Nokuthula Cathrine Xolile Cele Has Won Outstanding Teacher Award of the Year

Nokuthula Cathrine Xolile Cele Has Won Outstanding Teacher Award of the Year

• August 29, 2023

NOKUTHULA CATHRINE XOLILE CELE PORTFOLIO

“Education is the only weapon you can use to change the world” Nelson Mandela

TITLE : WOMEN ICON POWERED BY TIMES MAGAZINE

CATERGORY : BEST TEACHER OF THE YEAR,OUTSTANDING AWARD OF THE YEAR.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

I believe motivated learners are more focused on their tasks and less disruptive to their peers. Intrinsically motivated learners are goal driven. I develop lessons that are engaging, relevant to my students’ real life and encouraging active discovery. I work hard in motivating my learners through modeling, inspiration and positive outlook to education every day.

CAREER SUMMARY

1.   School name        : Beestepan Agricultural High School

      Subject teaching : African Language and Social Sciences

      Year                       : 2003 – 2014

      Post level              : 1(Teacher)

2.   School name.       : Tshwenyane Secondary School

      Subject teaching  : English First Additional Language, History and African Language

      Post Level.          : 2 (Further Education and Training Language Departmental Head)

      Year.                    : 2014 to date

3.   Cluster leader : 2008 -2022

       Duties.      - Mentor newly appointed teachers

                                    - Conduct workshops in line with Annual Teaching Plan

        - Setting tasks and exam

        - Moderating school’s learner’s tasks   

4.   NCS Deputy Chief Marker

      Year : 2020 -2021

5.   Further Education and Training Examiner

      Year : 2008 to date

REFLECTION ON MY LEARNERS

My learners come from disadvantaged, some from broken families and some are herding their families. Knowing their backgrounds helps in determining their personal needs to improve their academic needs.

My learners lack experience to accommodate other cultures. Infusing activities promoting cultural understanding and respect played a major role. Arranging sitting plan that promote diversity was crucial. Doing peer and group works promoted team spirit and acceptance. Debates, speeches, essays and reading on different cultural aspects assists. Competing on debates with local schools boosts their confidence and cultural acceptance.

Lack of parental involvement played a major role in learners not adhering to school policy and academic improvement. Organizing parents meeting, one on one with parents, motivating parents and elaborating curriculum needs and the importance of their involvement breed exceptional results.

My learners lack motivation. They didn’t have a goal or vision as to why they study. Daily motivation is what I opted. Organizing career expos, career excursions, outside motivators and academically successful youth has a significant impact in developing their confidence and ambitions.

Another challenge I face with my learners was lack of Learner Teacher Support Material (LTSM) and facilities. Writing sponsorship to nearby stakeholders curb the situation. I managed to secure four mobile classrooms with furniture and textbooks which is ongoing process. Promoting conducive learning environment is my priority. Being the coordinator of Social and Welfare Committee I make sure that learners needs are catered for. Data of learners in need of the uniform, sanitary towels and toiletries are on top in my list. I get sponsors to donate and distribute to learners. Home visits is also important to assist with food parcels if possible from local supermarkets.

All this help me design my lesson plans following Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) considering gender, age, physical, mental, emotional development, cultural background, aspirations and personal goals.

REFLECTION ON CONTEXT

All my lessons take place in a conducive classrooms where teaching and learning flow with learners full participation. Lesson plans are at par with Annual Teaching Plan. I make all resources I will need for the lesson are available. Ensure all class activities are available for all learners. Assessments are carried out and set according to Blooms Taxonomy.

Alternative answers are accepted where possible. I ensure high ability learners and those with special needs are taught effectively. Assessment feedback is given to learners to encourage and applaud those who did well. I separate them after assessment and give extra classes and attention to their special needs. Give extra work to highly capable learners.

Learners achievements are accurately recorded in South African School Administration Management System ( SASAMS) for educational authorities access. Ensure English Across The Curriculum is done effectively by introducing Drop Everything And Learn period, where everyone in the school yard from groundsmanto the principal even authorities who happen to arrive at that period are encouraged to read something. That has improved learners reading with understanding and vocabulary. Their results has improved immensely.

REFLECTION ON KNOWLEDGE

The key element in teaching fraternity is the content knowledge of the subject I am teaching. It gives me confidence to deliver a productive lesson to my learners. Good knowledge breed quality instruction of the subject I am teaching. Professional behaviour is also key as a teacher. Effective teaching involves three components instruction that is learning objectives, assessments and instructional activities. As the Language Departmental Head I develop and implement user friendly language departmental policy and practices for all language teachers. Policies and practices are designed to promote educators commitment to provide effective teaching.

This include Departmental year plan, quarterly plan involving classroom visits schedule incorporating Intergrated Quality Management System (IQMS) now (QMS), learners portfolios moderation, class activities monitoring, pre and post moderation, quarterly control of educators lesson plans and holding departmental meetings. QMS played a major role in determining the strength and weaknesses of the educators.

I ensure that the department is working consistency to implement and improve the curriculum in line with Annual Teaching Plan(ATP) with educators submitting lesson plans quarterly. Encourage educators to follow Programme Of Assessment (POP) while ensuring that all tasks are set according to Blooms Taxonomy. Set clear expectations to educators regarding the expected standard of learners achievement and quality of teaching.

Regulary evaluate teaching methodologies within the department to identify areas of improvement. Involve Curriculum Implementor and Cluster leader come to assist if the educator needs improvement. Induct newly appointed educators on the curriculum needs to fit like a glove in the institution.

Ensure that all stakeholders that is School Gorvening Body (SGB) are informed about policies, year plan activities within the department alongside any improvement that are in place. Language educators are the once to ensure that English Across The Curriculum is carried out effectively. Encourage educators to mark learners work and give feedback maintaining progress records enabling accurate grade progression. I remain up to date with new curriculum policies, new topic areas and develop new teaching materials.

I ensure that learners are in line with code of conduct developed by teachers approved by SGB. I ensure that proper disciplinary measures are taken against learners breaking the code of conduct in a detention with parental involvement.

As a cluster leader I set assessments tasks for Further Education and Training (FET) of the African language isiZulu. Setting exam and organizing other specialist of isiZulu Home Language Usiba to guide and motivate my learners and neighbouring schools learners. Annually I organize Nzalo Careers to guide Middelburg learners on careers to do at tertiary and available bursaries preparing them for the outside world. Collaborated with Paul Mthimunye Bursary Fund where top achievers learners are given bursaries from primary to tertiary institutions. To help them face the world I arrange fundraising at school for application to those who can’t afford to have application money.   

REFLECTION ON GROWTH

Among factors influencing curriculum is technology. From last year Mpumalanga Department of Education has taken the initiative to give all grade 12 learners tablets with all learning materials for learning areas. Grade 12 educators had been given laptops with all necessary teaching material. This has improved matric results. Having what’sup group, zoom classes improved results.

Have grown immensely since I started teaching. Doing other courses to improve my teaching has helped me to be the distinguished leader I am. Having done Executive Diploma in Application of Artificial Intelligence in Education with La Plage Meta Verse has made all my teaching job much easier.

REFLECTION ON ACHIVEMENTS

• Improved learners results from quantity 100% to quality 100% with distinctions.
• Developed and implemented afterschool modeling couching, encouraging learners to be disciplined, focus, having a goal and leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Developed and implement morning gate late coming control and wearing of school uniform monitoring, reducing late coming by 95% and school uniform wearing by 100%.
• Have addressed the issue of overcrowding classes
• Motivate learners by introducing TOP 10 per term per term encouraging academic competition
• Annual awards towards the end of the year academic and sports
• Develop teacher appreciation awards with 100% pass rate per subject and compensate those with distinctions
• Won 100% at Circuits and school level
• Recognized as the best performing Head of Department at school and at circuit level with teachers obtaining 100% in languages
• Recognizes as the best cluster leader of isiZulu Home Language where all schools under my cluster obtain 100% with distinctions
• Successfully organized beauty pageant at school raising funds and keeping learners away from drugs and teenage pregnancy
• Organized drugs and substance, teenage pregnancy awareness campaigns at school raising awareness to learners
• Organized sanitary towels and toiletry for girls hygiene and reducing absenteeism during that period of the month

MY BIOGRAPHY

Xolile well known as Xoli was born at Eshowe in KwaZulu Natal in the 70’s.  Shes the 2^nd born in the family of 8 children. She is a mother of four, three boys and one girl. She is married to Themba Cele.

Currently she is the Language Departmental Head at Tshwenyane Secondary School in Middeleburg in South Africa. She is heading five languages that is English Home, English First Additional Language, Afrikaans Eerste Adissionale Taal, IsiZulu Home Language and Sepedi Home Language heading 18 educators with 1 268 learners.

Her goal is to improve learners academic performance and nurturing their talents. She do that by instilling students with instrinsic motivation to learn, to be independent, to become leaders and responsible citizens in the future. Her daily inspiration emanates from her background, growing up in a stable family, getting motivated to inspire others and change one person’s future at a time, made her become the teacher she is.

Among her prestigious awards she had accumulated is National Teachers Award from 2018 2021. Her winning beauty pageants competitions has brought so much confidence in her that she trained youth in her community.

In her teaching career she has proven to be very versatile and full of content of her subject matter. She is regarded as a rare species by her former Subject Advisor because of her workaholic and dedication to her work. She is inspired by Paulo Coelho saying: “The world is changed by your example not your opinion”

TSHWENYANE SECONDARY SCHOOL HISTORY

It was a missionary school established by N.G Kerk in the early thirties. It was built in the corner of Joubert and Meyer Street in town. The first principal was Tshwenyane Johan Kgomo from (1938 – 1955).

In 1947 the school was transferred to Mhluzi still being a missionary school. In 1955 Mr T. J Kgomo went on pension. Mr A.S Xulu  (1956 -1957) succeeded him as the principal. In the late fifties the government took over the school from the missionaries taking the name of Tshwenyane from its first principal. It was the combined school which was then separated between primary and secondary school called Sozama. Mr A.S Xulu had to leave Tshwenyane Primary school to be Sozama principal. His successor Mr A.D Dube (1958-1968). Dube was succeeded by S.S Mahlangu(1969-1994). His successor was Mrs B.M Ngcobo (1995-2011) who was succeeded by Mr L.C Mabusela ( 1995- 2019) currently Steve Tshwete 3 Circuit Manager. His successor is Mr S.J Skosana (2020 to date)

The school is having four different departments namely Sciences, Humanities, Commerce and major being Languages. Our school with its stakeholders aspire to establish and develop a school curriculum that stand the test of time. My school aims at exposing learners to different co-curricular activities in order to nurture their talents. Our learners are involve in different sporting codes and not only at school level but at national level playing professional soccer at national teams. Training them in pageantry had landed some winning national crowns.

Tshwenyane has increased number of learners from 120 in 1957 to 1 368 in 2023 teachers increased from 7 to 46 including the principal. Grade 12 results had been consisted in the bracket of 70% to 90%. This year we aim to get 100% with quality marks.

Our results were affected in 2020 due to Covid-19 but had been increasing ever since by implementing different strategies. Nevertheless, we managed to pull through encouraged by our school vision: To be a highly competitive institution in provision of quality education.

HOW I FEEL ABOUT RECEIVING INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION AS THE EXCELLENT TEACHER

Overjoyed will be my opening remark. Feeling happy will be understatement, I am so ecstatic on receiving the BEST TEACHER OF THE YEAR, OUTSTANDING AWARD OF THE YEAR from WOMEN ICON POWERED BY TIMES WOMEN.

Receiving an internationally acclaimed award is a dream come true, through this award one will be able to pioneer the education of the young ones right throughout the class room to reach both national and international minds of an educational group. I feel very pleased and blessed of myself and the opportunity Women Icon granted me. It will also make it possible for me to extend educational needs of those learners who are in the streets, where in requests will be extended to assist street children who must be at school studying rather than in the streets begging, so I would say it is a dream brewing to be true.

I consider myself very fortunate and extend my heartfelt gratitude for the award I’m presented with. It will motivate me to do even more from what I have been doing before. Teaching from disadvantaged school and receiving this prestigious award will encourage teachers to do their best and strive on producing quality results. The reward for my work well done is the opportunity to work even harder.