Mr Lauf’s Café Classroom
Sipping an expresso in a trendy coffee shop, Kyle Lauf started to plan a radical makeover for his classroom.
This is what was going through my mind:
‘Create an environment where full potential can be reached’
‘Provide skills to cope with the challenges of life’
These were two of the six mission statements for my school in South Africa and they were now starting to take on new meaning.
Coffee culture
I teach Business Studies and Life Orientation, or as I like to say, Entrepreneurship and Leadership. I was in a popular Johannesburg coffee shop when I noticed what was going on around me: people talking and drinking cappuccinos, some writing, a few business meet-ups, one or two individuals reading, freelancers working remotely on their laptops, some social conversations and definitely there were some entrepreneurial deals being done. I’ve seen sales pitches and product demonstrations. I’ve seen marketing plans on laptop screens, and business ideas jotted down on paper napkins.
Business Studies is an engaging and interesting subject that has shown a lot of growth in South African schools, both government and independent. Amongst independent schools it is one of the fastest growing subjects in terms of examinations taken if you look at annual reports of the leading examinations board in the country, the IEB.
I am constantly seeking ways to engage and stimulate my students – from start-up pitches like those on Dragon’s Den to business simulations, to actual practical experience like running small thrift-clothing stands during our school’s annual Ms Eco Fashion Show contest. And now, soaking up the coffee culture, more ideas started to flow.