Every great teacher can tell of a time when something occurred that fundamentally altered the direction of his/her teaching career. A similar experience took place for Lerato Moshoeshoe, a SANTS graduate and currently a Grade R teacher, who was approached by another colleague suggesting she submit an entry into the National Teaching Awards (NTAs) under the grade category of excellence in teaching grade r. This nudge from a colleague resulted in one of Lerato’s greatest moments of pride throughout her professional teaching career.
Lerato jumped at the opportunity. In the process of competing against seven other teachers at the district level to advance through to the next round of the NTA’s she demonstrated not only her classroom practices, but also her knowledge of and commitment to teaching young children in addition to her extensive background and expertise in preparing and presenting quality educational experiences. Lerato emerged victorious at the district level; however, she lost at the provincial level. Although Lerato was unsuccessful in winning provincially she refers to the process of participating in such a prestigious competition as being both transforming and empowering. Participating in this highly competitive process provided Lerato with increased confidence in her abilities as a teacher; enhanced her ability to present herself professionally; and further solidified her understanding of the importance of providing quality education in grade r as a foundational component in the educational development of each child.
When reflecting upon what contributed to her success as a competitor in the NTA’s Lerato pointed to her education background at SANTS:
“The education background I obtained while at SANTS allowed me to utilize many different teaching strategies and techniques along with enhance my presentation skills. Without obtaining this background and these skills I would never have been able to become the Grade R Teacher I am today.” — Lerato Moshoeshoe
The story told by Lerato is an excellent representation of what can be accomplished by practice based teacher education. At SANTS we use a work integrated learning model which provides student teachers with the opportunity to develop and hone their practical skills and build confidence as professionals through working in real classrooms from the earliest stages of their education. It is this type of training that allows students to grow confident enough to stand in front of a group of five year olds, or to stand confidently in front of a panel of national judges when competing in competitions such as the NTAs.
