Dear Matric Teachers…

You might already know this, but the whole month of September is Literacy Month. A very necessary awareness needed in South Africa as we are aware of the PIRLS study. I thought let me write another letter …

I am mostly addressing this letter to Matric Teachers, as a word of encouragement regardless of the upcoming trial exam and results, but I also know that any teacher of any grade would actually be on the same boat

Teaching, in general, is challenging. However, teaching matric has a whole lot of different pressures attached to it. For some reason, our ability to teach, mark accurately, and produce distinctions is how we are defined only when teaching grade 12. It feels unfair. Grade 12 is the accumulation of about 12 years of education, made up of over 20 teachers in a child’s life, yet the final result burden, success or failure, is laid on the shoulders of the matric teacher.

So we are doing a lot, and we are trying to do it with a lot of grace. Every day is a new battle, and no, they will not make it easy. I guess it makes us stronger. I say that with caution, because I know on some days, we don’t want to be seen a strong, because that just means we are given more to do on the notion that we can handle it. More extra classes, more exam prep, more intervention, more whatever. Unfortunately, at times, it feels like it results in less autonomy from the learner, less responsibility from the parent, less effort in general.

So, here’s the thing. Your matrics are about to write trial exams in preparation for final exams. Even with all your over-driven input, someone will find a way to blame you when the output is less than expected (or sometimes exactly as minimally expected). That will definitely hurt knowing all that you have sacrificed.

I want to be the one to tell you that you did the most and nobody should ever diminish that. You know your learners along with their strengths and weakness, in many cases, you’ve probably tried to turn a weakness into a strength or at least a semi-strength. Whether that was received positively or negatively, it is now in the child’s hands, and you can go to bed with a clear conscience for your mental well-being.

As a teacher, I don’t want to call us superheroes because that makes us sound invincible, but we are pretty amazing human beings doing the best that we can. There are people who appreciate all that we do and that’s what really matters.

So dear matric teacher, hang in there. These trials will reveal whatever they reveal, but it doesn’t take away from your awesomeness. I know that I needed to hear that for myself.

Stay shining…✨️