About

Yes, this is ME

I’m a Primary Teacher from South Africa, also British qualified and I’m teaching primary [age 9-10] in a UK school.

Nikita is my blog-nickname and it originates from my chess-nickname on a chess site – and this song.

  My teaching experience in SA is in the age groups 9-13, but more with Gr3′s – 9 year old kiddies. I also hold a second qualification – from SA - a  2 year-MBD-qualification[SEN] - to support students with all sorts of learning disabilities - in particular Dyslexia, but I have worked with students with Autism/Down Syndrome students and also students with visual problems – partially sighted students (including blind students). At the moment I’m having an autistic boy in my class, who makes the days even more exciting and interesting! I’m also a qualified Teacher-librarian. Yes, for some teachers in the UK it is VERY hard to understand how it is possible that South African teachers can be so ‘flexible’/versatile – it’s all to do with our type of training – we had in the past! We were lucky – I think with the quality of traing we used to have!  I have experience of being a  Teacher-librarian for 14 years -whilst teaching too. Library studies was ONE of my subjects [skills subject] during my training as a teacher. Remedial Studies was another subject – academic subject – one of many other subjects. Remedial Studies was my 2year-subject and Northern Sotho my 4year academic subject. All other Educational subjects were compulsary, e.g. Child Psychology, Pedagogy, Orto-pedagogy, Social Pedagogy, Didactic Method, etc etc [including Maths/Science/History/...etc etc - the school-based subjects]

  We used to live for 5 years in West London, now a bit more to the South East.  My blog name [not my real  name- please take note] originates from the words…Chess+ SA + Lee…Chessa is the South African Chess Association…but I’m not the official Chessa blogger! only Chess+SA give you Chessa….South Africa – my country which I love and the game CHESS I love! and Lee Mead.He was my favourite in a competition to play the leading role in “Joseph….” that was held in 2007 in the UK. I looooooove South Africa, – the best place in the world to be – that’s why you will find lots of postings about South Africa, songs, poetry, poems about our best poets that’s in the same class as Poe/Wordsworth etc. You will find works of Eugene Marais/Ingrid Jonker/Totius/NP van Wyk-Louw etc…all outstanding writers/poets…also artists…as I love art myself. You will find Bettie-Cilliers Barnard, Pierneef, Walter Battis [creater of Fook Island]…..they are only a few of our famous artists, but you will find many others on my blog too, even from other countries too…

I do blog about things in life I enjoy/love/like/believe in/find interesting/find fascinating/find stimulating and to express my views and don’t blog to satisfy/impress other people, but more to inform/enrich other people…although I know some topics like music, poetry and chess aren’t everybody’s piece of cake. – but at least it’s mine. [hehe]

I’m a book lover and in particular a lover of children’s books too!(believe it or not!) and therefore, you will find posts about great books I’ve come across or used in my teaching….Afrikaans as well as English…you will find books/writers on my blog…also entries about South African writers…e.g. Dalene Matthee and a few others…I do try to write poems too, in both languages, so you can read the page about “poems/gedigte” and I hope you enjoy what you find! You will find a very extensive entry about the British/Boer War as I have a strong connection via my great grandad to the war…you will find war poems/art  in the entry too…On my blog you will find lots of South African recipes, some entries with photos showing you step-by-step…if you go to the “movies” page you will find “movies” about places in SA…one in particular about our holiday at Swadini…in the Eastern part of the country…called Mpumalanga…where the greenest canyon in the world is and the third longest tufa waterfal,(the weeping tufa). If you don’t know what a tufa waterfal is, make sure you watch the Swadini-video.

I’m not a professional chess player at all – as someone  asked me once, but do play for the fun of it online. As I’m a teacher too, you will find links to educational sites or find educational-posts from time to time. I have lots of posts about chess….some of my own games.  I’ve blogged about research that was done in the past on chess/education…big tournaments which the world’s chess grandmasters take part in. You will find Carlsen/Anand/Kramnik’s games here and many other Chess Grandmasters….also the Africa Juniors of 2008/2009 and major South African chess tournaments up to almost the end of 2009…I love classical music and you will find a couple of entries on classical music too…I always try to find other resources and link it to my posts…enjoy whatever you find here and if you love travelling, then make sure South Africa is your next stop!
You want to know about the history of food in South Africa? This link here, is an Afrikaans Thesis about South African food 1652-1800′s. The link will open in a new window.
44 Places to go in 2009…on this link South Africa is nr 34…click on the South African-image and see why you have to go there in 2009!http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html?hp

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