An American teacher has put violence in South African schools in perspective. Sydney Chaffee, who has won the 2018 American National Teacher of the Year award, says it’s important to understand pupils’ behaviour in context because it is a product of their environment.
“We can’t see events like this in isolation; we have to think about what are the ways in which we can wrap more support around people in schools so that the environment is safe and conducive to learning.”
Chaffee on Thursday hosted and facilitated a workshop for teachers from Pretoria, who are nominees for the SA Teacher of the Year award, where she shared information about her teaching methods, incorporating social justice and motivating the teachers to continue making a difference in the lives of pupils.
She recommended a system-wide response to ensure that there is a community of support around them involving families, teachers, community organisations and religious leaders. This would ensure that every pupil has a bubble of support around them.
“Sometimes what happens in schools is that we place the blame on parents when things go wrong. Is the parent able to be involved, or are meetings at the school scheduled when they’re at work?
“Does the parent speak another language and do they feel ashamed when they come to the school because nothing is translated for them? Did they have a traumatic experience when they were in school that makes them reticent to come into the school now? As people who work in schools, we have to think about the factors leading to families not being engaged. There is a power imbalance,” said Chaffee.
She also highlighted the need of inclusive education for pupils from diverse backgrounds. “I teach in an inclusive setting. I have a very diverse group of learners in terms of academic background, language, and education needs,” she said.
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