School Services
Developed with English teachers, our Down at Jika Jika Tavern teacher’s guide and student workbook provides a comprehensive framework for teaching the novel. These resources go beyond literary analysis, covering comprehension, plot, characterisation, themes, figurative language, and grammar.
Designed to ease teachers’ content creation workload, these tools enhance student engagement and offer optional extension activities.
Our guides and workbook aim to do the following (and more):
- Provide structured learning that supports both experienced and novice teachers as they break down complex literary elements, plot points and themes.
- Helping learners to actively engage with the literary devices, characters and plot, instead of passively reading the text.
- Promote critical thinking by guiding learners through targeted questions, reflection prompts, and creative exercises, so that they think deeply about the story and its implications.
- Making local, lekker! Providing learners with an opportunity to discuss themes, which impact them as South Africans, such as culture, identity and belonging, conservation and poaching, and traditional gender roles.
- Provide customized resources so that any school, regardless of their financial status, can afford to buy a student workbook for each child.
Narrative Writing Workshops
This 2-hour interactive workshop, entitled, How the Story Finds You, is designed to support learners who struggle with narrative writing. Drawing from my experience as the author of two fiction books, this workshop is highly interactive and encourages students to engage with the writing process.
The workshop offers an overview of narrative writing while equipping learners with essential practical skills like observation, listening, and curiosity. Through a blend of teaching, activities, and real-world exploration, students will learn how these skills enhance their storytelling abilities. By the end of the workshop, they should feel inspired and confident, equipped with the tools to plot and share their unique stories. This workshop is designed to spark excitement about writing and to empower learners to discover that everyone has a story worth telling. I’m confident this workshop will inspire even the most hesitant writers to discover their storytelling voice.