My name is Ferzana Harneker, I am the grade 3 educator and HOD of the Foundation Phase at Douglas Road Primary School in Wynberg. I teach English Home Language, Afrikaans First Additional Language, Mathematics and Life skills.
- What is the most inspiring experience that you’ve had as a teacher?
The most inspiring experience that I have as a teacher is definitely the relationship and trust that I build with my learners. I’ve taught for 15 years and up until today I would find a learner in a higher grade that comes to me and says “Mrs Harneker, you were and still are my favourite teacher.”
- What’s your secret superpower?
I would say CARING! My learners become my own, all 40 of them and I treat them as my own even when they have moved on to the next grade. I’ve been described as a kind, caring, loving mother figure, from both my learners and their parents. And how do you go about winning the respect, trust, and commitment from your learners? Show them that you genuinely care about them individually. Go out of your way to learn something about each one of your learners.
- What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened in the classroom?
Last year we had to start teaching Xhosa. I was so nervous and after my first lesson with my learners, a little boy that speaks Xhosa as a first language, came up to me and said, “Don’t worry teacher, you help me to speak English and I’ll help you to speak Xhosa.”
- What do you love most about being a teacher?
I love children, I love working with children, I love the fact that in some small way I am making a difference. Seeing a grade 1 learner come to me at the beginning of the year not being able to read and write and watching them grow, knowing that I had a hand in that little one’s development, it’s priceless!!!
- What did you want to be when you were little?
If I’m not mistaken, I wanted to be a paediatrician. I had one, and she was amazing. Still working with children but studying medicine wasn’t for me.
- Who was your favourite female teacher when you were at school, and why?
Mrs Fakier, my grade 2 teacher at Muhammedeyah Primary was definitely my favourite teacher. I had just relocated from Johannesburg and missed my previous school and friends. Mrs Fakier made me feel so at ease, she made me want to come to school. Years later, I ended up completing my practice teaching with her as my mentor and later I had the privilege of working alongside her as an educator.
- During this pandemic, what advice would you give to your learners and other educators?
Returning to school is going to be extremely challenging but we have faith and we pray that the almighty will protect our little ones and educators as we navigate this ‘new normal’ we find ourselves in. From sharing is caring, we now have to preach the opposite, for everyone’s safety, but never forget the importance of strengthening relationships between you as an educator and your learners, learners need to know that we care.
