POLOKWANE – For Laerskool Pietersburg Noord (Noordskool) teacher and mother Mariska Landsberg, motherhood and teaching are not separate roles, but deeply connected parts of her life.

Having gone through pregnancy while continuing to show up for her learners, and now caring for a newborn while raising her four-year-old, Lumicke, alongside her husband Michael, Landsberg says motherhood has stretched her in unexpected ways.

“Motherhood has taught me that strength doesn’t come from having everything perfectly balanced, but from showing up with love and purpose, even on the most exhausting days,” she said.

A deeper connection with learners

She added that being a mother has changed how she approaches her classroom.

“I no longer just teach children. I nurture them. As a mom and a teacher, I understand the trust that parents place in me in a much deeper way, because I now feel that same vulnerability with my own children,” she said.

Lessons from home and classroom

Landsberg said motherhood has made her more patient, compassionate and intentional in her interactions with learners, while teaching has also shaped her parenting journey.

“It has taught me resilience, structure and the importance of guiding little hearts, not just educating minds,” she said.

Embracing the challenges and rewards

She acknowledged that the journey is not always easy. “There are long nights, early mornings and moments where I feel stretched thin, but there is also so much beauty in it,” she said.

Landsberg added that shaping young lives at school, while coming home to her own children, constantly reminds her what truly matters.

A message to fellow teacher mothers

“For me, it’s not about juggling perfectly. It’s about embracing both callings with grace, knowing that even on the messy days, I am exactly where I’m meant to be,” she said.

She hopes her story will remind other mothers who are teachers that the lessons taught in classrooms and the love given at home often come from the same heart.