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SURNAME: WESSELS
NAME: JOHN LOUIS
STUDENT NUMBER: 5164826

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CONTENTS
1. Assignment 4 Pg 3
2. Discussion Pg 6
3. Effective teaching Pg 7
4. Mission Statement Pg 9

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ASSIGNMENT 4
During the April school holidays, the grade eleven learners of Springs Technical
High School attended additional, extra classes in Mathematics presented by their
teacher Ms M. van Niekerk. I had been privileged to be allowed by Ms van Niekerk
to attend and observe these Maths classes presented by her. My first impression
when I reported at the School was that of an organised and well-structured
learning environment. The general maintenance of the school ground was well
kept and tidy, as well as the inside of the classroom was neat and tidy. Although
these classes were presented during the school holidays, learners still attended
the classes in formal school wear. These first impressions also confirmed and
corresponded with what was happening inside the classroom of Ms van Niekerk.
That Ms van Niekerk had a well-structured, organised and disciplined approach
towards teaching and learning. Ms van Niekerks’ approach towards teaching
methods and learning styles was evident from the fact that she dispose of years of
teaching experience in an especially difficult subject and discipline of mathematics.
Although there was a relaxed atmosphere in the class the general impression was
that both the teacher as well as the learners understood exactly the purpose and
priority of them being present at school during a school holiday. Regardless of the
relaxed atmosphere in the classroom Ms van Niekerk was still in control of the
learning environment and interaction in the classroom. Effectively she was
facilitating the learning process. The teacher was well prepared and knew exactly
which mathematical problem, equation or concept she was to involve the learners
next after the completion of the previous problem. She also involved and
encouraged the learners to participate actively and freely in the class by asking
questions and encouraging learners to also ask questions. Additional to her
encouraging learners to ask questions so also granted learners the opportunity to
work in groups in order to solve difficult mathematical equations or problems. The
overall impression of Ms van Niekerks’ Mathematics class was that she was a well
organised, disciplined and dedicated teacher whom cherishes the interest and
future success of her learners.

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What I have learned from this observation was that learning takes place in a well
organised, structured and disciplined environment. Not only the external school
environment but also inside the classroom, which is the responsibility of the
teacher as classroom manager and the final person accountable for learning and
teaching. Although the teacher is the final person accountable for learning and
activities inside, sometimes outside, the classroom, the teacher do not necessarily
always have to be the central focus or sole medium of instruction. Learners do
dispose of prior practical knowledge gained from everyday experiences that they
can bring into the classroom and contribute towards the learning environment.
Teachers should exploit these opportunities of learners’ prior knowledge creatively
in order to stimulate and contribute towards the learning experience in the
classroom. Thus ideally the teacher should facilitate the learning process in
conjunction and cooperation with the learners. As facilitator in the learning
process, learners learn, discover and attain knowledge for and by themselves,
thus enabling them, the learners to take ownership of their own learning and total
development as human beings.
Although I have gained valuable insights, experience and knowledge regarding the
planning preparation and presentation of lectures, I am of the opinion that South
African schools in general need to empower teachers as well as learners more by
creating more opportunities and free access to especially computer technology
and the internet in the classroom. Technology cannot and must not replace the
teacher in the learning process or the classroom, but the opportunities for
discovering and learning under the guidance and facilitation of the teacher by
means of computer technology and the use of internet is invaluable as an aid,
means to instruction and teaching in the classroom. It is my intention to further
develop, enhance my computer as well as general skills in the utilization of
technology as an aid and means of instruction, not only to assist me as teacher but
to optimize the learning experience of each learner to whom I am privileged to
make contact with.

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DISCUSSION
1. The first discussion forum required from students to name and discus the
characteristics needed in order to become a successful and efficient teacher.
Although numerous relevant, valid characteristics and values that a teacher
should cherish were mentioned, the final outcome or conclusion from this
discussion was that although all the values and characteristics mentioned were
valid, it still remains a subjective individual interpretation of each student of
which characteristics will match his/her personal vocation best with his unique
personality type. The discussion on challenges that teachers face in the
classroom was informative especially with regards to coming to a better
understanding of the conditions under which and the challenges fellow
educators and students are confronted with daily in the execution of their
responsibilities and teaching tasks.
2.Initially it had been difficult to participate in these discussions optimally due to
the fact that I do not dispose of personal access to the internet and therefore had
to travel to the Unisa Daveyton campus regularly in order to participate in these
discussions. Contributing to this initial challenge is the fact that the school where I
am currently teaching couldn’t assist me regarding internet access nor access to a
basic desktop computer. I have only recently acquired my own personal laptop
computer due to a generous donation from one of my colleagues. I am aware of
the prerequisites in order to register for this module, but I have realised the
imperative that I need to equip myself technologically not just for my own study
purposes but for the benefit of my teaching profession as well. Engaging in these
discussion forums were informative at times, especially with regards to the positive
attitude that fellow students maintain towards their vocation in the teaching
profession, regardless of the challenges with which they are confronted daily.
From an academic content perspective the substance and quality discourse was
insufficient.
3.The most valuable learning experience that I have gained from this module was
the realisation of the potential inherent in computer technology, especially the
vastness and expanse of the information available on the internet. After acquiring
my own personal laptop computer my next priority is to obtain internet access as
soon as possible. Despite my initial frustration with this module due to my own
personal lack of access to a computer or the internet, I came to a thorough
understanding and realisation how vitally essential the integration of computer
technology is for me at an individual, personal level as well as for the learners in
the classroom.
4.As stated previously one of the biggest challenges regarding the discussion
topics to me was accessibility to the internet. In this regards the University can

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improve on their customer service by means of extended hours at the computer
lab as well as the library. Additionally it occurred on three occasions that I had
made the effort and trouble to travel to the Unisa Dveyton campus to work on my
BPT module just to be denied access, due to student protest action. Accessibility
to computers as well as the internet is the major contributing factor that will
positively impact on the future success of this module. It must be taken into
consideration that the majority of students that are registered for any graduate
course at a South African University are still unemployed or do not dispose of
financial means to acquire their own personal computers.
EFFECTIVE TEACHING
(a)The biggest challenges that I as a teacher are confronted with in order to teach
the learners in the classroom effectively, is to be innovative and resourceful in
ways that compensate for the lack of understanding and support from educational
as well as school management with regards to the integration and implementation
of technology in the classroom and the learning process. The effective use and
integration of technology in the classroom will enable me to facilitate the learning
process in accordance to curriculum standards. Computer technology can also be
used to address and improve basic reading and writing skills of learners and even
stimulate learners to approach traditional printed media to read more and find out
more regarding a topic of interest. Concurrent to the to the paradigm shift needed
my educational as well as school management is the challenge and frustration that
that I experience daily in managements’ obsession with control and the creation of
administrative paperwork and files, whilst the whole purpose of computer
technology is to replace paper work and files and to relieve the administrative
burden. In Economic and Management Science terms, liberal free-market or free-
enterprise terms, is the best government no government. In the Management
Science this liberal principle of “no-government” is paradoxically also applicable in
the sense that “the more you try to control, the less you are in control”. The reason
for this premise is that in a Metanoic organization, a renewing, innovative
organization staff, teachers are intrinsically motivated by their personal values and
are not externally motivated by measures of control, CAPS documents, files and
administrative routines. At the school where I am currently teaching, a highly
competent male teacher of the English language, whom has majored in English
from the University of Johannesburg, that wasn’t big on administration and files
was replaced by a female colleague whom is exceptionally skilled administratively
but speaks broken “Wes- Tranvaal” English. This to the detriment of the learners,
due to a management system that prioritize administrative skills above academic
skills and content. Teaching and Educational management in South Africa is in
need of a drastic paradigm shift from being less control orientated towards a
strategic value based management system enabling teachers to focus on
academic content and to start teaching.

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(b
Challengesteachers
face in the Classroom
Dysfunctional/Non-
existent Media
Centre or Library
Language barriers to
learning
Lack of/or total
absence of resources
Need of a
paradigm shift
from school
management
regarding the use
and integration of
technology in the
classroom

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MISSION STATEMENT
“A teacher isn’t someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the
student to give his best in order to discover what he already knows” – Paolo
Coehelo. In order for a teacher to be a person whom inspire, he/she have to be
passionate about his vocation. The teachers’ passion will be reflected in his/her
well organised and structured approach towards the execution of his
responsibilities. His/ her main concern and priority will be the wellbeing of his/ her
learners. Not only academically but emotionally as well. The teacher must have a
passion for people in general and especially for children in particular.
As a person with a passion for people and the wellbeing of his/her learners the
teacher necessarily becomes involved in the community that he/she serve. The
school in the community, by the community is for the purpose of the community.
For this reason a teacher has to be willing and able to execute additional tasks,
such as sometimes staying late after school, extra classes, that entails parental as
well as community involvement. “To impart wisdom only when you are paid,
proves that you have no right of entry into the noble company of the wise” – Plato.
Thus the teacher must be willing and able to render extra additional services to the
community without expecting additional remuneration in this regard.
Except for being a leader in the community the teacher must be a leader in his/her
academic field of study as well. For this reason teachers must stay abreast and in
touch with the latest developments in his academic field of study by means of
reading and research. The teacher must dispose of an attitude of continuous and
lifelong learning.
Being a teacher and a leader requires from the teacher, the acceptance that life
isn’t always perfect and that he/she will be confronted with challenges. The attitude
that the teacher display towards these challenges in his/her career or profession
will determine his/her response towards these challenges as well as the outcomes.
In order to obtain a positive outcome the teacher as a knowledge worker and
leader must be able to think laterally outside the proverbial “square box”, to
generate and implement creative, innovative solutions for challenges in his/her
profession.
As a leader, the teachers’ vocation and purpose in life must be to contribute
positively, to make a difference in the life of people, learners individually as well as
the community and society collectively. The internationally renowned deaf-blind
activist Hellen Keller made the following statement “I am only one, but still I am
one only. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. Because I cannot do
everything, I refuse not to do what I can do indeed.” The same principle applies to
me personally. I am only one. I cannot change or be everything to everybody but if
I can touch or positively impact the life of one learner, I have accomplished
something.
THE END

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