Star teacher of the week

Mutsa Pazvakavambwa, Sunshine Private School Why did you decide to become a teacher? Growing up, I always wanted to be a lawyer. In my 12-year-old eyes, lawyers solved crimes and brought justice for the wronged, almost like superheroes. Eight years later, I took a gap year as a teaching assistant at a primary school in my hometown. It took two months to realise that teaching was my calling and that the classroom is the happiest place in the world.What motivates to get up every morning? I wake up knowing that I have the responsibility to educate the future leaders of this country. The little boy who wants to be a pilot, the young girl who wants to be president. The shy boy who wants to build a hospital one day and the chatty girl who wants to be a newsreader are all counting on me to stop pressing snooze, take a shower, show up every day and hold their hand as they take steps towards their dreams. I am proud to say I have been an educator for seven years.Tell us about your challenges and how you overcome them daily?Anyone who knows me will be quick to tell you that I am overly ambitious. Mix that with a competitive spirit and a hint of perfectionist; you will have a very big challenge. I try to overcome this by taking on tasks that are manageable as well as trying not to look at everything as a competitive opportunity. If something is not perfect, I tell myself that I did my best. Another challenge I’m learning to deal with is letting go of things that are of sentimental value. From an old card from a learner to a broken coffee mug once used every morning, I’d keep it all! Until recently, I’ve learnt to let go of many things by actually saying to the item “thank you for your service” right before it goes into the bin. I know it sounds silly, and I cannot remember where I learnt this from, but so far, it works!What is one of the biggest lessons you have learnt from your learners?There is so much I’ve learnt from my learners over the years, but the great one must be love. A new kind of love. The love I’ve receive from the young boys and girls has helped shape my personality. I have become more patient, less judgmental more compassionate. I’m not the perfect teacher, actually far from it, but their love makes it feel like I come pretty close. What are your talents and what are you passionate about? Music from a young age has been my God-given talent. I remember at five years old putting on a show for my family wearing a bazaar costume. I’ve been blessed with a singing voice and have been privileged to travel to countries like South Africa and the USA because of it. I’m also able to play a little bit of the guitar, mbira, marimba and keyboard.What is your favourite book, song, favourite place to visit in Namibia and your dream car?My favourite book has to be The Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah. My favourite place is Henties Bay. My favourite song is Natural by Sally Boss Madam and my dream car is the BMW 3 series.Can you tell us more about your teaching journey?They say teaching is a calling from God. A gift that has been given to share. I come from a long a long line of teachers - third generation to be exact. However, if you had told me at the beginning of my teaching journey that along the way I would be sharing this gift and touching the lives of so many people, I would not have believed you. My teaching journey has been filled with many exciting moments and heartfelt sacrifices. There have been many days where the classroom feels like the happiest place on earth. However, there have also been days where I do not want to be at the school. However, the most common feeling throughout my teaching journey has been the need to reach out to learners from all over the country. This year I was privileged to be a part of an amazing My Zone education project. The three months of compiling material, preparing lessons and filming episodes has been the highlight of my teaching journey so far. I wouldn’t trade my profession for anything in the world. I look forward to sharing my gift for many years to come.

Star teacher of the week

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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Star teacher of the week

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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