Becky will miss Thandlkhulu

Becky & Mr. Buti

For the past three months I have had one of the most amazing opportunities that had an incredible impact on me. The first thing that attracted me to this program was the fact that during the time we were abroad we would be placed at an internship in our content area. I have spent my time here at a high school in Mowbray called Thandokhulu three days a week teaching, observing, and helping students. I was always apprehensive about my choice to become a math teacher because I have always struggled with my studies at UCONN, but I can now say I am confident in that choice. Every time I taught a class and the students understood what I was trying to teach it was so rewarding. I cannot say enough good things about this study abroad program, but the experience and memories it has given me in teaching math is something I will never forget.

I was lucky enough to follow around an incredible teacher by the name of Mr. Buti, who was head of the math department at the school. Not only does he teach five different classes of about forty students per class, but he is also in charge of the schools athletics and choir. I have never met a teacher who does so much for his school and still manages to be an attentive and caring teacher. By the end of my time shadowing him I had been able to walk into his grade 10 or 9 classes and just teach from browsing the book for a minute. He not only taught me so much about being an excellent teacher, but he also gave me a confidence I have never had before. Some new interns had started in the last few weeks of my time at Thandokhulu and Mr. Buti made sure that I watched these students and give them feedback. I would have never thought I would be relied on to critique other South African interns who were the same age as me, but it was really nice to know that he could rely on me to be a good judge on their teaching methods.

I will miss working at Thandokhulu more than I can say at this point because I just finished my last day today. Working at this school had ignited a passion in me that I know I will take with me back to the United States. I want to give American youth an equal opportunity to learn and make sure they have a teacher who loves the subject they teach. I know that this experience will lead me to some school with inadequate funding because I don’t want to ignore the fact that some teens in America are getting a lower quality education. I am so glad I chose to come to Cape Town because I know I will hold this internship very close