Having attended that class for two years I still wish I can sit behind that desk and be taught by Mr Mphafudi again. In that class I was not just an attendant, I took part in every activity of the subject. The class was more like my second home. I didn’t even hesitate to come to the extra lessons in the cold mornings of winter and later in the afternoon.

Mr Mphafudi would not just do teaching for the whole two periods during his lessons, he would pause and ask, “Any questions?” That’s when I would raise my hand and pose questions to clear my confusion on certain concepts. I hardly spoke English with my teachers but in that class, I was comfortable to speak. Although some of my classmates sometimes felt like I was asking silly questions and making unnecessary comments.

There were times when the whole class was stuck on one challenging question and I would stand and try to come up with a solution. When I got it correct, I felt like I was a hero. Mr Mphafudi would praise me often and would push me to work even harder. I am
not a fan of competition in the classroom but I will say that I was striving to be amongst the top achievers. Seeing my name written in the board as the best learner in the tasks felt like a huge success to me. It was amazing when learners at school were coming to me and asking, ‘Are you Justice Matabane?’ I guess that classroom made me popular.

I was not the only one who enjoyed being the class. He made physical sciences more interesting as well. I learnt a lot from Mr Mphafudi for he did not only teach from the book but from his experience in life. For the class of 2019, I am very confident that I was one of the learners he enjoyed teaching. My name is among the best learners he ever taught in Gatang Secondary School.

Tell us: Did you have a favourite teacher at school?