Hester Hougaard Email & Phone Number

I am an Educator. I'm passionate about Education. I spent my life doing it. I started in 1994 with our Democracy. I was fresh out of college with stars in my eyes hopeful to make a change in our Country and it's education. I started my Teaching career at Malvern Primary teaching 40 Grade 3 learners in a tiny classroom. I learnt to pronounce names that were totally new to me as I am Afrikaans but were now teaching in the first Model D school in South Africa and learnt to lead learners from not understanding to being fluent in our medium of instruction English. I taught here for six years and it completely changed my humanity as I learnt to help learners to express themselves. I helped them but they helped me as I grew in understanding of their backgrounds and fears. I am a better person for struggling in those years with my learners and now I am proud to at least have one engineer from that first wonderful phase in my life and I am sure I will connect with more. I went on to teach at a small school to have more time for my children. Then back to public schools with big classes and this taught me about second language teaching again. I left for teaching in my mother tongue as I would be able to be closer to my children. I taught at my children's school for a year and then moved to the Pre-school on the premises. I was at their school but not part of their school. Randhart Rakkertjies. Here I met the most wonderful people and the best parents ever. We struck lifelong friendships. As my children left the Primary school I found the need to teach in mainstream again and to increase my salary. I was welcomed back at my old school Alberview Primary. I learnt so much and made friends in this time. Teaching is the most wonderful profession it enriches your heart and soul. I moved on to work at our Church for the year, running the children's ministry. I missed being in school though. I was blessed to work at St. Declan's school for boys for 18 months and then moved to The Hamlet school of hope. Teaching these learners have taught me so much about empathy and potential. I work with amazing people and wonderful learners. I wrote a concert last year and this taught me about ability in the SID school. I never want to stop learning. My profession has taught me so much about myself and changed my life for the better. I