Awarded second place in this year’s National Teaching Awards for Excellence in Special Needs Teaching, Chadwin Bagley is the pride of Rusthof Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) School in Strand.

Mr Bagley, who lives in Gordon’s Bay, bagged this prestigious placement after earlier this year winning in the category provincially and then competing with other provincial winners for the top national title.

The national teaching award winners were announced at an award ceremony hosted by the Department of Basic Education in Boksburg on Saturday October 5, aptly held on the same day as the commemoration of World Teachers’ Day.

A professional teacher for the past nine years, of which five of those years were spent in the special needs teaching field, Mr Bagley is elated with the win.

“Placing in the top three as one of South Africa’s best special needs teachers is an immense honour!

“It validates my teaching efforts and instils confidence within me to continue my work as a passionate educator.”

This new national achievement, he says, serves as motivation for him to continue being an example to his fellow teachers.

“It encourages me to be an example to all teachers, especially those within the stream of special needs education where I believe a lot more can be done to promote inclusivity and access to learning.”

His passion for the LSEN teaching field is tangible and his advice to other other teachers in the special needs teaching field is practical and based on what he has established to be a working formula.

Lesson preparation, he says, is vital. “Special needs teaching is very technical and specific, it requires meticulous preparation, you can’t just wing it.”

In addition to detailed preparation to ensure lessons run things seamlessly, he says being aware of how your role extends far beyond just teaching the lesson content is another realisation to factor in when it comes to LSEN teaching.

“Another thing to keep in mind is that learners are human, some days it’s not just about what we teach in the curriculum, but more so about being a father or motherly figure to our children,” he says.

Other important components to include in teaching, he says, are structure, passion, perseverance and total commitment to the work you do.

In a press release, , Education MEC David Maynier, congratulated the Western Cape teachers on their win at national level.

“We are delighted that two of our Western Cape teachers were announced as winners, with a further two ranking in the top 3 in their categories.

“We congratulate them on this outstanding achievement, which is a testament to the incredible work these teachers do every day!

Chadwin Bagley, a Gordon’s Bay resident and teacher at Rusthof Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) School in Strand, earned recognition in this year’s National Teaching Awards (NTA’s) hosted by the Department of Basic Education in Boksburg.

The National Teaching Awards 2024 winners on Saturday October 5 at the awards ceremony in Boksburg. PICTURE: WESTERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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