Star teacher

Tresia Shangemwene teaches accounting for grade 8 - AS (Advanced Subsidiary Level) and economics grade 10, 11 and Advanced Subsidiary level.

1. What inspired you to become a teacher?

As a child, I always had a desire of becoming a teacher but when I went to high school, I got an exposure to accounting, then i wanted to become a chartered accountant but due to some life challenges I ended up obtaining a degree in economics instead. My heart was still searching for my purpose in life, something I love and enjoy doing with pleasure and honour. And that is transferring my knowledge, mentoring and shaping the mind of my younger generations. I then went to study a degree in education which mounted me to be the great teacher I am today.

2. What’s the best part of being a teacher?

The best part of being an educator is the passion I have to give the knowledge to my learners; I love interacting with them, learning from them, helping them understand the importance of financial intelligence and behavioural of humans towards the micro and macro economy. I love when they see the connection between what they are learning and their lives.

3. What is the greatest lesson you have learned from your learners?

Over the past 7 years I’ve taught hundreds of learners and have spent countless hours teaching and advising them. I was always ready to unleash my wisdom on the world but I had no idea that I would learn as much from my students as they would learn from me. The following three lessons I learned from my learners over my years of teaching have reinforced key principles of success in my own life; first impressions are sometimes wrong because learners who seems like a slacker will sometimes surprise you with their discipline, kindness, and creativity. Secondly, healthy relationships mean more than degrees and titles because people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Lastly, It’s OK to not have all the answers that’s why true learning is not just about gaining knowledge. It’s about having a curious mind and a willingness to change and grow.

4. What do you think makes a great teacher?

Some qualities of a good teacher include skills in communication, listening, collaboration, adaptability, empathy and patience. Other characteristics of effective teaching include an engaging classroom presence, value in real-world learning, exchange of best practices and a lifelong love of learning.

5. How are you coping during the pandemic?

Since Covid-19 became a pandemic, the field of education has experienced drastic changes including the adoption of remote learning. As a result, teachers have had to continue their job amid a series of circumstances and stressors that may have had a toll on their mental health state. The following are strategies I used in order to be sane: I have been seeking social support, exercising, and participating in leisure activities. In addition, I have been learning new techniques on how to offer classes and give assessments online.

6. What keeps you motivated to teach?

My most gratifying moments in teaching are when learners connect what they learn to real-world implications. It’s super-motivating to hear that learners can clearly connect subject content to practical problem-solving in the community at local, regional, national or global levels. When learners tell me that they started or strengthened a non-profit venture, started volunteering, or became more engaged in a social movement because of what or how I taught them, it feels really good. It’s motivating for me to witness students feed off my passion with their own expressions of empowerment, helping them to see a way to apply their energies, their passions and their new knowledge to become world changemakers.