The children sit spellbound as they travel into the world of Enid Blyton’s books guided by the animated voice and facial expression of Mrs Bremner.
Since 1987 – with a few short breaks in between – Phyll Bremner has been instilling a love for English in her Umhlali Preparatory School pupils.
“I have had the most wonderful career and I have been very fortunate to always get back in at Umhlali Prep when I returned from a different teaching adventure,” said the gentle Bremner who first started teaching at Park Rynie in 1974.
Her adventures have taken her to Wartburg where she taught the German children English, then remedial teaching at Brown School in Durban and as far as Malawi in 2008, which she said was a real eye-opener.
“I taught at an international school for two years, although it was not very international at all. The teachers were all from Zimbabwe and they were the most hard-working, dedicated teachers I have ever seen. I am so glad we went there, because it was such a humbling experience to meet those lovely Malawian people who, despite being so poor, were always happy and wonderful.”
Wherever she went, Bremner had her magical Enid Blyton books with her, which are always a hit with the children.
“I love starting with Enid Blyton because it fosters the children’s imagination and instills the love of reading, which will make them want to read more and explore other books,” said Bremner who enjoys going to the Salt Rock Library for her personal reading.
Her animated and expressive way of reading The Magic Faraway Tree or The Famous Five is probably the best part about the Enid Blyton books.
“I probably look ridiculous while I read to the children, but I believe it is crucial that you grab their attention. When I stop and they ask for more, that is when I know it is working. I believe that teaching children the joy of wanting to listen is the first step to learning.”
The pupils never get enough of their beloved ‘Mrs Bremner’ and pop in to visit long after they have left her grade two class.
“It is so lovely that the kids still want to come to me to chat when they move on to other classes. They bring a friend and sit on my desk telling me stories or play cards on the carpet in the early mornings before class. I love that.”
Keeping this personal contact with the pupils has always been important for the mother of two and grandmother, who said teaching today often does not allow for oneon-one attention.
“Teaching today is too mark orientated in my opinion – it is just coaching for marks. We do not teach enough life skills and there is not enough time to have empathy for the pupils because there is so much work to get through every day. Everything is fast paced – it is the modern lifestyle. I believe, though, that children need to talk to you, especially when they get older.”
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