I AM NOW A CERTIFIED TEACHER

Congratulations filled the air upon receipt of this document just last week.

It took a year to get this processed; signed, sealed and delivered. Who would have thought this was something I would be proud of fifteen years ago. Right now, I am incredibly proud of it.

I  really did not consider it important when I had just started teaching, truth be told,as much as I  wanted to be a teacher, I also wasn't ready to be committed ( Lol...Does that sound like what a guy will tell a lady?)

So, somehow I never applied for it until a few years ago when David and I got nominated for an award in Lagos state with a huge monetary reward. I did not bother going on with the procedure because I was told being certified as a teacher by Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) was compulsory. David who is a go-getter  went on with the process and interestingly moved all the way up to the finals. He had gotten to the top four in that award but had to drop out as he was not certified. It was then it  dawned on us the importance of the certificate and so we decided to start the process of getting it.

Since I received this certificate, I have been made to understand the numerous benefits I stand to gain as a teacher.

Don't sleep on a bicycle like I did, it took me over eight years to start processing mine. This certificate is gold to a teacher the way being a chartered accountant is to the accountant.

I know there are people reading this now who have gotten theirs. Kindly share with us the benefits teachers can get with this certificate and also tell us if you have one.

WHEN TEACHERS DISGUISE

Many people seem to crave the weekend for several reasons. Even in work places, parties are thrown on Fridays and those who love to get their groove on move from one event to the other throughout the weekend. Another category uses the time to get personal things sorted out.

I grew up knowing that many use the weekends to cash in on strategic meet ups; to close business deals or meet prospective clients.  Others just want to make the acquaintance of people so as to increase the value of their network.

At meetups/events, when people introduce themselves they would usually say something like 'My name is Mr/Ms......, I am into entertainment or investment banking, nice to make your acquaintance.' And courtesy demands that you return that gesture by introducing yourself as well. Even if you miss the line of mentioning what it is that you do, it does not take long for someone to pop the question 'so what do you do?'

Well, word has come to me that teachers still find it difficult to mention that they are indeed TEACHERS. Some simply lie or mention something else that they do.

It is can almost be forgiven because I have WALKED into rooms in the past where I would timidly mention that I was a teacher and the expressions were priceless (negatively).
Teachers know how they are perceived by a lot of people and would rather stay safe by hiding from who they are. The stigma attached to teachers being poor is still so strong and it has affected how we are perceived.

The narrative is changing, many teachers have broken free from the yoke of poverty ( that is a topic for another day). Better still, teachers are intelligent, creative, problem solvers, nation shapers and many more. Which of these do you fall into?

It took me a lot of thoughts to accept myself for what I had decided to do as a career, understand why I was doing it and define the mark I intended to make. By so doing, my career has become the easiest story I know to tell. Believe it or not, I now walk into gatherings with my head held up and talk about being a teacher to people in more 'lucrative' professions, hold them spell bound and begin to receive comments like 'Can we do something together?'

Someone once mentioned that if you are a teacher and all your friends are teachers, you are headed in the wrong direction.

The level of exposure you have is how far you can show your students. Take bold strides today, there's so much more to you than talking about your students to your spouse or network of teacher friends.

1- Discover yourself
2- Work on yourself
3- Use it to change your narrative.

Still wondering about how to go about this, drop a comment or visit @teachersidaraanddavid on Instagram. We love to see teachers becoming more of whom they intend to be and even beyond.

08167434858,08034085285

TEACHERS CAN BE MORE...

This is third term and the session is going to end before we know it. Are we just going to let the same old cycle begin next session?

I am hearing someone say 'NO.'

Talk is cheap!

What are you doing about the dreams and aspirations you have always nursed? Think problems, think solutions! Money comes only to those who help solve problems.

Everyone can be a problem solver if only we think a little harder.

Before you know it, it's going to be a new year again.

Be intentional about your goals! Don't just have dreams, reflect, look for ways to get them done, ask a friend, take a course.

Success will never show pity to those who hope and do nothing.

#mytwopence
#muchlove