Rozelle Coetzee, language teacher at Academia High School.

1. When did your journey start as a teacher?
I started teaching in 2011.

2. Which subjects and grades do you teach?
I am a languages teacher. When I started teaching, I taught English first language to grade 10 and Afrikaans second language to grades eight and nine. Since 2014, I strictly taught Afrikaans second language to grades nine to 12 as well as higher level Afrikaans. As of 2020, I only teach Afrikaans grade 10 and 11 and AS level.

3. Was teaching always something you wanted to do?
No, I wanted to be a financial manager, but after a personality test, I realised that I actually love helping children and I enjoy being able to share my knowledge with others.

4. What is the most challenging thing as a teacher?
The most challenging factor for me as an Afrikaans teacher is to make sure that all my learners pass because 95% of the learners I teach are not mother tongue speakers, so that is quite challenging for me to always find new ways to equip learners with the language skills without them becoming bored and feeling useless.

5. What do you love about your profession?
What I love about being a teacher is the mere fact that I can contribute to help my learners become better versions of themselves. It warms my heart when I see my former learners thrive as adults.

6. What would you be if you didn’t become a teacher?
I probably would have been a financial manager at some company.

7. What keeps you motivated and inspired to keep on teaching?
What keeps me motivated is the fact that I can help a learner become a better person. I love to encourage my learners to be better versions of themselves.

8. What do you enjoy in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my three daughters and doing fun stuff with them. I love them so much.

9. What is the greatest thing you have ever achieved?
The greatest thing I have achieved is becoming a mother. It helped shape me into the teacher I am today. I have a better understanding of how the mind of a child works and it is such a great motivation for me to continue teaching children.

10. Do you have any motivation for prospective teachers?
Yes, I would like to encourage prospective teachers to become part of shaping our future. Times change and so do people and we as teachers constantly learn to change with the world. We need to be the change for the future.