Teejay's CORNER

In 2002, I was done with senior school and was awaiting University admission. Being delayed by the examination board (Jamb) for two years when my results were withheld, I decided to pick up a teaching job in a private school.



In 2005, I became a teacher in a primary school. A new school of three years in existence and I was handling both primary and nursery sections. At the time, I was being paid seven thousand naira monthly. It was an average pay at the time. With dedication and passion, I did my job very well. The proprietress son was among the pupils I handled. The number of students summed together should be over fifty and not too bad for a new school.

One day, the proprietress called me into her office and appreciated my efforts on the way I handled the pupil's lessons. Her son and few other students keep saying how good I am and to a point, they began to draw comparison. While I was teaching, I was also looking forward to university admission. 

There was this three years child whom one morning the Mom came to the school to see me. She was so happy and informed me how tremendously well her daughter had become in few weeks. She came to appreciate me and solicited if I will take her on a private lesson within the school time.

She offered to pay 1,500 monthly which I accepted. The private lesson starts 11:30am to 12noon which is usually the break period. Once it's beak time, this little girl will come with her books to the staff room. She didn't miss a day or wait to be called. I taught her States and capital which she couldn't recite before we started. Her writings was that bad. In a month time, she could recite the States and capital, her writings of alphabet and numbers improved. She could pronounce two and three letter words.

The father drove to the school one morning and appreciated me while paying for the lesson fees. I was so happy the little girl picked up. I noticed something when I started teaching her privately. When I asked a question she knew the answer, she will be afraid to say so she won't be punished for failing it. Using endearing words, I will say to her, I won't flog you if you fail it. 

She will fearfully say the correct answer. In one of my discussion with the Mom, I told her about that experience which she gave me the reason for it. In her former school, the teacher who taught her flogged her severally when she couldn't recite or say a thing other pupils are saying. So the fear and trauma hasn't left her.

So I understood better. I built her confidence and she did extremely well having that trust that she won't be punished for her mistake. When I finally got admission, I put up my resignation notice. I saw how teary the proprietress was and my little pupils when it was announced I would be leaving.

In all of these, one thing I will say is that, to succeed and do well in whatsoever venture you go into, you have to be passionate about what you do and then love it. These two drives you into excellence. Money should come secondary....

Maybe you should go back to teaching nau