LIFE OF A TEACHER – TEACHING AS A PROFESSION

Article By: Kolawrites

It has been debated over the years with other professions that Teachers truly are the backbone of every society as they play more roles in the upbringing of a child and also, they act as a support system to the parent.

Teaching is the noblest profession all over the world. Education is costly, but it is far less costly than its alternative, ignorance. Impacting knowledge to students as a teacher is not easy.

Not many can take up the job of being a teacher but mine was the case as I took my first step of joining the league of teachers who had impacting lives to young children.

The main reason for many is the money that doesn’t exclude me either because my reasons were to get something at the end of the month and keep myself busy while waiting for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

However, with the burning desire and passion, I have for education particularly the zeal of impacting knowledge to the younger generation only me carry myself waka one early morning trekking the city of Lagos looking for secondary schools to submit application letter.

After I had been to various schools, I entered one and it wasn’t my type of secondary school I attended (Igbobi Boys College) and likewise doesn’t match the profile of a typical young foreign student who just got back into the country.

I met the vice principal and she went through my curriculum vitae (C.V) and noticed I had a degree in accounting. That didn’t move her much and still going through she saw another line I schooled abroad.

She thought to herself, that this one passes her and forwarded me to the school proprietor who was available in the premises.

After much discussion, questions and smiling she came up with a statement and I quote “We don’t have vacancy for teachers at the secondary level right now but we seriously need a teacher in our primary session, primary 6 to prepare them for their common entrance exams”.

I started looking at the way her lips were moving. I said to myself seriously, really, are you kidding me? The next reply I gave her was I will think about it. I carried myself waka comot back to my house. It’s was like a played movie as I was reviewing from the way I entered and all that drama that conspired between us.

After a few weeks, I received a call from her and I thought to myself that it couldn’t be that bad. So I agreed and in my mind, it was only for just a term.

On my first day at school, you could tell as every new teacher or student will always be the first to get to his/her class. Mine wasn’t different either, the students were coming in one after the other and you could hear them gossiping in groups having been pre-informed they are going to have a new male teacher. 

To cut the story short, we had exciting times together from extra classes after school, flogging, shouting and preparing of their grades. I stayed for three terms before school proprietor (mummy school) told me to come to take the secondary students.

Similarly, their case was different; they were matured and tend to be uncontrollable. The school was located in a local area of Mile 12 in Lagos which is known for cultism, drugs and all sort of bad behaviors.

I enjoyed the challenge that came with it and in few months, I became a popular name among the students. The students gave me a nickname as we did to our teachers too (I refused to mention) and with time I had a style of teaching which the students became familiar with.

I was able to blend been permissive, authoritative and strict together as I could be smiling in a minute and the next, I am lashing out strokes with my two tiny Cains (left and right hand) always my defendant. I taught three subjects including English, Business Studies and Marketing from Junior 1 to Senior 3.

Senior school was my biggest challenge but we had good and great stories together. From preparing my students for inter-school debate which we came 3rd, inter-house sports competition (we came out 4th), seminar talk, assembly ground announcement and many more.

My senior students cleared my subjects in their WAEC and many more. It was time to say my goodbye having stayed two years; I broke the news to them.

Read also: Why Is Education Important? See Reasons

At this juncture, with loads of experience I have had as a teacher over the years, it is pertinent to note that teachers are the second parent the child knows and they spend quality time with.  

The teacher-student connection is invaluable to students as they can rely on the teachers with many secrets they can’t tell their parents about.
Children spend almost the whole day with their peers and their teachers and they tend to bring home everything they have heard or seen in school and the important roles performed by them cannot be overemphasized as no society can function properly without them.

Hence, I support the need for teachers to be paid well and be respected in the society because of their impact on every child.

Credits: Kolawrites