Personal profile 

I admire a teacher who sees more than just a learner in the classroom.  A teacher should see each learner as a unique, one-of-a-kind learner with exceptional characteristics. Each child should get the opportunity to be exposed to different situations, to develop themselves as well as their expectations of the future. I have a passion for teaching, and I would like to use my job as teacher and lecturer not only to teach students, but to empower them with qualities that would be noticed by others in the future.

I am a hard, dedicated worker with strong moral values and grab opportunities with both hands. Change does not scare me as I think that one should always be willing to adapt to new and different circumstances as this will allow you not to stagnate.  One should always be able to explore and find new ways to stimulate and develop their cognitive thinking and create an innovative way to make learning as fun as playing.

I belong to a loving family who has supported me throughout my life. I was raised in a household where material possessions were scarce, but an abundance of love and care were present. I am the youngest of three children and enjoy spending time with my family and friends. In my free time I enjoy spending time in nature, jogging and cycling.

My parents were financially unable to send me to university, so I initially decided to study accounting due to the availability of a bursary. But the Lord had other plans with my career. My best friend’s father tragically passed away in my matric year, and in his will, he left me funds that would cover five years of higher education tuition fees. I was totally overwhelmed by this act of generosity, and for many years believed that I was unworthy of this bursary. I promised myself that I would make him proud by embracing all the opportunities that would come my way.

By working hard, I was able to secure bursaries for my Honours, Masters and PhD studies.

In January 2015, I started teaching at Laerskool Fleur Primary School in Lyttelton, Pretoria. My first year of teaching was challenging, as I had to manage my time between school and my postgraduate studies at the University of Pretoria. I completed my Honours (2015) and Masters (2017-2018) degrees part-time during my time at Fleur. Fortunately, the principal was kind enough to exempt me from extracurricular activities at times, as classes were held on Friday afternoons. I was involved in many extracurricular activities including netball, cross-country, athletics, mini-soccer, concerts and the spelling bee. I acted as panel leader for a few years and was responsible for all the administrative tasks for the Grade 3 panel. In 2017 I was responsible for the school’s general knowledge club. During my time at Fleur Primary School, I met amazing colleagues who I am still befriended with today. I taught Grade 3 for seven and a half years (January 2015 -  May 2022). Throughout this time, I always knew that I wanted to enter the higher education sector.

To broaden my understanding of higher education, I lectured part-time at Rosebank College on Friday afternoons. I taught Foundation Phase Life Skills (Movement) for six months. In addition to this, I acted as external marker for the Grade R Life Skills module at SANTS Private Higher Education Institute for one year. Lastly, I acted as tutor for a distance learning module (Learning Support) at the University of Pretoria for one year. This part-time employment allowed me to gain insight into the field of higher education, and ultimately prepared me for my employment at the University of the Western Cape.

I joined the Faculty of Education at the University of the Western Cape as lecturer in July 2022. I am responsible for the Afrikaans Home Language and First Additional Language modules within the Foundation Phase (ALT 111; ALT211; AFL211; AFL311; ALT311).