Teacher of the Year 2021: Meet Juma Msangi

Juma Msangi is a teacher at Mtakuja Secondary School in the ELCT Northern Diocese who attended Mwangaza’s Secondary School Teacher Program for two years, in 2019 and 2020. This year, after being nominated by his colleagues for the annual Dr. Shoonie Hartwig Teacher of the Year award which recognizes exemplary teaching and teacher leadership, Juma won the well-deserved first prize. As the second teacher from Mtakuja Secondary School to win the award in three years, he shares with us some of his successes and challenges as a teacher

What challenges do you face as a teacher?

After college, I joined one of the schools and I started teaching where I used most of my time during the lesson to speak a lot while my students were silently following the lesson. Students were given few chances to speak as I was struggling to complete the lesson objectives that were not even stipulated to the students. There’s more to teaching than delivering content to students.

How did Mwangaza help you become a better teacher?

After a few years, I moved to Mtakuja Secondary School where I had an opportunity to attend different professional trainings. One of the trainings that sharpened my teaching practice was organized by Mwangaza in 2019 and 2020. It aimed at empowering teachers to help students develop necessary science competencies and ways in which teachers can improvise teaching and learning materials.

Also in 2020 I attended a Mwangaza seminar about Safe Schools where I learned how I can make the school safe for all students. All of these trainings and learning from others sharpened my career and made me who I am as a teacher.

I would like to thank Mwangaza Education for Partnership for the vital role they are playing to make great teachers.

About the Teacher of the Year Award

Beginning in 2019, the Dr. Shoonie Hartwig Teacher of the Year Award is an annual celebration of excellent Tanzanian teachers who embody the passion of Mwangaza’s founder and Mwangaza’s commitment to empowerment through education. Each year, the award celebrates three outstanding teachers in Tanzanian Lutheran secondary schools who were nominated by their teaching colleagues and submit a written application. The Mwangaza management team visits the classroom and conducts an interview with each semi-finalist before selecting the teacher of the year, first runner up and second runner up who each receive a financial award. The Teacher of the Year also spends a two-month residency at Mwangaza Center to deepen their knowledge of literacy, teaching, and teacher learning while facilitating teacher seminars.