The province’s best special-needs teacher belongs to the basin!
Chadwin Bagley, a teacher at Rusthof LSEN School in Strand, was honoured for excellence in special-needs teaching as a winner in the 2024 Western Cape Provincial Teaching Awards.
The announcement was made during an awards ceremony held at the Avenue Conference Centre at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday (24 August). Bagley is one of 15 provincial winners who will now move on as nominees for the National Teaching Awards to be held in October. The prestigious awards, now in its 24th year, aim to acknowledge individual teachers who excel and remain committed to quality education for all.
What brings Bagley the most joy is his passion for making quality education accessible and imparting knowledge to learners despite their challenges. “While I am still processing the valued recognition, I am overwhelmed with immense gratitude,” he said, his cup bubbling over with pride and delight at the acknowledgment.
The 30-year-old has been an educational asset at the local learning institution for the past five years, teaching languages to Grade 4 and 5 learners (aged 14 to 18 years) with intellectual development disorders. It is his learners who get him out of bed, even on bad days, because simply showing up is what inspires them to learn and seize the day.
Bagley describes himself as the type of teacher who not only educates with many laughs shared in a happy class environment conducive to learning. but also often takes learners under his wing, offers a listening ear, something to eat, and steps up as a fatherly figure to some of the boys with no dads.
“Teaching was not my first choice,” he shared. “I wanted to pursue my love for theatre with a career in the performing arts. However, my mom, Brenda Abrahams, a retired teacher from Mitchells Plain, pulled me aside and persuaded me otherwise, saying, ‘While you may not see it, God has a calling for your life and teaching is how to fulfil it.’ And, mother truly knows best.”
Bagley earned his Bachelor of Education in Intermediate and Senior Phase Teaching at Stellenbosch University in 2015, followed by his honours in Educational Support in 2019. The teaching talent is currently completing his second honours qualification in Language Education and is proud to announce that he is a Masters candidate eagerly awaiting to embark on this next tertiary studies chapter in the new academic year.
Before stepping into his calling by joining the Rusthof LSEN ranks, Bagley taught English at a mainstream primary school in Mitchells Plain for four years. He said while his contribution was wonderful the move to the special-needs school allowed him to tap into the power of his essence. “The children’s learning challenges drive me to do better, think out of the box and keep me on my toes as an educator,” explained the Gordon’s Bay resident. “The greatest reward is helping learners hurdle a learning stumbling block or get them back on track after getting lost in a problem. Their success, no matter how small, is my success.”
Bagley also gets to fuse his passion for theatre with teaching as he makes learning fun and interesting by integrating the performing arts into lessons, as well as helping learners showcase their cultural ability and talent on the school or Eisteddfod stage. He has also created a YouTube channel which teachers can access for support and advice, and share ideas and tips.
“I want to be an advocate for inclusivity and a voice to those with special needs. A lot more can be done.”
According to provincial education minister David Maynier, the awards celebrate the incredible work done by teachers in public schools every day.
“These teachers relentlessly pursue excellence, and their passion for improving learning outcomes is clear for all to see,” he said. “It is wonderful to see how our teachers are making a lasting impact on the lives of learners in the Western Cape.
“We thank all teachers of the Western Cape for their hard work over the past year and encourage all residents of our province to express their appreciation for the teachers who work so incredibly hard. Our teachers are our most valuable asset, and we appreciate their love, care and support for our children!”
