MATHEMATICS teacher Nolubabalo Tyutyu, from Uitenhage has been giving daily lessons on Facebook Live to pupils since they have not been able to have regular classroom interaction owing to the nationwide lockdown.
Tyutyu, who has been teaching at Port Alfred High School since 2017, said she was not always enthusiastic about mathematics and instead found it to be very difficult in high school.
Despite experiencing difficulties with the subject, Tyutyu was persistent and believed that she was going to do well.
In 2008 she decided to study education at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and once she graduated and was a qualified teacher she was determined to make mathematics fun for her pupils.
“I want learners to be excited to come to my class. I do not want them to be miserable because it is a maths lesson. Instead I want them to believe that they can do maths well,” said Tyutyu.
Concerned about the gaps in learning the lockdown period would create for many pupils, Tyutyu started teaching mathematics for grade eight and nine pupils live on her Facebook page ‘Maths with Babsie’ from Monday to Friday at 13:00.
“I started teaching on Facebook Live to encourage learners. I wanted to remind pupils that even though we are in a lockdown period, their minds are not locked down,” said Tyutyu.
She further said she did not want pupils in grade nine to find a reason or make excuses as to why they did not choose mathematics when they are required to make a choice about what subjects they will focus on for the rest of their high school career.
Tyutyu therefore is hopeful that her pupils will attain a strong foundation which will result in them choosing mathematics in grade 10 and do well each year.
During the Facebook Live lessons, Tyutyu focuses on topics which pupils learnt about in term one and two.
She also posts questions for her pupils from across the country and then two days later she posts the memo.
Overall, she has received a great response from her regular pupils who watch her live sessions each day and from many others who watch at a later stage.
Tyutyu said she was amazed to see how many times her Facebook lessons were shared.
“It is great to see the interaction from pupils and parents. It is also good that my videos are being shared which means that they are reaching other pupils as well,” she said.
With her Facebook Live lessons, Tyutyu’s greatest hope is that pupils will fall in love with mathematics.
“I want my pupils to know that every problem in mathematics has a solution,” she said.
Unfortunately, once schools open Tyutyu will not continue with the Facebook Live lessons because she will be teaching at school.
She will, however, keep the page active for pupils to ask questions or if they need assistance.
Tyutyu said she will also occasionally upload video clips or written explanations.
