Mokhudu Machaba has spent the last 17 years of her life as a teacher.
As much as teaching has brought her tremendous joy, she admitted it was a career she was never interested in.
Instead, it was forced upon her due to the financial difficulties her family faced.
“Teaching was a big no for me,” said Machaba. “I turned to teaching to escape poverty, because it was the only profession I could afford besides being a nurse or a police officer.”
But this decision proved extremely rewarding.
Last week, Machaba was named as a top ten finalist in the Global Teacher Prize 2020, which recognises the best teachers in the world.
The winner, Ranjitsinh Disale from India, received US $1 million (R15 million) in prize money, but opted to divide half his prize money equally among the other finalists.
His decision meant Machaba walked away with just under R1 million.
Now in its sixth year, the Global Teacher Prize award is the largest prize of its kind.
Machaba, who teaches at Ngwanamago Primary School in Polokwane, Limpopo, said she was delighted to have been recognised among the best in the world.
“It’s like a dream come true after all the hard work over the last 17 years of my teaching career.”
As a foundation phase teacher she is required to teach all subjects.
“I have to identify the learners’ abilities and potential and be able to unlock their barriers to learning before they can go to the next phase. This is the area in the child’s life of schooling where they need our full support.”
Asked what it took to make it as a finalist in the world’s most prestigious teacher competition, she said: “We needed to employ effective instructional practices that are replicable and scalable to influence the quality of education globally.
“We also needed to employ practices that address the particular challenges of the school, community or country and that have shown sufficient evidence to suggest they could be effective in addressing such challenges in a new way.
“Achieving demonstrable student learning outcomes in the classroom. We needed to make an impact in the community beyond the classroom that provides unique and distinguished models of excellence for the teaching profession and others.
“We also needed to help children become global citizens through providing them with a values-based education that equips them for a world where they will potentially live, work and socialise with people from many different nationalities, cultures and religions.”
Machaba added it was important to improve teaching by raising the bar, sharing best practice and helping colleagues overcome any challenges they faced in their school.
“Teacher recognition from governments, national teaching organisations, head-teachers, colleagues, members of the wider community or pupils is also important.”
While teachers in South Africa have been criticised in the past for not being good enough, Machaba said she hoped her award set the record straight that the country indeed had some of the best teachers in the world.
“I think it is because of the working conditions that teachers find themselves in, but I do believe SA has the best teachers. The only challenge was with the transition of education policy which demanded a lot from teachers, especially in administrative duties. We are doing our best. The issue is when there is a bad element within the sector, it is given the spotlight more than the good ones.”
She believes that the level of education in South Africa is among the best.
“What is needed is implementation of the policies, monitoring and support. If these aspects can be highly considered, we can go very far as country.”
Speaking about her journey, Machaba said it took five years before she landed her first post.
“When I got a post it was temporary for two years before I got permanently appointed. For the past decade, I introduced project based teaching and ICT (information and communications technology) integration into the curriculum.”
She said she loved her job. “My greatest joy is when I see my learners achieving and progressing very well in life and living their dreams. The school I work in has been so supportive to the projects I have started, even if sometimes they didn’t understand what I wanted to do. I’m so grateful to everyone.”
Machaba added she’s had to work incredibly hard to be recognised.
“I took teaching as my responsibility rather than being just be another government employee. I do my work with passion hence my quote ‘It is very crucial for me to be a teacher, I have lives of people bestowed in my hands, and I need to unleash their potential.’ I carry that every day in my heart.”
While teaching has been a blessing, it has come with plenty sacrifices.
“As a teacher, you have to give your all, often compromising your family time. Very often, as teachers, we use our own personal resources to improve the lives of learners who come from psychosocial and economically challenged backgrounds. And we do that with love, knowing we do not expect anything in return. Sometimes as teachers, we put our lives at risk to solve some of gruesome social issues to save the lives of our learners”
She said family and friends were delighted for her.
“They’re so proud of me and I know I gave them a challenge to achieve more in their lives and their respective careers. Coming from humble beginnings, my life has given them hope that everything is possible.”