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Home / Know your civil servant - Samba James Moody: School teacher | Ministry of education

Know your civil servant - Samba James Moody: School teacher | Ministry of education

2021-09-10  Staff Reporter

Know your civil servant - Samba James Moody: School teacher | Ministry of education

Teacher on learning continuity amid Covid

Samba James Moody joined the Namibian public service soon after graduating from the university in 2006. 

He works for the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture as a school teacher at the De Duine Secondary School in Walvis Bay in Erongo region.

Moody has a bachelor’s degree in education, with majors in accounting and economics from the University of Namibia. 

Growing up in the Zambezi region, he had always wanted to be a public school teacher. 

“I decided to join the education ministry because of the passion I have for teaching. I love working with learners, especially moulding them to become future accountants. 

“It was my dream to work for the government because as a public servant, you plough back the knowledge into the community,” he said.

“I am a teacher, teaching accounting grade 8-11 and accounting advanced subsidiary level. I decided to join the teaching profession after I started to like accounting in high school; it became my aim to teach it, so that we can have more accountants.”

Moody believes teaching is the most satisfying profession that allows one to mould kids into productive citizens. Yet, it involves many challenges, especially in public education.

The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected educators, and has impacted the teaching process in multiple ways, he said. 

“Due to Covid-19 and social distancing, teaching two groups per class makes it difficult to complete the syllabus because the time is too limited.

Another challenge is that I want to use apps like Zoom for teaching, but not all learners have access to smartphones and the internet. 

“Also, the lack of textbooks is another challenge, as not all learners have access to textbooks. However, we solve this by preparing notes for our learners,” he said.

Despite shortcomings, Moody said he was “able to see my learners understand the subject I teach. Also, I’ve been able to see some of my learners graduate from the university. In addition, it is satisfying to make a difference in the lives of my learners.”

Moody emphasized that teachers are among the significant societal members. Since they leave a permanent mark in many peoples’ lives, teachers are the heroes of every society, he declared. 

“Everyday, teachers make a difference — one child at a time. Teachers are heroes because of their dedication and perseverance to make teaching and learning possible for all children. 

“They bring hope, encouragement and the ability to dream beyond the four walls of the classroom, transforming the lives of learners and the communities in which they live. Public school teachers teach all types of learners; they are not selective,” he said.

As to how his teaching expertise benefited his school, Moody remarked that “I am also able to share my experience and resources with new accounting teachers and teachers from other schools. We have been able to keep the Erongo region as a region of excellence in producing outstanding results over the years.”

He has been involved in setting up regional examinations in Erongo. 

He was also awarded by the Erongo Regional Council in 2012 and 2013 for achieving a 100% pass rate in accounting in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate higher-level national exams.

Meanwhile, Moody has emphasised the importance of parental involvement in education, adding that it offers many benefits.

“Parental involvement is a combination of commitments and active participation on the part of the parents to the school and the student. The main benefit of parental involvement is the improved achievement of the student. 

“Parental involvement includes reading with your children, helping with their homework, attending school activities and meetings, or volunteering in classrooms. If the parent shows concern, it will translate into greater achievement on the part of the student,” he said. 

“Parental involvement has immense benefits for both the parent and child. Children can develop a positive attitude towards learning and progress further in their educational journey whilst parents have a chance to further understand what their child is learning, strengthen relationships with teachers and bond with their child.”

Moody said he plans to work for the public service for many years to come.

“My wish is to grow individually from being just a teacher. I wish for schools to be sharing resources and ideas on the best teaching practices to improve academic results,” he concluded. 


2021-09-10  Staff Reporter

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