Michael Earley is from Northamptonshire having spent much of his life in Luton. He worked in international banking for 27 years before changing career 6 years ago to become a maths teacher at a secondary school in Wellingborough. He enjoys cycling and has recently started competing in tri-athlons.
Why did you decide to volunteer with People and Places in South Africa?
My wife did a lot of research into the subject and was impressed by the awards that P&P had received for Responsible Tourism – especially as these were tied in with Virgin, who I believe are an excellent travel company.
Once we had made contact, we had frequent Sunday afternoon calls from P&P. These satisfied my concerns about whether the cost of the “holiday” was money well spent or should I simply send a donation. I was also concerned about living on a township but any fears were quashed and I certainly felt a little foolish when I arrived at Mickey’s house and met her and her family.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
We would be picked up at about 7.30 and taken to our respective schools were we arrived in time for morning assembly. This turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the day – listening to the wonderful singing of the students (and teachers).
Initially I co-taught with another of the maths teachers. In the second week I was asked to deliver lessons so that the local teachers might gain some new ideas. I was always careful to stress that my way of teaching might not be the best. I am a strong believer in student participation and some of this rubbed off on the local teachers who, by weeks 3 and 4 made the students move around the class and become more active.
At the end of each day, I would have brief conversations with the teachers as a sort of “de-brief” of how the day went.
Every Thursday we met with the Head Teacher and local P&P representative to assess the progress that was being made and whether it could be improved.
What made this experience unique and special?
I had travelled to South Africa a few years earlier and tried to get a sense of what it was like to be a local. Living on a township with local people helped me, in some small way, understand what it’s like to live in SAfrica years after the end of apartheid. Despite there being a lot of poverty among the local people, the students were always happy to see me. I came away with a lot of happy memories!
How has this experience impacted your future?
As a teacher in a secondary school which has part of its cohort from estates where drugs and gangs are common, I am able to put into context how lucky we are. I entered teaching to work with students that need a break. The trip to SAfrica re-enforced that desire.
