Nelisiwe Malamlela is a mathematics teacher at Matatiele Primary School in the Alfred Nzo West district of the Eastern Cape. The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) awarded her for being the Top Senior Phase (Grades 7 – 9) Teacher in the Mathematical Thinking (MT) Course hosted by the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) and sponsored by Standard Bank from February to June 2022.
An enthusiastic teacher, Nelisiwe said that the training changed her teaching methods. "I am a different teacher now. The ways I plan and teach have changed. In the past, I didn't plan to accommodate the various types of learners in the class. Today, I set separate goals for low- and high achievers."
The MT course focuses on changed teaching practices and improved understanding of mathematical concepts. During fourteen weeks of online learning, each participant was expected to complete three diagnostic tests and submit two assignments. The course covered numbers, algebra, geometry, measures, data handling and probability. "Completing the course made me look at my teaching methodologies. I now keep the learners active throughout the lesson. They show a thumbs up or -down when I check on their understanding, meaning I know when a learner falls behind. No longer is a lesson a session where I am the only one talking. I allow learners to discuss the concepts, do the exercises, and record the lessons."
Nelisiwe's learners enjoy her new teaching methods, and her school's mathematics results also improved. Subsequently, she is attending the next AIMSSEC course Mathematical Communication and Language (MCL) “I believe everyone can change. When teachers change their teaching techniques, they start promoting mathematics, develop an interest in mathematics among the learners, and produce learners who love mathematics."
Public schools need to receive the necessary resources from the government. But, said, Nelisiwe, "teachers do not have to spend money on resources when the government lets them down. The lecturers showed me how to make resources from scrap paper and everyday household items and how to link mathematical concepts to daily life with examples."
Neliswe concluded that all children could do mathematics. "Learning mathematics is like climbing a mountain - you must do it one small step at a time. It is easier than most learners think. Mathematics is beautiful and exciting as long as the teacher makes it so."
