July 31st was a very special day for Montevideo
Primary School and indeed a very special day for me as well! The faculty and
learners celebrated the retirement of 25 year support staff member, Mr.
Paulsen!
I arrived with my fellow companions where we waited in the
lobby once again for the school day to begin. As the teachers were conversing
in the teacher’s lounge for the day’s events, we were able to utilize the free
Wi-Fi before the school day kick started. As you can imagine, the struggle is
truly real with connecting to the rest of the world. The alarm then sounded for
the beginning of class and one of the best days at Montevideo thus far!
7C was going to be the class that I got to spend time with. I
slightly was not pleased to hear this considering the cautious warnings I was
given by the seventh grade teachers about their chaotic behavior. Regardless, I
went in with a strong mind ready to take control if necessary. First period
began with Mr. Edross. I highly enjoy observing Mr. Edross and his teaching
methods because he has a vast array of knowledge about his learners. He began
class in the same manner that he always did; he selects a few learners, gives a
brief explanation of their personal life outside of school, and proceeds to inform
the class of his/her academic abilities. Mr. Edross believes heavily in
visiting his learners at home when their behavior and academic performance
begins lacking. Thus, he knows so much about the learners and knows how to deal
with them on an individual basis. For me, it was most difficult to hear the
personal stories of each learner and the environment that they grow up in. It
was then that I realized that even though my parents were divorced and each
struggled financially, I was still better off than the majority of the learners
in that classroom. Although this method of teaching sounds cruel, he manages to
put fear in their eyes while maintaining a sense of humor that the class
enjoys. I plan to use his method of visiting the learners in their own homes
when I eventually become a teacher. I find it very valuable to understand
students on a level other than their academics. Overall, the learners remain
well-disciplined when in class with Mr. Edross.
Next stop was math with Ms. Wilcocks. Personally, I find her
to be a very strong teacher. She has been at Montevideo for nearly 25 years and
still continues to push onward. I had asked her when she was interested in
retiring. Her answer really touched me. She responded by saying that the day
that her 26-year old daughter can stand up on her own two feet will be the day
that she considers retiring. It was powerful to hear how much she dedicates
herself to her family. Ms. Wilcocks also teaches EMS (Economic and Management
Sciences) and Life Orientation. She is also the Athletics Master which earns
her a lot of respect from the learners. As a role model teacher, I asked her if
I could take a few photographs and videos of her class lecture. It was very intriguing
to get footage of her lesson. However, it was even more interesting to see how
the learners reacted when I took out my camera. They stared at me with
amazement in their eyes. I could tell that they never had someone taking
pictures of them before. In the midst of my documentation, it time to gather
the school for an assembly. It was an assembly dedicated to Mr. Paulsen.
We walked down the stairs to the full courtyard. I walked
around the wall and looked out into this vast crowd of learners in their school
uniforms. 992 learners to be exact. They were all sitting on the ground,
shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the festivities to begin. Before Principal
Timmet arrived to begin the ceremony, Ms. Wilcocks stood in front of the
patiently waiting crowd and began singing. Soon after, the learners began to
sing, clapping to the beat of the lyrics. The joy that arose in me could not be
put into words. It was similar to the moment when a mother gets to hold her
child for the first time. A smile will draw across her face with her glistening
eyes shining down on the miracle that she was just blessed with.
Principal Timmet then arrived to begin the celebration of
Mr. Paulsen’s retirement. He gave an amazing speech and then asked for a
learner by the name of Selena to come forward. She led the school in their
anthem. She began by wishing Mr. Paulsen a farewell and expressed her gratitude
for his work at the school. Selena, with her sweet, soft voice, then began the
school’s anthem over the microphone. In an instance, the crowd of learners
joined in. Proudly they sang, "We are Montevideo!" The same joy that arose before once again found its way into my
heart. It was an absolute honor to hear Selena and her fellow learners sing
with pride in their school’s anthem. I felt entirely privileged to witness the
ceremony and document it all in the process.
School ended shortly after the ceremony. I was completely
pleased with how my day went at Montevideo. Spending my day with the learners
continues to be more rewarding as my time here in Cape Town progresses. I have
been touched in so many different ways by the faculty and learners of
Montevideo. It saddens me that I only have one week left here in the beautiful country
of South Africa. Consequently, my time here is of the essence. I have one week.
One week to make my mark, to make my difference. Here I go!
Levi, it seems your doing so good over there with the children. I think you,ll make a great teacher. I'll be glad to hear when your on the plane and headed for home. We miss you very much and love you very much. Hurry home, see you soon. Oh yes, got your car to station and they fixed you air conditioner and change your oil and changed abelt on it, so it,s ready to go when you get home.
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