A 32-year-old maths teacher from the North West has been crowned the best maths teacher in the country. Tebogo Mokwene who teaches at a school in Mahikeng was lauded for his unique teaching methods.
Teaching a subject that has been perceived as the most difficult, he makes it easy for his learners with a musical mathematics formula called the “Jobe Rule”.
Mokwene says he initially did not love numbers but in his high school years he developed an interest in maths when he realised that even ordinary objects such as a clothes hanger screams mathematics.
“Mathematics is everywhere. Even when you are sitting, it is at a right angle. When you go through the bridge that is your parable graph. So, mathematics is everywhere. When you build buildings we need mathematics. So, as mathematicians, we must live, speak and make mathematics part of our everyday life.”
For his mathematics learners, Edward Lepenke, Mofenyi Mokoto and Koketso Korasi, he has stirred a passion for the subject.
“Being taught by Mr Mokwene is a real privilege, because he is an enthusiastic teacher. He does not just build you. In terms of mathematics, as a learner he builds you holistically, socially, spiritually and psychologically,” says Lepenke.
Mokoto says, “Mathematics is very challenging subject, but that is only in your mindset. You tell yourself that it is challenging, but upon meeting Mr Mokwene, I had failed maths, but after I met him I began progressing and my marks got better.”
“At first, I was not into maths. I did not like mathematics at all until Mr Mokwene started to teach me. He motivates me everyday.”
Meanwhile, education department spokesperson, Elias Malindi says they are excited that this is the second consecutive time that the province, which is predominantly rural, produced the best mathematics teacher in the country
“We are going to strengthen this area of mathematics and to see more teachers in the province dominating in the space of mathematics and if that happens in the province it means we are going to have learners who do mathematics in numbers.”
Mokwene not only shares his mathematical knowledge with learners from his own school but has created study groups for other learners. He hopes this will create love for the subject among many others.
