The expert in anything was once a beginner….

I knew that I was faced with an enormous challenge when I accepted the position at Lebone II College, but I also appreciated the fact that this is an amazing opportunity – the opportunity to touch lives. 

“Work fills a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work and the only way to do great work is to love what you do” – Steve Jobs

 The first few days at Lebone II were, to put it mildly, overwhelming.  Survival mode kicked in.  One thing was very clear – this school demands excellence.  It touched my heart deeply to observe the great deal of mutual respect the Lebone family exhibited.  

During the first session of the New Teacher Café, I was confronted with the question “What were your first impressions of the school?”   One thing was indisputable – expectations are high.  The expectations imposed on learners and teachers are not verbalized, but it lives in the soul and culture of the entire Bafokeng family.  Trying to live up to these expectations came with a degree of internal conflict.  You become own worst enemy.     

Crucial to survival is to come to the realization that everybody was a beginner at some stage in their career.  One tends to become subjective when confronted with such high levels of excellence.  The more I engaged in conversation with fellow teachers, I came to realize the importance of reflection.  Without reflection, growth is impossible.  What an eye-opening experience to listen to the personal roads that experienced teachers have traveled throughout their teaching careers.  They made mistakes, went through some tough times, felt uncomfortable and tried to be perfect.  In spite of these stumbling blocks, they all learned a valuable lesson – trust your instincts.  Your instincts might not always be spot on, but as with all great inventions, mistakes can create vital tools.  Growth and discovery is essential because if we teach today’s students like we did yesterday, we rob them of tomorrow.  It is an impossible task to try and perfect everything all at once – it is going to take years.

Reflecting on my own experiences and the experiences of other teachers I can conclude that:

• I am strong, because I’ve been weak.
• I am fearless, because I’ve been afraid.
• I am wise, because I’ve made mistakes.
• If you’re not willing to learn, no one can help you.  If you’re determined to learn, no one can stop you.