I will choose to stay with teaching but my learners at Thandokhulu have welcomed me and accepted me more than I could have ever expected. They are constantly showing me how hard they are willing to work to achieve their goals; mainly by working against the system that makes it easier for them to fail. I am so in awe and honored to have been able to work with these learners and see what they are capable of because it’s so clear how much they can really do when given the opportunity. Thandokhulu as a school works just as hard to provide an education to students who are so willing to work for it. The teachers and staff are so committed to these learners and have to take on roles like parents or social workers along with already being teachers.

I have learned so much about teaching and my own teaching style as a part of Thandokhulu. I have learned to be fair and remember where my learners come from. I’ve learned to never over look a class based on their reputation because they will surprise you. But more than any of that I’ve learned about Thandokhulu and it’s perseverance, it’s respect and it’s refusal to accept anything mediocre. So thank you Thandokhulu, you have all my love.