4.2 Unpacking my primary school teacher-learner relationships and learning from them
4.2.5 Playground: Building supportive teacher-learner relationships through play
by my teacher as a small boy in Grade 7, together with others, on the soccer field through play.
83
I engaged with this visual journaling activity to depict how I was able to gain confidence in participating in extramural activities through the support I received from my teacher. As explained in Chapter Two, visual journaling is a creative process of turning inward and visually portraying your own feelings, thoughts and events that have been part of your life, intending to understand them better and in detail (Scott Shields, 2016).
Figure 4.5: My visual journal entry on building supportive teacher-learner relationships on a soccer field through play.
While I participated in extramural activities in my primary school days, I remember that I did not participate in sports that much. As a learner who focused more on his books and was considered ‘smart’ and praised by the school, I found it hard to juggle my books and participate in sports activities such as soccer as I went from one grade to the next because it was demanding. The most popular sporting activity – and the only one available for boys in my school – was soccer. Although I played soccer with other boys at home, I found it difficult to play it at school. I had no confidence in facing the whole school playing soccer in the playground. Getting good academic results, and being smart and respectful was what I was
84
mostly known for at school. Therefore, I thought sports activities would disturb my studies, which was going to be followed by my grades dropping. Of course, I also knew very well that many other boys in my class and in the whole school played soccer and were much better at it than me. They were talented in the sport.
I remember one day in my class when we were planning a friendly match with another class at our school. As there were ongoing debates about who must be selected and so forth, my teacher asked me if I knew how to play soccer and would be available to help the class bring the trophy home. There was a moment of silence. All eyes turned to me, and I immediately felt like I was in the hot seat at a commission of inquiry and being cross-examined live. After a minute of being silent, I answered the question by explaining that I knew how to play soccer, but had never played it on the school grounds. Of course, I had played it with my few friends in our free time during break times now and then. I emphasised that I had only played soccer at home and in my village.
What followed was that my teacher called me to have a private conversation. It was as if he knew exactly what I feared, because that is where he first based and directed his discussion and reasoning. He knew my struggle of being concerned about having to juggle my schoolwork and extramural activities. As a teacher who had been in the teaching profession for some time, he indicated to me that I must calm down – he had faced the kind of issues I discussed with him before. We carried on and on with our conversation. He welcomed me with care, he took his time to listen to me, and he finally understood me. He took his own time to inquire what might be bothering me regarding the issue that was on the table at the time. He supported me through motivations and stories he had experienced before. After that, I decided to ‘take the plunge’ and play soccer at school. Playing with all of us as boys in our class as we were practising for a friendly match with the other class made things exciting and lightened the load of the pressure I felt to achieve academically. I became so relieved and gained the confidence to juggle my schoolwork and play soccer through that teacher’s support, dedication, and persistence.
Through recalling my lived experience, I learnt that teachers in schools should take their time in enquiring about their learners’ interests, way of doing things, and behaviours. This can bring them closer to their learners’ lives and bolster positive teacher-learner relationships.
Furthermore, seeing their teachers show care and love towards them and what is happening in their lives makes learners feel that they can be open in engaging in critical and positive
85
conversations with teachers, resulting in changes to their situations. This was evident in my case, where my teacher engaged me in a positive discussion on the issue of soccer. It made me feel that I was given a lot of support. I engaged in this vital conversation, which led to positive results. Furthermore, the conversation made me gain confidence and increased my self-esteem regarding the issue I was confronted with. It also led to a beneficial relationship between my teacher and me. Therefore, I can now see how teachers can build supportive teacher-learner relationships by taking the initiative to support their learners in extra-curricular activities. The motivating power of extra-curricular activities can also be seen in memory-work done by Magubane (2016), who recalled how playing soccer in Grade 7 motivated him and made him feel more positive towards school. Magubane’s memory story shows how the value of encouraging extra-curricular activities in school can also be strengthened through learners responding positively to the initiatives entered into by their teachers.
4.2.6 One event from an unsupportive teacher-learner relationship I experienced in