STARS IN EDUCATION AWARDS
STARS IN EDUCATION AWARDS
STARS IN EDUCATION AWARDS: A BRIGHT SPOT IN EDUCATION
“I just want my father to love me”. Teacher Roslyn Narain listened, near to tears as her Grade 8 student explained that he stayed away from school as he was so affected by the lack of attention from his father since his parent’s divorce. Roslyn had a light bulb moment and devised a project where this boy could discover that even if he didn’t receive the love he needed, he could give it. Roslyn realised that ‘education is not just something that’s received from text books, but also something that develops the self esteem”.
A toy collection drive was held at the school and in weeks hundreds of toys were col- lected. This boy was dressed up as Father Christmas and joyfully distributed toys to hospital children. Over the next five years he was constantly called into the principal’s office, not to be disciplined, but to be told “well done’ for his repeated involvement in Roslyn’s community projects which boost- ed his self esteem. A bright spot of hope had been created by a teacher’s initiative.
SO, WHAT’S A BRIGHT SPOT?
According to Chip Heath, a professor at the Graduate School of Business At Stan- ford University and Dan Heath, a senior fellow at Duke University’s Centre for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) in their bestseller “Switch, how to change things when change is hard”, a bright spot is a success story that stands out against a challenging reality. Roslyn’s story of how she encouraged a child’s self esteem through service to others is a clas- sic example of how to encourage values and inspire belief in learners at schools, no matter what the circumstances.
Roslyn’s impact on this boy’s life is a story which tells of achievement that shines out against the perception that education is in
crises and that teachers are unprofessional. In fact, it is stories like this that inspired the team at Argo to start the Stars in Educa- tion awards four years ago, in the aftermath of one of the most bruising teacher strike actions.
Whilst we can continue to debate the mer- its of strike action, we cannot deny the im- pact of the strike action on teacher morale and societal perceptions of teachers. There can be no denying that there are teachers that bring the profession into disrepute. But, these teachers are far outnumbered by ordinary teachers who go beyond the key task of educating our children, who will define our future for us.
When we remember our time at school, most of us can name a teacher who in- spired us, by believing that we had poten- tial and that we were not defined merely as a product of our environment. This is the essence that we would like to recognize with the Stars in Education awards. Four years ago, the team at Argo realised many teachers were going above and beyond their classroom tasks by starting “Bright Spot” initiatives in their communities.
The project was launched in the 2008 Na- tional Teachers Diary, which was published on behalf of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, by the Argo team. De-
spite reaching over 240 000 teachers across South Africa, we received only 12 entries, which highlighted the lack of self-esteem in the teaching profession. However, whilst we were disheartened by the number of entries, the quality of the entries was astounding and the judging of these entries was an emotional experience, as we discovered what teachers do for their communities.
This inspired us to continue with the proj- ect, and we received support from Via Af- rika, a leading educational publisher to part- ner with us to grow the ‘Stars in Education Competition’ to recognize and reward these teachers. Over the next 3 years, we have been able to recognize the work of ordinary teachers, who have inspired us with their work; from projects such as ‘Alternatives to Violence’, Mokone Peter Mofokeng – Mots- wela Secondary School, Kroonstad (2008), Care for ‘Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)’, Mam Maluleke – Leubaneng Pri- mary School - Limpopo (2009) and ‘Roslyn’s Academy for Adult Learning (RAFAL)’ – Ro- slyn Narain – North West Secondary School - Durban (2010). Runner ups have been School Vegetable Garden projects, Ambi- tious Children’s Christmas Parties, Adopt a Child Blanket projects and Soul Buddies programmes set up by teachers.
The Stars in Education competition rewards teachers who go beyond their call of duty
and take the time to inspire their learners. Many learners cannot learn properly as they are faced with highly challenging economic and social situations. A ‘Star in Education’ is a teacher who recognizes and addresses these challenges and addresses these deeper needs with ambitious community projects that demand extra time, energy and care.
THE POWER TO INSPIRE OTHERS
These ‘brightspots’ have been profiled in the National Teachers Guide, which is distributed to the top 2 000 high performing, under resourced high schools (quintiles 1,2 and 3). The impact of profiling these stories is evident in the increasing number of entries that we receive on an annual basis. We have also had letters from teachers, thanking us for the inspiration that they get from these “Stars”, which gives them a sense of pride to be a professional teacher.
The project has also been showcased on national radio and television, with both Metro FM and Hectic 99/Okuhle productions playing an essential role in encouraging the youth to recognize their teachers as “stars”. The television show has also received support from leading celebrities.
This project has not only made a direct impact on inspiring teachers, but it has also encouraged society, particularly the youth, to recognize teachers for their contribution to our future. This has the spin-off effect of encouraging learners to develop community values and do things which leave their community a better place.
The 2010 winner of stars in Education, Roslyn Narain, found that she wanted to encourage learner self-esteem through community contribution, which has resulted in an ABET project, which has encouraged adults in building their self-esteem.
There are a number of teacher awards, which recognize the role of the teacher in educating learners about the curriculum and these awards are important to encourage good classroom practice.
The Stars in Education awards re- cognises that the teacher is at the heart of inspiring learners to believe in themselves and in the power of education to change their worlds, so that they can become all they were meant to be. Contact the team at Argo on
info@argo.org.za or call us on 021 865 2813, if you would like to support our Stars in Education and recognize that teachers provide the inspiration to learn.
STARS IN EDUCATION – ITSELF A BRIGHT SPOT STORY
In 2012 we celebrate the fifth year of The Stars in Education awards. We feel the same sense of achievement as any ground- breaking project. At first, we experienced the challenge of receiving just a handful of entries. We felt the need for teachers themselves to grow in self esteem and pride in their projects. Yet as we’ve invited learners to recognize their teacher’s efforts, entries and enthusiasm for the competition has grown.
Judging the competition last year was as rewarding and as moving as it was the first time I was involved. Our teachers are amazing, and the teachers whose stories we read about make me realise just how critical teachers are to our future well-being as a nation.
The projects that have been started show a deep sense of community concern and I am pleased that I may be a part of honouring the men and women who are making such a difference.
I am sure that the quality of the submissions is
only going to
improve in the years to come, and look forward to being part of it.
Christina Watson. CEO Via Afrika
Roslyn Narain (left) and Shiksha Lutchmipersadh (nominating learner).
Don’t miss out on your chance to be part of the Stars in Education Competition ‘Bright Spot’ stories and win cash to support your project. If you are a teacher, nominate your own project or if you are a learner, let us know about your teacher’s great achievements in a project. Send us your entry by 31 August 2011 to FREEPOST CB8152, PO Box 7177, Stellenbosch, 7599. For more information please visit
www.ed.org.za or complete your entry online.
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CHAPTER 7 | THE TEACHER AND THE TEACHING CAREER
www.ed.org.za
www.ed.org.za
CHAPTER 7 | THE TEACHER AND THE TEACHING CAREER
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