Inspired Teachers Conference

Shaping leaders, igniting passion, changing lives.

This conference has been created specially to celebrate the commitment of the remarkable teachers who are shaping young leaders on a daily basis, often in difficult circumstances.

Inspired Teachers recognizes and learns from the teachers who know how to light up a classroom; shares leadership lessons and inspiration with our teaching community and focuses on celebrating excellence in teaching.

“The best conference I have been on as an educator. Came away feeling totally inspired.” Christine Scrooby, Riverbank Primary Education

Why you need to be there:

• connecting the talented educators who light up classrooms
• learn from experts
• network with your peers
• reconnect with “why” you took up teaching as a profession

DATE: Wednesday 6 August 2014
VENUE: Cape Town Science Centre, 370B Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town
TIME: 15:00 for 15:30 until 20:30
COST: Schools: R650. Corporate SA: R2500 (costs excl vat) including dinner and teas
BOOK NOW: Contact Lizzy Mafalo on (011) 880-9749 or lizzy@qualitylife.co.za, or register online.

Agenda:

Keynote: Embracing Life’s Challenges
This media mogul stresses the importance of adversity, saying that sometimes it’s important to be fired … sometimes it’s important to be divorced. He says that if he had not been fired from his job as an editor-in-chief, he would not be where he is today. Trevor will also discuss the impact teachers had on his life both positive and negative.

Trevor Ncube is Chair of Alpha Media Holdings based in Zimbabwe, a company he co-founded 18 years ago, as well as controlling shareholder and Executive Deputy Chair of the Mail & Guardian Media Group (SA), publishers of one of the leading weekly newspapers the Mail & Guardian. Ncube has a BA Honours (First Class) from the University of Zimbabwe and has been awarded many prestigious honours, including the International Publishers Association Freedom Prize Award in 2007, in 2010 the Nation Media Group Life Achievement Award for his work in media on the continent. He is chairman of the WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Informed Societies. Ncube is married with two children, loves reading and travelling, is a keen golfer and devout Christian.

The Teacher as Leader
Every day, teachers are faced with not only imparting information, hopefully in an inspirational manner, but potentially with moulding and shaping these young people to go out and be leaders in their communities and families. How can we change the way teachers view their profession as merely one of teacher to a more holistic view of the profession, in relation to the role they play in society?

Professor Brian O’Connell has been a professional educator for 41 years in various positions. Since 2001 he has been the Vice-Chancellor and Rector (President) of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), where he is also a Professor in Education Leadership and Management. He has a B.A degree and Education Diploma from the University of the Western Cape, a B.A Honours in History (cum laude) from UNISA, and MA and MEd degrees from Columbia University in New York. He is a Fulbright Scholar and has also received study grants from the British Council and the Anglo American Chairmans fund. In May 2011, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Missouri.

The Power of Collaboration: Facing the challenges together
What happens when teachers create teacher forums and learn from each other rather than remain in isolation? Drawing from her work with Media24 Rachel’s Angels Mentorship Programme which she founded, Rachel will talk about what happens when teachers learn from and co-operate with each other as a tool to support and grow especially in schools facing socio-economic difficulties.

Prof Rachel Jafta is Professor in Economics at the University of Stellenbosch. She studied at the Universities of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch in South Africa and Luigi Bocconi in Milan, Italy, and recently Harvard Business School. She is a director of various companies and founder and chairperson of a number of Community engagement projects, amongst others the Media24 Rachel’s Angels Mentorship Programme and the Cape Town Carnival. She is the chair of the Media24 board. She has received awards for excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement, as well as the University of Stellenbosch’s Award for Exceptional Alumni (2011).

Teacher Teach Meet: Conversation in the classroom: The Teacher as facilitator
At the centre of it all, the inspired and inspiring teacher is still what makes the difference between an engaged and disengaged student. We unpack the best strategies for keeping interest and energy in the classroom.

Arthur Preston is the Principal of Elkanah House Senior Primary School in Sunningdale, Cape Town. He is passionate about 21st century education and as a regular speaker at conferences both locally and internationally, Arthur is exposed to schools and teachers from across a wide spectrum of society and believes passionately in the ongoing professional development of teachers and in the idea of life-long learners.
Dorothea Hendricks is an educational psychologist working in a community psychology model at Tsiba Education. She is a lifelong learner who believes that each person is endowed with a depth of wisdom, beauty, capability and connectedness. Her daily Benedictine and Contemplative disciplines and joy include manual labour, time for family, study of Scripture, prayer, service and honouring work commitments.
Kitty Lambrecht’s background in the medical field, especially her studies in neuroscience and Industrial Psychology, helped her understand that behaviour must be understood as an integrated part of the whole person. She also works at Tsiba University and is responsible for the personal development of the third year students as part of their Leadership and Personal Development Program.
Dr Lydia Abel is a long-time activist for social change especially in STEM Education and Language. As Director of ORT SA CAPE, her experience and insight helped to develop innovative strategies for improving education quality as well as getting children off the streets into enriching learning experiences.

Teacher Teach Meet: The STEAMpowered classroom When Science and Art join forces
Arts education is a key to creativity, and creativity spurs innovation which is necessary to create new industries. The classroom of the future will draw inspiration equally from science, technology & the Arts.

Steve Sherman is the CEO of an Educational NGO in South Africa called Living Maths. He teaches approximately 4500 students weekly in schools around Cape Town and now recently, the world. He is passionate about sharing knowledge and empowering young people. He is also a multi-award purchasing educator and was voted third best-looking educational innovator by his mother. He feels that it is his destiny to spread the joy of numbers to anyone who is willing to listen and even to those who are not. He knows Karate, Ju-jitsu and 2 other Japanese words.
Anthony Peters hails from Oxford, England, arriving in SA four years ago. He is currently working as an educator in the English Department of Parklands College. Having obtained a Masters Degree in Sociolinguistics and an Honours Degree in English, Linguistics and Psychology, he has a great interest in language and education innovation. He has been invited to present at a number of ‘Tech in education’ conferences including the first South African Google Summit in 2013 and ADESSA earlier this year. He is particularly interested in collaborative and ‘project-based’ education and was awarded the ‘Curriculum Project of the Year’ for the Apple in Education competition in 2012.
Fiona Beal is a technology integration facilitator with SchoolNet SA. She manages the social networking, webinar programme, writes the content for the SchoolNet blog , mentors teachers from the Caribbean and is involved in the the African Story Book Project. She also creates and runs short, free online courses for teachers helping them integrate technology into their curriculum. Fiona volunteers at a local school and teaches Grade 1-9 ICT Technology and won a Microsoft Innovative Teacher title in 2009 and represented SA at the Global Forum in Brazil. She attended the Google Teacher Academy in New York in 2012 and is recognised as a Google Certified Teacher.
Jacqui Watson graduated from UCT with a B.Bus.Sci Marketing Honours. While studying, she volunteered for a tutoring programme operating in townships across the Western Cape. She developed a profound passion for improving the quality of education in SA. Jacqui joined the Obami Team in July 2013 where she looks after the online learning community’s school sector. After-hours, Jacqui runs the non- profit organisation, Eduvator, which focuses on improving school infrastructures financed through crowd funding. Jacqui’s interested in how technology can be leveraging to provide equal access to educational resources and services across the country.

Panel Discussion: For the Love of Learning: Imagining the ideal school
This year we’ve introduced a platform for our students too. Learners will discuss what works best for them and what differences their teachers make in their lives.

Panellists to be confirmed

Founder and Chair of The Inspired Teachers Conference

Debby Edelstein has acquired a reputation for creating unique and innovative learning experiences through the various platforms she creates. The joint-CEO of QualityLife Company, she is the founder of The Inspired Teachers Conference and also hosts the weekly #InspiredEd chat on twitter.

Whatever your interest in brilliant teaching, whether you’re

• a facilitator keen to learn the best teaching methods available;
• a teacher looking for inspiration;
• a change agent committed to the future of our youth or
• a parent who accepts that education is a community responsibility
• don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from the most inspired and inspiring teachers around.

BOOK NOW: Contact Lizzy Mafalo on (011) 880-9749 or lizzy@qualitylife.co.za, or register online.