Charlene Dinkelman is the newest addition to the teaching staff at Junior College Snuggles in Radiokop. Charlene said she studied at Unisa and worked as a grading coordinator, but she has always wanted to work with kids.
“I did the odd volunteering with different NGOs in townships. I have always felt drawn to little kids especially the pre-school ages,” she began. “I felt that teaching was the best way that you can help a child to just grow into the best kind of person they can be.”
She has been teaching for three years and before that she was an intern for four years. “I interned between Grade R and RR and then I got a job as a RRR teacher for two years. Now I am teaching Grade R at Junior College.” She said one of her favourite things about her job was the reward of seeing how a child could grow from not knowing something to being able to comprehend letters, numbers and sounds, and write. “It is so rewarding when you can see how children can actually believe in themselves. It’s when they go from saying ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’ and they just grow from that.”
She admitted that although the little ones are as cute as they come, they can be challenging when it comes to setting boundaries around discipline and behaviour. “Children are all so different and behaviours are also different, so one needs to discipline in a specific way that is not harmful to a child but also sets boundaries,” she explained.
A typical day for her is arriving at school, specifically arriving at school happy because, “ … kids can pick up on any body language or emotional fatigue”. It involves greeting kids, training with them in the morning including counting, rehearsing numbers, colours and shapes. “We have early-morning discussions where the kids can actually express themselves and their ideas. Then we go into a rotational system where we have five different tables and five different areas. We then have groups that will rotate with each area, one being mathematical or literacy, and then other areas being either creative or fantasy, etcetera,” she explained. “Then we go into play time, lunch time, snack time and then having our different areas such as gym time or when it’s time for music.”
She advised anyone looking to pursue a career in education to complete their studies. “The biggest thing about becoming a teacher is having that practical experience.” She mentioned that interning and volunteering are great ways to get practical experience. Charlene also said spending time with kids by babysitting or volunteering at an aftercare is a great way to get to know what they are like.
