Star Teacher - Kennedy Gambe

Tell us about your background and qualificationsMy teaching journey started in 2010, but before this, I was a tutor at Ranch House College, responsible for teaching Shona to non-speakers.

When did your journey start as a teacher?Teaching is in my blood; it is like a calling from above.

What is the most challenging thing as a teacher?The most challenging in my teaching life is the lack of support from some of the parents that I have come across.

What would you have done if you had not become a teacher?I would have been a great farmer if I was not a teacher because farming was my first option.

Was teaching always something you wanted to do?I feel that I am the person who should mould and give direction to the little innocent soul; not only in their academic performance, but spiritually and morally.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?I enjoy mingling with friends and going to church in my free time.

What is the greatest thing you have ever achieved?I have achieved two great things in my life - keeping my family together and completing my special needs honours degree this month.

Do you have any motivation for prospective teachers?For prospective teachers I say: Teaching should be a calling rather than a job to earn a salary. Teaching is a 24/7 service that requires the whole of you. It is a service rendered to God rather than to people.

Describe your classroom management structureI am the class manager helped by two class captains and prefects. The class captains are selected by the learners with the guidance from the teacher. They should be those who show leadership capabilities.

Do you think students are different than they were before Covid-19? What changes have you observed, and how have you dealt with them in your classroom?Yes, they are very different especially in academic performance. The time they took out of school was long. Even though we were offering online lessons, some were not doing them.

The other thing is the change of behaviour of some learners; they are acting wildly due to the period they spent associating with others in the streets and the time watching television. To deal with this, I am reinforcing the wanted good behaviour by repeating again and again and by being consistent.

How will you encourage parents to support their children’s education?To support the children’s education, parents must have good communication with the teachers. This means they have to work together with the teacher in trying to create a teachable learner and in enforcing the required behaviour.

Parents must work hard to bridge the class gap between learners by providing the required materials like uniforms and books.