I then had a conversation with my best friend, who is studying to be an English teacher. She told me that many students studying towards education are ashamed to admit it because of the stigma around the profession and the idea that if you can’t “make it”, you become a teacher. She herself has been met with many negative responses when she explains what she’d like to do when leaving varsity.
The last conversation was between my residence’s serrie group. In my first year, like those studying education, many were embarrassed to even admit they lived in Katjiepiering. Katjie was the butt of jokes and was generally thought of as a failure. But then last year saw them break into Serrie finals as the underdogs and even place. Since then, the attitude of the residents of Katjie has been noticeably different. There is actually such a thing as Katte pride now.
I hope this transformation is something that is currently happening within Zinnia. Groenkloof residences are too often the butt of jokes and even our Pssst… column. Being a residence that generally houses ladies studying education, I hope that they realise they are even more valuable than they thought, having proved that they have the strength to break tradition. I also hope that they realise that they can be the inspiration the other Groenkloof residences need to start performing. I believe they can.
Education is so vital to progress. I really hope one day my children won’t be taught by someone who merely scraped a pass in the subject they teach, but over-achieved in it. In a world where there is less and less parent input into children’s lives, a teacher’s impact becomes even greater in raising a child that can think for themselves and is responsible for themselves. While my schoolmate may have deserved being unfollowed, he did highlight that our teacher’s do deserve more recognition and a better salary if they’re doing their jobs correctly.
If we want incredible teachers, the students studying education need to brilliant too. If this is the case, surely our Groenkloof residences should be the ones always achieving? This attitude change needs to come not just from us as a society but the education students themselves. They need to not back down when someone makes them feel inferior, because they’re not. They will play one of the most important roles in shaping our country’s future, and that alone is incredible.
I’m glad to see Zinnia has taken this step towards a new attitude and I hope their belief in themselves continues to grow. I also hope to see more underdogs excel this year and in the years to come. I also hope that you start considering education students as someone who will impact your child and that you’ll start encouraging them to become better.
Tell an education student they’re wonderful this week!
Michal
