Tell us something about you that most people don't know about (Mr de Smidt originally told us the following to describe a world he grew up in)
Ans: When I was younger, the policy system wasn't in full force in south Africa. So you benefit from it as a white person. I wasn't aware of what was going on, until you leave school and conscript into the army, things become a little bit more real to you, you suddenly realize what's going on around you, because of the white skin. And you learn about all the politics and all the things that are going on in the country at that time. That's when you start to question and make decision about what is gonna happen to you and your family and so on, when you get to that stage. So yeah, I was a child of aid, I benefited from that. Went to a nice government school, paid very few fees, lived in a nice area. But the payback came where you're white skin so I went to the army for two years. And I went to the operational area, where most of the youngsters went, and spent some time there. Then eventually, back to South Africa, to university and got my teacher's degree and worked in government education. After that, private education, because I could see the writing on the wall. And this is pretty much after 1994, when democracy came to South Africa, where you could see what was going to happen. That's when the first ideas of immigrating came to mind.
What's your favourite part about being a teacher?
Ans: It's the salary! Haha no, no… My favorite part about being a teacher probably comes from… I was setting up a Linkedin account. And a while later, a message from my student from London that I taught. I had quite a battle with her in standard levels math class. And she wanted art, she wasn't interested in maths. I encouraged to keep working at it, not to give up, because I thought she had the ability. She actually passed it and she just finished a degree in international studies. So you hear that she's done well, that's the reward and it's the best part. You don't get the rewards of teaching just then, you get it later on, when you hear someone you taught or someone you directed, doing well or being successful or achieving something. So you have to be careful not to run down students. It's the best part, sort of giving that feedback later on. When they say, mister do you remember when you said to me this, when you did that, or something like that. So that's the best part, the success of someone you've directed.
What are you most afraid of?
Ans: I'm probably afraid of being old. Yeah, it's true because I'm middle fifty now and with that, comes concerns about my health. I'm worried that, I should maintain health, I'm scared of losing that. My spirit's still willing, but my flesh gets a little weak these days. There's one thing, personally, in terms of my family, my wife, I want my daughter to succeed. I don't want there to be a problem with what she wants to do when she leaves school. That's one of the things that why we immigrate as well, to give her all sort of opportunities. So yeah, the success and the safety of my family, it's just difficult at the moment because they're in New Zealand and I'm here. I chose to make this decision so I have to live with it. But yeah, their safety, their success, my daughter's future, that's what worries me.
Share a quote with us that you believe in/shares your ideologies of life.
Ans: It's the KISS principle. Keep it simple, stupid. If you try to keep things simple and not overcomplicate them, that's how things will probably work.
Ans: When I was younger, the policy system wasn't in full force in south Africa. So you benefit from it as a white person. I wasn't aware of what was going on, until you leave school and conscript into the army, things become a little bit more real to you, you suddenly realize what's going on around you, because of the white skin. And you learn about all the politics and all the things that are going on in the country at that time. That's when you start to question and make decision about what is gonna happen to you and your family and so on, when you get to that stage. So yeah, I was a child of aid, I benefited from that. Went to a nice government school, paid very few fees, lived in a nice area. But the payback came where you're white skin so I went to the army for two years. And I went to the operational area, where most of the youngsters went, and spent some time there. Then eventually, back to South Africa, to university and got my teacher's degree and worked in government education. After that, private education, because I could see the writing on the wall. And this is pretty much after 1994, when democracy came to South Africa, where you could see what was going to happen. That's when the first ideas of immigrating came to mind.
What's your favourite part about being a teacher?
Ans: It's the salary! Haha no, no… My favorite part about being a teacher probably comes from… I was setting up a Linkedin account. And a while later, a message from my student from London that I taught. I had quite a battle with her in standard levels math class. And she wanted art, she wasn't interested in maths. I encouraged to keep working at it, not to give up, because I thought she had the ability. She actually passed it and she just finished a degree in international studies. So you hear that she's done well, that's the reward and it's the best part. You don't get the rewards of teaching just then, you get it later on, when you hear someone you taught or someone you directed, doing well or being successful or achieving something. So you have to be careful not to run down students. It's the best part, sort of giving that feedback later on. When they say, mister do you remember when you said to me this, when you did that, or something like that. So that's the best part, the success of someone you've directed.
What are you most afraid of?
Ans: I'm probably afraid of being old. Yeah, it's true because I'm middle fifty now and with that, comes concerns about my health. I'm worried that, I should maintain health, I'm scared of losing that. My spirit's still willing, but my flesh gets a little weak these days. There's one thing, personally, in terms of my family, my wife, I want my daughter to succeed. I don't want there to be a problem with what she wants to do when she leaves school. That's one of the things that why we immigrate as well, to give her all sort of opportunities. So yeah, the success and the safety of my family, it's just difficult at the moment because they're in New Zealand and I'm here. I chose to make this decision so I have to live with it. But yeah, their safety, their success, my daughter's future, that's what worries me.
Share a quote with us that you believe in/shares your ideologies of life.
Ans: It's the KISS principle. Keep it simple, stupid. If you try to keep things simple and not overcomplicate them, that's how things will probably work.