In an announcement by actor and writer Stephen Fry in Paris, France, last Wednesday Dr Mariëtte Wheeler, a life sciences teacher at Protea Heights Academy, was nominated as one of the Top 10 finalists for the prestigious US $1 million Global Teacher Prize.
In a tribute to the ten finalists from around the world Fry, in a livestream video, epitomised the role of teachers in our society.
“We are shaped by the individuals around us, either in a small way or in a way that will transform our futures.
Educators play the most important role in our lives as they teach us not just about the world around us but about ourselves. But more importantly they inspire our curiosity and ignite our imagination,” he said.
The competition is an annual award by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) to a teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.
The 2023 finalists were selected from over 7 000 nominations and applications from 130 countries around the world.
Congratulating Wheeler, Western Cape minister of education David Maynier singled out her dedication to make a difference in the lives of her learners and the larger community.
“Her passion for her subject and sharing of her knowledge with her learners is admirable,” Maynier said of Wheeler who in 2021 won the Department of Basic Education’s Best Teacher Award.
Innovative lesson approaches
Her teaching approach emphasises working towards the simplest possible explanation of material.
Learners explain work to each other in small peer groups, have class debates, participate in charades-like class competitions, and use the Quizziz app to learn difficult scientific terms.
Outside the classroom, she also makes monthly record broadcasts on marine life for a local radio station, listened to by around 400 000 people.
“In teaching science, I break down difficult scientific terms into smaller words to enable understanding. Learners also ask each other the terminology through charade-like games. This is a fun way for them to use the terminology more and the learners are very competitive. At the end of the year, there is a small prize for each member of the winning team. I encourage group discussions and class debates on relevant topics. In these discussions, learners have to think critically and they have to use the theory that I have taught them to motivate their own opinions,” she said to TygerBurger.
In addition she uses various equipment, even general kitchen apparatus to demonstrate abstract topics to learners.
Wheeler, who hails from Pretoria, completed her B Sc, majoring in biochemistry and zoology followed by a B Sc Honours in zoology and M Sc in zoology all with cum laude at the then University of Port Elizabeth. She completed her Ph D at the University of Cape Town.
“For my thesis, I worked and lived on sub-Antarctic Marion Island focusing on the effect of human disturbance on the seabirds and seals of sub-Antarctic Marion Island. I worked on various biological projects before I returned for a second year to Marion Island, to do monitoring on the seabirds.”
In 2015, she completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Cape Town with distinction.
She started her full-time teaching career at Protea Heights Academy in 2016 where she was responsible for the Bazinga Science Club, and arranged the first school Expo for learners to display their projects. In 2018 she taught at Sterkspruit Christian School in Sterkspruit, a rural community in the Eastern Cape. “Here I gained insight into the challenges that learners in rural areas with less access to learning resources face. Many of these learners have since graduated and are now busy with postgraduate studies.”
Wheeler returned to PHA in October 2018 where all of her Grade 12 life sciences learners passed the subject and their senior year.
In 2019, she motivated for the school to become one of the pilot schools for the new subject marine sciences, and has been teaching this subject as one of the nodal schools since 2020.
Honour representing SA
Wheeler shared her excitement saying it is an honour to represent the Western Cape and South Africa in an international competition.
“Wow, what an exciting day! Being one of the Top 10 means that the work that I am doing at PHA will be showcased at the event at the Unesco headquarters. I am privileged and proud to represent South Africa. I hope that my selection will also inspire my fellow teachers in our country to keep up their amazing work.”
Protea Heights Academy congratulated Dr Wheeler on her nomination and for representing the school globally.
Also read: Young scientist from Brackenfell showcase skills at Eskom Expo International Science Fair
“Dr. Wheeler’s impact extends beyond the classroom. She serves as an inspiration to her peers and the wider educational community. Her willingness to share her expertise and innovative teaching methods is proof of this. She invests the time and effort needed to create a learning environment,” says principal Andrea Coetzer.
Marian Nieuwoudt, City councillor in Ward 8 where the school opened its doors in 2015 says “from the very start this school was our pride. To have a teacher among the best in the world speaks to the culture and ethics”.
The final award ceremony will be presented by the Varkey Foundation and its strategic partner Dubai Cares, in collaboration with Unesco, on Wednesday 8 November in Paris, France. The ceremony will take place at the 42nd session of Unesco’s general conference.
