LPENGPN – ADDITIONAL

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Assignment 2 - 838731

Desré Maritz - 53973607

LPENGPN Desré Maritz
838731 53973607

Contents
Mentor Evaluation .................................................................................................................................. 2
Essay of Experiences ............................................................................................................................... 3
Honesty Declaration ............................................................................................................................... 5

1
Page
LPENGPN Desré Maritz
838731 53973607

Mentor Evaluation

2
Page
LPENGPN Desré Maritz
838731 53973607

Essay of Experiences
In January of 2022, I started what I thought would be my final teaching practice at a school by the
name of Goudwes School. The school, it’s teachers and most importantly the students taught me a lot
about what the teaching profession is and where I want to be. Unfortunately, the school was deemed
unfit for my practical experience, as they did not have the required FET number for my degree. I have
since joined a school by the name of Yellow Wood, which is vastly different to Goudwes. This essay
explains my experiences thus far, combining the knowledge gained from both schools – with both
types of learners and levels of education.

Goudwes School is a double medium LSEN school, with great resources and an excellent teaching staff.
The school grounds are rather large (there are three buildings, encompassing of the admin block, B
block – academics, and C block – centres for practical learning such as woodworking, electrical and
upholstery); the rugby field, netball / basketball courts and the athletics fields are well maintained and
extremely well cared for. The school is undergoing upgrades as well, in adding classes such as Maximus
Stimulus to their curriculum, constantly finding new ways to increase the students’ knowledge and
experience new things. The school day would start off with a staff meeting from 7:20 AM, running
until 07:50, at which time teachers would head to their register classes or other necessary duties. The
morning meetings were used to discuss all happenings within the school, calendar updates and
announcements, as well as the students and any successes or dilemmas that they were facing.
Teachers would share specific information regarding students so that the whole staff was prepared
for the student, should they be faced with a situation.

The students at Goudwes School were from extremely diverse backgrounds, some of them already
living on their own from ages 14 and up – these students have no access to parents or guardians, and
little to no access to food, clean clothing, and other necessities. Very often a major part of the issues
that the teachers face, are that the student has returned to school from a weekend (and sometimes
extended periods of time) where they have been without food. These students often have difficulty
expressing their emotions and processing commands, they are angry because no one listens to them
and then they return to a school where they feel they have just as little power as at home. They
struggle to cope with the very low levels of education that they receive and have a hard time adapting
to any kind of change. The school is rife with gang activity, drugs, and juvenile delinquents.

In comparison, Yellow Wood Environmental is severely under-resourced and a much smaller school –
even though it encompasses an ECD centre, a primary school, and a high school. The school is a
registered non-profit organisation and subsidises many students whose parents are unable to afford
fees. The students are provided with a meal in the morning and in the afternoons. The school meetings
are not held every day, the principal has set up a WhatsApp group for staff and should there be any
announcements or dilemmas, it’s posted on the group and so the teachers can respond that they have
noted the message. Larger meetings are held between 15:00 and 16:00 in the afternoon and will
include select staff, like focus groups for bigger issues. Twice a term the school has a full staff meeting
to introduce and conclude the term, agendas, and often mark related issues.

The school is extremely new and constantly growing, as such, the main hurdle that teachers face is
construction within and outside the school building. I was asked to vacate the school building (teaching
from the schools Lapa area instead) because our ceiling needed to be installed by the construction
workers. The school is expanded as finances become available, due to this, the bathrooms are
3

intermittently unavailable due to upgrades or construction, and the school classrooms have only
Page

recently been upgraded with doors.

LPENGPN Desré Maritz
838731 53973607

The students at Yellow Wood are by no mean underprivileged or disadvantaged, but rather fortunate
– apart from a few select students. These learners come from home where parents are there to tend
to their every need and supply their many wants. They are often entitled and obnoxious, to the point
where they refuse to hand their electronic devices in (the school takes all their phones in every
morning). Through my time at the school, I have witnessed a student calling his mom on his cellphone
to ask her to collect him because he had been told to hand his device in – she showed up not an hour
later to collect her son, adding to his entitlement.

I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to teach at such vastly different schools, the
experienced gained from the staff dynamics as well as the learners, posed unique, yet exciting and
interesting challenges. My approach towards teaching has been influenced greatly and changed
astronomically from Goudwes to Yellow Wood, and the standard of work between the two types of
students has too adapted greatly.

In conclusion, I believe that teaching shapes me as a person, I have learnt patience and empathy while
working with physically and mentally challenged learners at Goudwes, and teaching at Yellow Wood
has allowed me to expand my knowledge base as well as my approach to the students. I am now able
to work through my daily issues in a healthy manner because I have gained through teaching.

4
Page
LPENGPN Desré Maritz
838731 53973607

Department Language Education, Arts and Culture

Please complete the attached honesty declaration and submit it with your assignment.

Honesty Declaration

Module Code: LPENGPN Assessment Date: 15 September 2022

1. I know that plagiarism means taking and using the ideas, writings, works or inventions of
another as if they were one’s own. I know that plagiarism not only includes verbatim copying,
but also the extensive use of another person’s ideas without proper acknowledgement (which
includes the proper use of quotation marks) or any attempt to cheat the plagiarism checking
system. I know that plagiarism covers the use of material found in textual sources and from the
Internet.
2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.
3. I understand that my assignment/exam answers must be accurately referenced.
4. This assignment/exam file/portfolio is my own work. I acknowledge that copying someone
else’s work, or part of it, is wrong, and that submitting identical work to others constitutes a
form of plagiarism.
5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as their own work.
6. I understand that I can be awarded 0% if I have plagiarized.
7. I understand that my assignment/exam file/portfolio may be submitted automatically to
Turnitin.
8. I confirm that I have read and understood the following UNISA policies:
8.1 Policy for Copyright and Plagiarism
8.2 Policy on Academic Integrity
8.3 Student Disciplinary Code

Name: Desre Maritz Student No: 53973607

Signed: ……………………………………………. Date: 15 Sep. 22

5
Page