Township Teaching

As the LEAP van drove us through the tattered streets of Langa, I prepared to teach my first class of grade eight learners in a township school.

The township schools generally have a poor reputation: varying degrees of teacher competence, or lack thereof; classroom overcrowding; and abysmal classroom management problems.

When I arrived at the school, I learned I would teach in two classrooms at once. As it turned out, one class of learners was diligent and respectful, while the other was wild and barely functional.

Both classrooms had teachers in the room the entire time, and the teacher of the former class seemed reserved but open to my lesson. I knew the latter class had a teacher only because he was the sole person in the room over forty years old. Though I know there are no absolutes in human observation, I had little difficulty attributing his students' misconduct to his insanely laissez faire attitude.

I had spent the morning teaching creative writing to LEAP students, and then running my workshops on using English professionally for the Learning Centre tutors. I am grateful for the extremely varied day, and for the fact that I can expect more such days each remaining weekday I am here.