STADIO graduate bags award at teaching competition for putting a beat into teaching. Florance Vermeulen, a recent graduate from STADIO School of Education has come second out of a whopping 15 finalists at this year’s Solidarity’s Teacher of the Year competition in the high school category. After obtaining an Advance Diploma in Professional Acting for Camera, Florance went on to complete a BCom Degree in Management Marketing and then his Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with STADIO via their distance learning model.

His high school teaching career began at Bishop Lavis High school in the Western Cape where he taught business studies and EMS before moving to Lückhoff Secondary School in Stellenbosch. Here most of his learners hail from a community rife with gang violence and other social ills but that hasn’t stopped Florance from being a shining inspiration to his young learners.

Over the last year, he has gained a prominent following on social media after incorporating quirky dance routines into his lessons – commonly known as business studies with a beat. “I know that my learners are heavily influenced by music, especially hip hop so I have tried to use this to bridge the gap between content-rich subjects and barriers to learning” he explains. That’s not all. His teaching contribution stretches far beyond his subject specialism with Florance being a mentor and tutor under the umbrella of the Cape Winelands Education District (CWED). Additionally, he is also an active member of the district professional learning community where he shares his knowledge and expertise.

Speaking of his award Florance says “I am so honoured that my passion and calling for teaching and learning and the role that I play in my learners’ life has been recognised.  I have always tried to focus on what is happening both inside and outside of the classroom so that I can use education and my subject knowledge to grow learners into holistic and responsible individuals who have a meaningful place in their communities. I firmly believe that everyone can positively change their life with the right support and motivation and teachers play an important role in inspiring and instilling values, dreams, and aspirations in their learners”.

Dr Leanne Browning, Head of STADIO School of Education comments, “At STADIO, our main aim has always been to empower our nation by widening access to higher education. It is so refreshing to see the amazing achievements of our graduate teachers like Florance who continue to inspire and excite the next generation. We are exceptionally proud to see Florance excelling as a teacher and wish him continued success in what we are sure will be a very bright and rewarding teaching career,” she says.