Ifueko Thomas' Radio Interview Inspired Me

Mrs. Ifueko Thomas' name got me glued to 92.3 Inspiration FM, on Sunday, 11th September, 2016. It was so exciting to keep tabs on the time in order to listen to this woman who I admire immensely. I have been privileged to attend a number of training that she facilitated.

Ifueko Omowunmi Thomas

You would wonder, if it's the tone of her voice, her depth of knowledge or just her persona that gets me so thrilled about her, I don't know. She is a teacher who has risen gracefully in her profession and she makes me feel proud of being a teacher.

Why was she on radio? She spoke about education in Nigeria, it's challenges and suggested solutions. She said a lot of things but the one thing that hit me hard was when she said that no matter how expensive the building or facilities in the school are, the real thing that gives quality to a school is the quality of the teachers in it.

I began to think about her statement and asked myself some vital questions. At the end, I told myself some real truth. I personalised Ifueko Thomas' statement  and began to tell myself, 'the quality of my classroom is not based on the number of high flyers I have but is highly dependent on me,the teacher.'Then, I began to see my classroom as my school with me being the proprietress. This made me to begin to appraise myself and  strive to be a better teacher. 

There is a mixed multitude of teachers reading this now, those who have the opportunity to work in schools conducive for learning and filled with an assortment of facilities,the ones with as little as a black chalk board and those who have only a little or nothing.  One thing to note is that at whatever level your school is: 

• The teacher should be able to adequately connect with and impact the children positively
• The teacher should be able to give the students things to think about
• The teacher should make them increase in knowledge
• The teacher should be able to stir up the quest for life long learning in the students
• The pupils should feel loved and cared for
• The teacher should strive to bring out the champion in every child

There are so many more things that can get on the list.Let's learn to assess ourselves and practice with the students at the centre of our thoughts. I hope you would have an exciting time with your new pupils/students....cheers!