Marcia Woolward, ex-principal at Grassy Park High, wrote this endorsement about my work for teachers who are considering signing up for my creative writing projects in their schools.
Dear Teachers and Principals
I am the ex-principal of Grassy Park High School and have worked with Thérèse for the past two years. I want to share my experiences.
I know that teachers are buckling under the demands of the profession and principals carry heavy burdens and any extra programme is viewed with doubt. Is this really for the teacher’s benefit or is it just another idea of someone removed from the realities of teaching trying to ride on the backs of the school.
My encouragement is to let Thérèse to work her magic. Relax into this programme and be open to where it takes you. Observe her work. Teachers are so terribly time bound that the pace of her programme is very different. It is nothing new to us but because we are so caught up in curriculum it is good to be refreshed.
Allow yourself to absorb the learnings, as it may remind you of the way you once viewed children and discipline.
Please know that this letter was not a request from Thérèse, but because I would not want you to miss out on a genuine attempt to support the amazing work that teachers do under trying circumstances. I wish I had the words to express this in Afrikaans but hope you will catch the gist of it.
I am happy to say that although I have retired, I continue the programme of Narrative Therapy through poetry at my old school. I trained as a Life Science teacher, but walking alongside Thérèse in her work rekindled my love for language and gave me enough confidence to run with it.
It also motivated me to write poetry and the joy of writing and sharing with others has been amazing.
I wish you well as you start this journey.
Yours sincerely,
Marcia Woolward
Ex-principal
