Yesterday, actor, broadcaster and writer Stephen Fry announced that Dr Mariëtte Wheeler, a Life Sciences instructor at Protea Heights Academy, is among the top 10 finalists for the esteemed Global Teacher Prize.
The award seeks to recognise extraordinary educators based on a comprehensive set of criteria that evaluates their remarkable contributions to the field. This year’s finalists were chosen from an impressive pool of over 7 000 nominees hailing from 130 different countries.
Also read: Western Cape educator among top 50 teachers worldwide
The Varkey Foundation, along with its strategic partner Dubai Cares and in cooperation with UNESCO, will host the final award ceremony.
Scheduled for Wednesday, 8 November 2023, at 6:30pm (CET), the event will be held during the 42nd session of UNESCO’s General Conference in Paris.
Dr Wheeler has gained this recognition due to her commitment to education and her positive impact on both her students and the broader community. She stands out for her enthusiasm for her subject matter and her effective sharing of knowledge with her students.
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In 2021, she received the Department of Basic Education’s Best Teacher Award, a testament to her unique teaching methods. Among these techniques are having students teach each other in small groups, encouraging classroom debates, organising interactive class activities, and employing the Quizziz app to help students master complex scientific terminology.
Moreover, Dr Wheeler extends her educational reach beyond the classroom. She produces monthly audio segments on marine biology for a local radio station, gaining an audience of roughly 400 000 listeners.
The Global Teacher Prize has also acknowledged nine other finalists from Africa. In the award’s history, eight educators from South Africa have been finalists, three of whom hail from the Western Cape, including Warren Sparrow (Top 50, 2015) and Wendy Horn (Top 50, 2018), the current District Director of the Metro North Education District.
Upon hearing the news, Dr Wheeler expressed her excitement and gratitude:
‘Wow, what an exciting day – to be announced as one of the Global Teacher Prize Top 10 finalists! It is an honour to represent the Western Cape Education Department and South Africa in this international competition. Being one of the Top 10 means that the work that I am doing at Protea Heights Academy for the Western Cape Education Department will be showcased at the event at the UNESCO headquarters on 8 November. It will be a very proud moment for me to represent South Africa. Thank you for all the support and encouragement that I have been receiving.’
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She added, ‘I hope that my selection will also inspire my fellow teachers in our country to keep up their amazing work. Teachers really make a difference every day – igniting curiosity, acting as role models, caring for our learners and celebrating the learners’ special moments with them.’
The Western Cape minister of education, David Maynier, also offered his congratulations, stating, ‘We are delighted that a Western Cape teacher has made the Top 10. It is a testament to the quality of teaching taking place in our province. Dr Wheeler serves our learners with distinction and I wish her the very best for the announcement of the global winner in two weeks’ time.’
Protea Heights Academy also lauded Dr Wheeler for her remarkable achievement, declaring, ‘We are grateful to have you as part of our team and we wish you all the best in the next phase of the competition.’
For more details about Dr Wheeler’s nomination, you can visit this link.
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Two South African educators shortlisted for the 2023 Global Teacher Prize
Picture: @TeacherPrize / Twitter