Teacher, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Ms Zikona Ntlonti born in Ngcobo district, in the Eastern Cape Province, has 12 years mathematics teaching experience as a classroom based practitioner and 8 years’ experience as an office based practitioner. In her current position as a Mathematics, Science and Technology Coordinator, she focuses on learner and teacher development programmes in the three subjects from Grade R to Grade 12.
In 2002, she enrolled for the Mathematical Thinking, Problem Solving and Technology in Teaching and Learning Mathematics with AIMSSEC, and passed the short course with a merit. Between 2013 and 2014 she enrolled for the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) with AIMSSEC in partnership with University of Fort Hare and passed the two-year course with a distinction.
The skills she learnt from the AIMSSEC courses boosted her confidence in presenting workshops for educators and she began InterSen mentoring sessions in her district, piloting with 2 circuits; each with 30 schools and she also conducted Grade 9 Spring School for the pilot circuits. In her presentations, she shared the strategies she learnt at AIMSSEC. “I always pointed out that mathematics is not about formula, it is about relating concepts for better understanding”. Presently, she is coordinating the National Intervention 1+4 program for Grades 8 and 9 in the 2 circuits.
As from 2015, she been a Teaching Assistant on AIMSSEC’s MT courses and in each course there is always something new to learn. AIMSSEC teaching strategies have inspired her to further her studies in Mathematics and to encourage capacity development of fellow South Africans. “I am continuously broadening my horizons and this encourages me to add value in mathematics education in my province, my country and in Africa as a continent.”
“I am looking forward to recruiting more teachers and office based officials particularly from the Eastern Cape Province, a generally poor and low performing province, to enroll for AIMSSEC courses so as to improve the Mathematics performance in our province (EC), South Africa, and Africa.”