A Western Cape teacher has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make each of her Grade R pupils feel special every single morning. Zuleka Smit hands out fist bumps, high fives and dance-offs at her class door instead of a traditional formal greeting.
A video of her greeting each of the pupils at Paarl Boys' Primary in a manner of their choosing was posted to the school's Facebook page and has since gone viral with more than 527 000 views and 11 000 shares.
In the video the children are seen queueing outside the classroom and taking turns to select one of the eight greetings on a placard by the door. Other options include hugs, an elbow bump, a smile hello, a handshake or a pinky shake.
"It works really well. The children enjoy it immensely. They can't wait to greet me in the mornings to start their day in this way," Smit told News24.
She said there was much excitement, so much so that the boys will tell her even before school starts that they already know what greeting they will select.
"It helps us to start the day with a very relaxed atmosphere," Smit said.
She stumbled on the idea while on holiday, searching for different ways to establish a relationship with her pupils.
"Children can't learn if they don't have a relationship with their teacher," Smit said.
Praise on social media
"This is how I build a relationship with each of the little boys in my class."
She said it also helps celebrate the children's uniqueness and it teaches them how to make choices from an early age.
She recommended teachers try doing the same in their classes "even if it is only once".
Smit said she hoped to send children out into the world who are responsible, self-assured and capable of dealing with change.
Her actions have been lauded on social media.
"This is the South Africa I am rooting for," Neville Stanley Paynter said.
Donovan Stainbank said: "We need a couple hundred thousand more teachers like this."
"What an incredibly beautiful way for a child to start their day. So many teachers can learn from this. Freaking awesome to watch," Wanita Dullisear commented.