NNP Empowering Specialists’ Teachers.

Maggie Promise Makupe is a specialist teacher at Domasi Demonstration Primary school in Mchengawedi zone in Zomba. She started her teaching career in 2014 and has served for nine years. In the year 2019, she went to Montfort college and graduated in 2023. Thereafter, she was deployed to teach at Domasi resource centre from April this year up to present.

In September, Maggie was amongst the participants who attended the training organised by the National Numeracy Programme (NNP) on inclusive pedagogical approaches for specialists’ teachers at Msambainsa school in Zomba. After the training, Maggie, started implementing what she had learnt and ensured that all her learners (with various learning challenges) are making progress. During the monitoring visit conducted by NNP staff in the month of October in Zomba, Maggie demonstrated understanding and mastery of NNP approaches. What was more captivating about her lesson, was her ability to ensure that resources to carter for needs of learners with different disabilities were well prepared and used effectively. Maggie said that before the Special Needs Education (SNE) training was done, she did not have knowledge about NNP and was not able to assist learners at the resource with NNP strategies. Maggie commended the SNE training; “the training of specialists teachers has empowered me to teach NNP lessons, and I have noted that learners are quick to have knowledge on numbers and think critically due to NNP”.

Maggie added that most of her learners are now doing well in mathematics compared to other learning areas. During her lesson Maggie helped every learner according to their individual educational needs. At the end of the lesson, it was so impressive to see learners able to complete the task for the day with success. Observing a lesson by Maggie was very interesting as she was not only taking care of learners’ educational needs but also providing emotional support as well as taking care of their physical needs as well. Maggie explained that there are several challenges she faces in her daily work such as lack of resources for teaching as well as lack of toys to keep learners busy. She also said she lacks gloves and cotton which she uses to clean up some learners and when changing their nappies. Despite the challenges, Maggie accomplished her task for the day. Maggie is one of the best Specialists teachers teaching NNP mathematics lessons.