Collegiate teacher makes PE proud

The stuffy, old style of teaching is not for Lee Raynor.

For him, personal connections and interactive, digital learning are the only way to  truly capture the energetic brains of youngsters.

The Collegiate High School teacher is on a journey to make the Eastern Cape proud at the fourth Annual National Education Excellence Awards.

Raynor, 34, received the Excellence in Secondary School Teaching award at the rigorous Eastern Cape leg of the competition on Thursday last week.

The competition honours teachers who go out of their way to improve education in the province.

Raynor previously won an innovation award for making geography notes that had QR code (for storing URLs) scanners to allow pupils to watch informative videos using a smartphone from the comfort of their own homes.

These notes were distributed throughout the Eastern Cape.   

Earlier in October, he also presented a paper at the World Teacher’s Day in East London on introducing the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the classroom.

The father of three said he was honoured to receive the award as he had tried to ensure his teaching style changed to suit the younger generation’s learning styles.

“For me, the olden-day style of talk and talk doesn’t work any more, so it’s very much about the personal connection that I try to build with each of my learners.

“And I am lucky that for geography the textbook is out in the real world and I try to make a large effort to take  girls out of the classroom and into the real world,” he said.

Asked about the greatest moment of his teaching career, Raynor said: “I don’t think I have a greatest moment, but for me it’s continuing to inspire others.

“I think inspiring people to be the best they can be is the greatest thing I can do.

“It’s something that I do in the classroom and on the sports field as a hockey coach.

“There are many other teachers at other schools who are doing incredible jobs and incredible work and I am honoured to have got this award.”

 Raynor said he looked forward to growth in leadership as well as teaching in the future.

“I think the big thing for me is to keep growing as a teacher and  keep on improving.”

He  has a plan to assist other teachers as well.

“I hope that this position will allow me to help other teachers as much as I have helped them in the past,” he said.

Both past and present Collegiate pupils took to the school’s Facebook page to congratulate Raynor.

Former pupil Thato Ruselo said: “So incredibly proud to say I was taught history by you, your hard work and dedication never went unnoticed.”

Another former pupil, Jenna Taylor, said:  “Such a great history teacher, who always put so much effort into his lessons — no-one deserves this more than you.”