Some start feeling old when they discover wrinkles or a grey hair hiding, others start feeling the years when people start offering them help with crossing the street. I realised my bout with the early stages of youth was over when groups of people my junior started addressing me with the title "sir". Tutoring at UCT's Film & Media department has added a new dimension to my experience in academia. Having studied at four different universities, I thought I knew what i would be in for at the helm, but the tingle and excitement of a new direction made themselves known during the sessions, and especially the marking of work in English on an unknown scale was a source of lengthy careful consideration.
(UCT works with an interesting 0-100 scale where 0-49 is fail, 50-59 is pass, 60-69 is lower 2nd, 70-74 is upper 2nd and a frist ranges from 75-100, but no mark hardly ever exceeds 80%)
One element of the teaching that has brought me considerable joy has been listening to the excuses students have told me. Being a student myself, it is frighteningly easy to spot the shams from the tragedies and the brazen lies from honest explanations. And yes, in one of my tutorials the most fantastical story proved to be true, but that was the proverbial exception to prove the rule. Snakebites and broken legs are still relatively scarce, even here in Africa.
Apart from challenging me, the experience of teaching UCT's first and second years also made me aware of my capability to impart knowledge and facilitate learning in providing points of attention and space for discussion. Just like I had hoped before, I was fit for the job and found that having English as a second language did hardly obstruct me, if at all.And now the drawing to a close of the semester in a few weeks time radiates a faint feeling of loss, as I will miss the sessions with my students. I have found a direction I like to continue in the future. And this future doesn't have to be tomorrow or next year. I don't need to be a professor before 35. But eventually, that seems to be where I would like to end up someday.
