Charlaine Baartjes: “I started as a rookie high school teacher”
Author: Charlaine Baartjes

Biology, science, maths and an endless stream of teenagers who thought algebra was invented just to ruin their lives.

The turning point came, unplanned, unrehearsed, and nothing like I thought it would. One afternoon, a mountain of a man stormed into my empty classroom.
He demanded that I ask his son only questions from the textbook. I did not know him or his son. But responded:
“I’m preparing children for the future, not parrots for a circus.” (He wasn’t amused.)

It turned out he was the local mine manager. I did not see him again.
Fast forward a few months, and irony came knocking.

The same mine needed a scientist… and they reached out to me to apply.
So there I was, standing at a crossroads:
Would I defend nature only after destruction had already happened?
Or step into the “belly of the beast”, helping shape decisions before they leave scars?

I chose the second path.

My classroom has just become a lot bigger, filled with boardrooms, yellow metal that can move 70 tons with one scoop, and people who need reminding that we are all supposed to be stewards of our environment.

I have learnt, Mother Nature gives the test first, and the smart ones “catch” the lesson. The photo is a glimpse of the Succulent Karoo Biome in spring. It is breathtakingly beautiful. It was one of the subsequent mining sites, the right choice, hey.

We are the last generation that can make a difference; you can find an invitation to the Bigger Circle group, a community that is willing to take the test and catch the lessons.

Join us at the Bigger Circle Community https://lnkd.in/dmQJRm9C