“There is nothing wrong, with getting it wrong…you learn so much more through the process.” Wendy Horn, Global Teacher Prize Nominee 2018
Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms. Many of us would agree that we had that one teacher who influenced us to set life goals and achieve our best. That one teacher who made us pursue our tertiary studies or who pushed us to achieve more than we knew we could in school. And for many, Wendy Horn is this teacher. It is therefore no wonder that this school principal and science teacher from Protea Heights Academy, was recently nominated for the Global Teacher Prize (February 2018). This means Wendy Horn is recognised as one of the top 50 teachers in the world!
Speaking about her passion, Wendy explains that educators can “shape the future.” For Wendy, being a teacher is a calling, “when you stand in front of that class, those children must be your everything.” She adds that “the school, through the innovative use of technology, is preparing learners to be creative problem solvers that will be able to make a positive contribution to society in the future.” As part of their strategy and digital toolkit, Protea Heights Academy uses Staffroom Software. We asked her to share her experience with Staffroom Software:
How would you explain to a friend what Staffroom Sofware does?
“It makes data sharing, reporting and communication easy. It also cuts down on the workload of educators and administrators.”
What were your processes like before using Staffroom Software?
“Time-consuming and cumbersome. We also found errors creeping into the data and the processing of data was frustrating!”
How does Staffroom Software improve your processes?
“The product saves time. We are able to work from any place that has an internet connection. It also speeds up processes, allows us to collaborate and share data seamlessly.”
Is Staffroom Software worth the investment?
Yes, we save time! It makes the workload less per educator. We can communicate easily with parents and learners. Staffroom allows us to share data so that we can analyse our performance and suggest suitable intervention strategies. We also cut down on the use of paper and files and can share information effortlessly. The digital archive allows us to store marks, reports and learner information which means we can share these documents with every staff member, as well as parents. Without Staffroom I would ‘freak out’ – it would be as if we were back in the dark ages and would mean more work!”
Define teacher and learner success?
Wendy’s approach to teaching is not about imparting knowledge only. Wendy explains, “We are preparing our learners for the fourth Industrial revolution, which means learners will have many jobs as they progress through their lives…” She humbly adds, “Children don’t need teachers for information, for that they have Google. They need us to teach them skills and to guide them.” This is why Wendy believes it is important to teach learners how to problem solve.
According to Wendy, Staffroom Software adds to the success of her team, “it adds to our brand in that we communicate with parents effectively. It allows educators to work smartly and saves time. The product allows easy and effective data analysis. It just makes the admin a little bit easier – which in turn means we can use our time more efficiently.”
We are proud to know that Protea Heights Academy has found a digital solution in Staffroom Software! One that makes inspirational teachers like Wendy Horn’s life a little easier!
Interested in learning more? Contact us for a demo or learn more here.
