After three life-changing weeks at Montevideo Primary
School, it was finally time to begin the final day of teaching. I woke up that
morning with no idea of what to expect. Was it going to be emotional? Was it
going to be chaotic? Was it going to be joyful? I literally had mixed emotions
but I knew one thing for sure; I was going to cherish every second the day had
to offer. It was so hard to believe that the last day finally arrived but there
was a feeling deep inside that I was ready to depart. However, the impact that
the school, learners, and faculty had on me made me regret leaving that
afternoon. Simply put, I wish that day would have never ended.
My three companions and I stepped out of the car onto the
lot of Montevideo. We looked at each other with a slight frown that went across
our faces. We knew that today was the last day but we just didn’t want to
believe it. We wished each other a fun farewell and an enjoyable last day. We
went our separate ways, myself to Ms. Fisher’s class.
When I arrived to the large wooden door, I heard the chaotic
chatters of the 7A class. Yet, there was one loud voice that rang heavier than
all the others, Ms. Fisher’s. She always had a way of calming the learners with
her intimidation and boisterous voice. I grinned ever so slightly and turned
the silver handle. As I stepped foot into the dark room, it got very quiet and
then at once, a wave of applause filled the room. Whether the learners were
celebrating my arrival or the fact that they were about to be blessed with
American candy (which they have known about for the past week), it never quite
phased me but regardless, I relished in the enlightening welcome. I apologized
for my late arrival and Ms. Fisher went on her with her lecture. At the
conclusion of the first period, I was given the opportunity to present my
American candy, which was a Willy Wonka variety pack, to the learners. Before I
dispersed the “sweeties,” I gave a short speech on how grateful I was to have
been given the opportunity to spend the past three weeks with them! They all
smiled but I could see their patience was running thin. Class was beginning to
get chaotic before my speech. I then described the candy and passed them to
each learner. They were so thrilled! First interval arrived and I had a few
errands to run before the end of the 15 minute break. I first went to each of the
Grade 7 teachers and gave them a gift from America. More importantly though, I
thanked each of them for allowing me to observe within their classrooms and allowing
me to enjoy extensively this once in a lifetime opportunity. I then headed to
the Grade R classroom to grab a few photos for Teacher Cathey. I was greeted so
warmly by all the Grade R learners with giant hugs by each of them. It was so joyous,
yet so heartbreaking at the same time.
Interval concluded and I returned for the second period with
Ms. Fisher once more. It seemed as though this period went by so quickly before
the second and final interval that I would get to experience began. This
interval was different than any other. Each teacher, including student
teachers, were asked to congregate in the teacher’s lounge. We entered the room
which was filled delectable aroma. It was a traditional South African meal that
was being prepared in honor of a teacher’s birthday! It was so honored to be
included in the celebration and to be given the opportunity to try this
wonderful cuisine. I sat with the other Grade 7 learners. Ms. Fisher was
particularly happy that I was able to witness her eating with her hands which I
gladly snapped a photo of! She found it even more humorous that I began
sweating from the spiciness of the dish! She gladly snapped a photo of me.
Principal Timmet then rose above the crowd to silence the educators. He gave a
speech to wish us, the Americans, a warm, South African farewell. He thanked us
for the time that we dedicated to the school and wished us the best of luck in
our future endeavors. We then proceeded to give him our farewell gift which he
highly enjoyed!
The eventful lunch soon concluded and the final part of the
day began with only 30 minutes remaining. I was spending my final moments at
Montevideo with the 7B class who were not privileged in hearing my American
history lesson yet. So I couldn’t leave the school without giving them my
lesson. I proceeded with a BRIEF flight through America’s history beginning
with Columbus and ending with World War 2. It was quite miraculous that I was
able to recite it all. I couldn’t keep the class waiting any longer though and
passed out the American sweeties.
Out of nowhere the alarm sounded for the conclusion of the
day. My stomach dropped, my heart broke, and my eyes filled with tears. It was
so hard to believe that my final day at Montevideo Primary was finally over.
The learners wished me well and gave me a hug before they left the room. In
that moment, I wish that they wouldn’t have let go. I wish that I could have
spent so much more time with them but all good things must come to an end.
We piled into the car that took us away from the school that
changed each of our lives! The driver honked the horn as we left and in an
instance the car was surrounded by all the learners. They were giving us
high-fives and wishing us a good bye as they shouted MIZ in the background. It
was an absolute honor!
Through my time at Montevideo, I learned so much about the
education system of South Africa. More importantly, though, I learned so much
about myself. I know that I have transformed as a student, as a teacher, and
overall as a person. This life changing experience has made a severe impact on
my teaching abilities. It challenged me, it tested me, and it made me better. I
cannot wait to implement what I have learned in my future classroom. (For more
concluding thoughts, look for a future blog post in which I share my overall experience).
The day concluded with a lovely dinner at Anatoli
restaurant, a Turkish influenced dining experience. We were accompanied by the
lovely Dean of the College of Education at the University of the Western Cape.
She also wanted to wish us a farewell and a congratulatory evening filled with
delicious Mediterranean cuisine! Day 28 finally concluded which only meant one
thing: our last full day in Cape Town was going to begin!
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