Johannesburg - Mogamat Bardien is passionate about what he does.
The maths teacher and tutor at Sans Souci Girls’ High School in Cape Town says teaching the subject brings him great joy and satisfaction.
“Mathematics and the joy of working with numbers has always been a passion of mine and I thoroughly enjoy this profession,” Bardien told the “Saturday Star” this week.
“The biggest challenge is that learners begin their high school journey with a negative mindset towards mathematics. The effort that is required to change the learner’s attitude is challenging, but I know it can be done.”
Bardien loves maths so much so that he even offers extra classes after school at work as well as at home.
“These are for learners who are struggling with the subject and also if a learner wants to maintain their excellent results.”
He is always looking for innovative ways to improve his learners’ maths skills.
One of these ways is by recording his lessons and posting them on YouTube for learners around the country, at no cost.
Now, learners from Grade 8 to 12 are all tuning in to learn from Bardien.
It is an idea that took shape during lockdown, he says.
“When the pandemic hit I brainstormed ways in which I could help my learners as maths is a very practical subject,” says Bardien.
“I was adamant that they continue to work and not fall behind as the situation was very volatile. During the lockdown I recorded video lessons for our learners at my current school to watch while they were at home. I decided to make these lessons available to students from other schools at no cost. As I continued to record lessons, the space on the Google drive was limited and I knew I had to find a different platform in order to continue.
“YouTube therefore seemed like the best option going forward as it was free, easily accessible and the videos could be saved. YouTube as a global platform can reach students across the world.”
Bardien uses a program called OBS Studio as well as a Casio emulator (calculator) when recording his videos.
“With the availability and help of all these programs, I manage to make the videos myself.”
He has since recorded several maths lessons that are available to learners worldwide.
And he admits that it took him some time to learn the ins and outs of recording lessons.
“An ex-learner of mine who is also a mathematics teacher set up my laptop to record my lessons. I needed to learn how to use the program, which became easier after using it couple of times, just like mathematics (practice does make perfect). I ended up mastering it after taking time to learn how to use it.”
“The laptop I’m currently using seems to freeze or at times the program just stops responding. It was embarrassing when it initially happened and I then needed to restart the laptop midway through the lesson.
“In that time while waiting, I jokingly tell the class ‘one day when they are millionaires all I want from them is a decent Apple laptop’. The response was filled with utmost laughter knowing that I won’t receive a dime.”
Load shedding has affected the multiple ways in which teachers can deliver their lessons, says Bardien.
“If we are experiencing load shedding during a lesson I can’t record. I resort to using a chalkboard and once the electricity is back I would redo the lesson during break or after school. This is so that when the learner gets home they have the link for the lesson of the day posted in their subject group if they need it.”
Bardien says his lessons will be of a great help if they are used properly.
“Learners can get another explanation form a different maths teacher of a topic they find challenging. If a learner missed a lesson or was absent from school, they can watch it online and not miss out on a maths lesson for that day.
“For the maths learner who thrives in the subject, they can work ahead of their teacher, they can watch the lesson and learn the concepts before it is being taught to the class. By doing this they will build a deeper understanding and interest in the subject. Since all topics are done as a series of lessons, it is easy to identify the lessons as it is all in chronological order.”
“Learners can watch a video more than once, they can pause the lesson, attempt the sum on their own before continuing and watching the rest of the explanation. The sad reality that we are faced with is that there are many parents that are unable to afford to send their children for extra maths lessons, which results in learners not achieving the best result possible.
“With this YouTube channel they are able to re-watch lessons they had difficulty understanding. Let’s say the learner is in Grade 12 but they always had a problem with trigonometry which started in Grade 10. All they need to do is find the Grade 10 Paper 2 playlist, this topic is in Paper 2, and start watching the lessons I’ve done with my learners.”
“Once they have completed this they then move on to the Grade 11 trigonometry, then to Grade 12. At this point all their foundation issues are sorted in this topic. They can apply this technique to all sections/topics. Most schools offer free wi-fi, so the learner can download the lessons at school and watch them once they are home.”
Past papers have also been made available on the channel, says Bardien.
“There are novice teachers who are teaching Grade 12 for the first time who also watch the lessons the day before they teach that topic as it is a great tool to enhance their understanding and be able to identify any problems their learners might struggle with.”
He says that it’s important that other teachers follow suit by also offering their lessons on YouTube.
“I think something similar should be done for all subjects as different learners find different subjects challenging. It will benefit learners tremendously; it will be as if you have a teacher by your side 24/7. I also think there is benefit in that it takes away some of the anxiety learners might have about asking for help directly. Now they have a resource they can approach in their own way.”
Bardien says he has received great feedback from learners who have watched his online videos.
“Some learners have told me that when they have a problem with the mathematics homework, their problems are resolved by watching lessons I’ve recorded from last year. They are also able to share the lessons with their peers/friends at other schools and even other provinces. They watch some of the YouTube videos in order to prepare for examinations.
“It is an effective study tool as all the lessons are available, so if learners are doubtful while studying they do not have to feel lost as all the lessons are available at their fingertips. As a teacher we are aware that all learners learn in different ways. Some grasp the concepts a lot quicker than others.
“There are many challenging concepts that require more time in order for them to be understood. Learners will always have the videos so that they may learn the concept at their own pace. They can pause or re-watch a section that might not have been clear during the first watch.”
He says his main aim is for learners around the country to gain a better understanding of maths.
“I would like as many learners as possible to benefit from these videos. I am also sure there are many teachers out there that that could do a much better job than I did. This is my humble attempt. If I have made any mistakes in any of these videos, please send me an email – I’ll gladly redo the video.
“I would like more learners to choose mathematics as a subject in Grades 10 to 12 and consider doing mathematics courses at tertiary institutions.”