KNYSNA NEWS - Teachers attending a professional development workshop at Knysna Primary School last week began the day in an unexpected way; barefoot and dancing.
The activity formed part of the Knysna Initiave for Learning and Teaching's (Kilt) Class Fix 2026, a teacher development initiative designed to combine practical classroom strategies with reflection and wellbeing.
The programme brought together local educators with two nationally recognised education leaders: Professor Jonathan Jansen and Alison Scott, executive head of Bellavista School in Johannesburg.
Rather than focusing on abstract theory, both keynote speakers addressed the realities teachers face in South African classrooms, including dealing with trauma, emotional strain and increasing expectations.
Their messages emphasised resilience, commitment and the importance of sustained support for educators at the start of a demanding school year.
Jansen drew on decades of experience working alongside teachers in diverse and often challenging contexts.
Through personal anecdotes and direct engagement with participants, he spoke about the emotional labour of teaching and the need for consistency and care in daily practice.
He highlighted the importance of maintaining perspective and managing disappointment, describing teaching as service grounded in human connection.
Grit, resilience and inclusive education
Scott's address focused on the concept of grit and perseverance, particularly in inclusive and remedial education settings. She stressed that resilience should not be understood as pushing through difficulty at all costs, but as something developed within supportive environments.
"Labels can help us choose the right tools, but they should never become limits," she said, reflecting on the risks of defining learners by challenges rather than potential.
Following the keynote sessions, teachers participated in a range of breakaway workshops facilitated by the Kilt teacher development team.
Topics included practical differentiation, questioning techniques, thinking skills, playful learning and strategies for supporting anxious learners.
Professor Jonathan Jansen addressing teachers during the workshop.
The sessions encouraged discussion, collaboration and the sharing of classroom-based experience.
Several workshops focused on helping teachers better understand how stress and anxiety affect learning and behaviour, while others explored ways to design tasks that allow for multiple pathways to understanding.
Movement and regulation were incorpo-rated into the programme with the support of Cecile Sasman, whose work focuses on the connection between learning and the body.
Participants were encouraged to pause, move and reset during the day.
According to Kilt, Class Fix 2026 reflects a commitment to providing local teachers with access to high-quality professional development and creating spaces for shared learning and support.
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