A teacher of Masana Secondary School claimed a third place in the National Teaching Awards in the category of Excellence in Secondary School Teaching during the national awards at the Heatfelt Arena in Gauteng on October 5.
This 26-year-old teacher from the Bohlabela District, Mahlatse Mokgonyane, won the category in the provincial instalment of these awards to qualify for the national awards.
Mokgonyane said considering the fact that she is a young teacher from a rural village in Mpumalanga, wining third place on the national stage was overwhelming. “When I stood on that stage, it was not about Mahlatse – I felt like I was carrying the entire Masana Secondary School, Bohlabela District and province on my shoulders. I felt overwhelmed and proud of my school,” she explained.
Mokgonyane holds a bachelor’s degree in education, specialising in psychology and English studies, and she is currently reading bachelor of arts in community development and psychology.
This teacher is on a mission of her own as she is a debate coach at the school, does public speaking, is Miss Hazyview 2021, and currently runs for Miss Ehlanzeni 2023.
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She said her role as a teacher is to empower and impart knowledge. “It is important for teachers to have passion for what they do. Teachers should not be at work just to have a job. Teachers should not focus on one approach of teaching, they should research and find unique ways to make the learners understand what they are teaching them. We need to prepare the learners for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” she explained.
Mokgonyane urged parents to work together with teachers. “A difficulty that we face as teachers is that some parents undermine us. They end up forcing their children to take subjects they do not want to take, and this causes so much frustration for the learners in the classroom.
If parents could work with us, they would see better results from their children. This is because we know these learners and we spend time with them, more than the parents do. Due to the frustrations they feel, the kids sometimes turn to drugs as a way to cope, and all this can be avoided,” said Mokgonyane.
Other teachers in the province also received some awards. Noori-sha Seedat won first place in the category of Excellence in Primary School Teaching, Samukelisiwe Hlumuka won first place in Excellence in ICT Teaching, Thembekile Khumalo claimed second place in Excellence in Natural Science Teaching, and Theresa Botman took second place in the category of Excellence in Primary School Leadership.
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The Department of Education said it is proud of the accomplishments of the teachers who brought honour to the Place of the Rising Sun. The department expressed its gratitude for their hard work and commitment to our learners.
“Congratulations are in order. We also congratulate all of the other teachers who were nominated for the National Teaching Awards. Your dedication to your learners is an inspiration to us all. You are truly making a difference in the lives of our children every day,” said the MEC for education, Bonakele Majuba.
