I thought I should share some of my life experiences as a teacher. For about 10 (ten) years I have been a teacher in several town and states in Nigeria. I have taught different subjects but in particular social studies and civic education.
The thought of becoming great and imparting positively on the lives of students has always been my day-to-day assignment. Teaching these students with passion and great enthusiasm has always been my objectives.
My reason for teaching students is to make a difference in their lives. Denying myself of several pleasure is a normal thing, going out of my comfort to gain new knowledge to make my lesson interesting and worthwhile.
One will think as a teacher from all the efforts and sacrifices one puts into teaching these students, will make the students want to be like him. The teacher studies hard to impart knowledge into these students and the students learns from him (teacher). He teaches morals making himself an example to his students, correcting in love all their short comings and mistakes.
What baffles me most is when I asked the students who is their mentor in life? They gave answers like Barrack Obama, Steve Jobs, Aliko Dangote, Bill Gates, Alice Walton, Lauren Powell Jobs, Goodluck Jonathan etc.
These students that are always with you and learning from you will never pick their teacher as their mentor in life. As teachers we basically transform the lives of our students positively. I have had contacts with many parents who had lost hope in their children after they as parents failed woefully in bringing up their children. I encountered a child in whom the father had lost hope because she cannot read well nor write clearly and her average in class was at the bottom. After speaking with the child and having several lessons with her as her teacher, teaching her what to do as a good student, she changed for better and when she got to her final year in her Junior Secondary she started topping the class. Till now as she is in her Senior Secondary (SS2) she has never stopped topping the class. She is just one of a few that I as a teacher has led to greatness.
Source
The path of teaching is not an easy one
The irony is when I asked the students who their mentor was. From the first to the last no one called the name of a teacher but one business mogul or the other. The funniest thing is that this mentors chosen by them where all taught by a teacher. What they are today is as a result of a teachers efforts.
My experiences with these students made me know how pathetic it feels been a teacher especially for the fact that they do not see teaching as a decent profession. This might be due to the fact that teachers are not well paid. When I asked the class why none of them chose to be a teacher, telling them how interesting the profession is. They all shouted “God forbid”, I was shocked for some seconds and continued trying hard to convince them of what they stand to gain as teachers. One of the children answered me further by saying, Mr Eugene Sir, you don’t have a car, your shoes are not ‘tushed’, your clothes are not designers and you want me to be like you? No sir, I won’t!! Immediately, i kept quiet and was short of words.
The problem is you work so hard as a teacher to make impact in the lives of your students but what do you get in return?
Mr Eugene with his students he rewarded with textbooks
Please comment on what you think about your teachers.
Do you think teachers are well paid and well treated?
Do you have any teacher who is your mentor?
Support a teacher’s project to enable him look great and admired by all. Your upvotes and comments will be appreciated, please resteem this, convince your hub to upvote this post and you will be touching the life of a Nigerian teacher positively. I am aware that the information above does not apply in all countries.
Hello @eugenecr7, I love this your topic...reminded me of when I was a student too, my mates and I said the same thing of not liking to be a teacher but before then I had had a teacher (Biology teacher) as a mentor but not to, after graduation and no job, I decided to go for a teaching job I then knew the real worth of a teacher and since then I love to appreciate any teacher I am opportuned to meet, down to my son's teacher
My answer would be no because I have been there and I know how they are treated and paid.
Some schools even owe salaries or even deduct a certain amount as a fine for one thing or the other done wrong by the teacher. Parents too do not even care for their wards teacher as they should...
Like my people (those who know the worth of teacher but still can not do something) do say "the reward of a teacher is in heaven"
I pray God will reward every teacher who has impact one life or the other in one way or the other here on earth and also in heaven.
@bekky
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U have said it all @ bekky. One thing i know for sure is that our reward will certainly be in heaven and on earth.
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For sure and by God's grace...it is well
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They often say the rewards of teachers are in heaven but that shouldn't be the case. Teachers should be more respected in the society. Asides that the reward system should be increased. In a typical nigerian society, teachers are almost always the lowest paid with unstable and fluctuating salaries. I love the teaching profession and hope for an advancement in this field
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@abeem90, you are very correct. We hope the government of our dear country will heed to our cry and increase our renumeration for a better life
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You're so nice for commenting on this post. For that, I gave you a vote! I just ask for a Follow in return!
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That reward in heaven spiel is frustrating truly. Teachers were way way undervalued in Nigeria, especially in government owned schools.
My favourite teacher was my Igbo teacher, he taught quite well and even gave out little snacks when we had extra lessons, even with his meagre paycheck.
It's high time we showed more appreciation.
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@yvonn, you have got a wonderful Igbo teacher. I am sure students will be asking for more extra lessons.
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Where I live in the US I am thankful I never wanted to be a teacher. The kids seem like vile monsters that go out of their way to cause great trouble. Even outside of school they have zero respect for anyone let alone themselves. I’m thankful I only had spent my high school years in the school system that I did.
The teachers don't have the power needed to deal with the bad apples and they can't even get rid of them. Parents don't seem to care much as they are to busy just trying to make it another day.
Daily fights, torn up books everywhere and you were lucky to not have electronics or other items stolen off you. Drugs where ramped and any teacher that had any soul that was not sucked out yet desperately tried to get transferred to another school system.
In fact, I had one teacher who was out of state and really cared. Right before I graduated I ran into him and we had a short talk. He was planning to move back during the summer time. You could tell he stopped caring and it was killing him on the inside. The kids tore out his kind heart and stomp on it as many times as they could.
I do think teachers never get paid enough. They have to work far too many hours a week and put up with a way too much mistreatment for what they are paying them here. That seems to be a rather sad and worldwide issue in many countries.
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Its very annoying when a school that the teachers ought to be in control are not in control but the students. The government will need to come in and reduce the powers/freedom given to children. Let the students be responsible for their actions and should be sent to correctional homes.
Teachers pay will need to be improved to enhance their effectiveness. Thanks a lot for your comment @enjar
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its really inspirational and interesting. teaching is the best thing one can do. i just hope teachers would be taken seriously like they do for other professions. And the way teachers are been treated presently in nigeria especially kaduna needs to stop. Teachers are the best....
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O yeah, you can say it again "teachers are just the best" @kaybee
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No one ever wants to have a teacher as a role model. Not even students in schools with well packaged teachers salary admire their teachers well enough to be like them(teacher).
I recently joined the profession not long as a Mathematics teacher. The closest admiration I have received so far from my students are from those the seek better Mathematics skills so they could become good engineer in the future.
The quote:"teachers rewards are in heaven" doesn't set in well with me as a teacher. It all depends on the teacher's motivating factor(s). Nowhere in the world are teachers adequately enumerated in terms of rewards and fat pay cheques. You will be disappointed as a teacher if you classify your reward only in monetary terms.
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You have said it all, "you will be disappointed as a teacher if you classify your reward only in monetary terms"@hillaryoki
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Teachers play a key role in a child/student development. In most of the poor countries they are underpaid and the society does not offer them as much respect and gratitude as before. What keeps a teacher going under these circumstances? Only his passion for his job. Sadly in most of the cases he is the only one standing for the kids right to education, igniting the hope for a better future through learning. Nowadays parents are under the impression that the teacher is solely responsible for teaching anything to their children. (Kids are being baby sitted with electronic devices, parents are too busy to spend time with them.)
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@lymepoet, It is very sad that parent now leave their responsibilities for teachers to do. Some parents are so shameless that they even come to teachers to say they are paying school fees for the child so its the teachers duty to make sure they are well behaved when as parents they dont teach them to behave well at home
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