Ojisi: Teachers

Of Teachers, Social Contract and Educational Development

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It was William Arthur Ward who once wrote “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires”.

Today is Teacher's Day and the 2024 theme: Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education recognizes the valued roles teachers play as they are the most important in-school factor when it comes to learning.

I come from a background of illustrious teachers on both my paternal and maternal side. Both my parents were teachers and I am married to a teacher. I have spent many years volunteering at summer lessons teaching social Studies, Civic Education and Government. By virtue of my many years of moderating and presiding over Model United Nations conferences and committees within and outside Nigeria, you can safely infer that I am also a teacher.

You will agree with me that In all, the teacher leaves you better than you were with your parents. In many cases, teachers have gone on to help people discover their destinies.

The age long maxim the teacher's reward is in heaven has become a dangerous philosophy, a breeding ground for contempt and the trivialization of the role of teachers. The reward for teachers need not be seen in tangible pecuniary terms, but in many intangibles - respect, dignity, recognition. The teacher stands towering above every other profession, because it is the cradle of both professional and vocational excellence.

But what do we find in today's society? A direct contempt for the person or the profession itself. They are constantly being owed salaries and, even when they retire, pensions don't come as it should. They continue to battle both natural and environmental forces to ensure that lessons are taught and comprehension achieved.

Teachers endure very harsh conditions of service and work assidiously to build the next generation. Well, this isn't new when we consider that even Jesus' authority was questioned, his teachings contested. But it does not embolden us to disregard our teachers.

It is he who hasn't been taught before that would not be grateful for lessons of life imparted by the teacher. Teachers, lead the motivation charge, helping people to unleash their passion and bear true gifts to the world. Teachers are the real MVPs because they never tire to lend themselves; regularly pouring out their own lives as a libation for the service of others.

In praise of teachers, Maria Montessori puts it well "It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it." If the teacher does this, then why can't we value them and then improve their status?

We owe our teachers a debt of gratitude. Our thankfulness should not be ensconced only on a day like this. It should be a daily mantra - a sort of timeless gratitude. For as Bill Gates rightly said, "Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."

Today, I celebrate the love of my life, wife of my youth, mother of our son and teacher to both of us - Nkiruka Mary Sylvia Udechukwu. BSc. PGDE. M.ED for the outstanding role she plays as an educator.

Baby gurl, keep shining!

Today, treat a teacher nice. Thank a teacher!

#thedailyletter #jisi #teachers #teaching #teachersday2024 #ojisiemezie

Stay Jiggy

Jisi

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Dear Future Wife

Dear Future Wife: I am Ojisi, Nwa Ticha.

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Image result for Images of Chimezie Udechukwu

‘Teachers lead the motivation charge, helping people to unleash their passion and bear true gifts to the world.’ OjisiEmezie

Dear Future Wife,

I come from the family of illustrous teachers on both sides of the family. It is such things that make me act like an onye nkuzi even though a few people know me as nwa ticha. It was Bill Gates who once said, "Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important. Nne m, I find that statement very true especially as Today is Teachers Day!

Yeah! Uto m, I love teachers not just because Mum was a teacher for 33 years before she retired and died why waiting for her entitlements, or because she came from a family of illustrious teachers, but because of how important the teacher is.You see, for me, it comes naturally, so when you people call me oversabi, know that they referring to the teacher instincts in me working.

Image result for theme for 2017 World Teachers Day

Image Credit: www.currentaffairs.com

Baby, The theme for this year is “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”, echoing the 2015 theme that followed the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)(link is external) in September 2015, when teacher empowerment was reaffirmed as a top priority in all education and development strategies Last year the theme was Valuing Teachers, Improving Their Status.’ This theme is quite apt not only for the Nigerian society but also it best speaks to the African continent.

Image Credit: www.calendarpedia.com

Darling, the age long maxim 'teachers reward are in heaven' have become a dangerous philosophy, a breeding ground for contempt and the trivialization of the role of teachers. This leads to the further enslavement of teachers going by the non-provision of conducive environment, the dearth of modern teaching aids added to the backlog of salaries owed them. It was William Arthur Ward who once wrote “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires”. This is what an absence of empowerment and lack of freedom causes.

Sweetheart, do you that according to UNESCO website, , World Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually worldwide and brings together governments, multi- and bilateral organizations, NGOs, private sectors, teachers and experts in the field of teaching. With the adoption of SDG 4 on education, and the dedicated target 4.c recognizing teachers as key to the achievement of the 2030 Education Agenda, it has become the occasion to mark achievements and reflect on ways to counter the remaining challenges for the promotion of the teaching profession, like the acute shortage of teachers. Indeed, according to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the world needs 69 Million teachers if we are to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030.

It is he who hasn't been taught before that would not be grateful go for the lessons of life as presented to us by teachers. Every day, the teacher pours herself as a libation for us to become better people. Maria Montessori puts it well "It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it."

Image Credit: www.en.unesco.org

The teacher can only teach in freedom if we value them and provide the necessary facilities needed for effective teaching. The only way we can empower them is to allow them tell the right stories by leveraging on the beauty of history in explaining the present and predicting the future. This where the joint statement by UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, UNDP and Education International is quite poignant.

Here it is;

Teachers are a critical foundation of every society’s long-term strength -- providing children, young people and adults with the knowledge and skills they need to fulfill their potential. But around the world, far too many teachers don’t have the freedom and support they need to do their vitally important jobs. That is why the theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day –“Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers” – reaffirms the value of empowered teachers and recognizes the challenges many encounter in their professional lives across the globe.

Being an empowered teacher means having access to high-quality training, fair wages, and continuous opportunities for professional development. It also means having the freedom to support the development of national curricula -- and the professional autonomy to choose the most appropriate methods and approaches that enable more effective, inclusive and equitable education. Furthermore, it means being able to teach in safety and security during times of political change, instability, and conflict.

But in many countries, academic freedom and teacher autonomy are under pressure. For example, at the primary and secondary school levels in some countries, stringent accountability schemes have put enormous pressure on schools to deliver results on standardized tests, ignoring the need to ensure a broad-based curriculum that meets the diverse needs of students.

Image Credit: www.youtube.com

Academic freedom is critical for teachers at every level of education, but it is especially critical for higher-education teachers, supporting their ability to innovate, explore, and stay up-to-date on the latest pedagogical research. At the tertiary level, teachers are often employed on a fixed-term, contingency basis. This in turn can result in greater job insecurity, diminished career prospects, higher workload and lower wages – all of which can restrict academic freedom and undermine the quality of education that teachers can deliver.

Across all education levels, political pressure and business interests can curb the ability of educators to teach in freedom. Teachers living and working in countries and communities affected by conflicts and instability often face greater challenges, including rising intolerance, discrimination, and related restrictions on research and teaching.

This year marks the 20 year anniversary of the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, which complements the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. Together, these instruments constitute the main reference framework on the rights and responsibilities of teachers and educators. Both stress the importance of teacher autonomy and academic freedom in building a world in which education and learning are truly universal.

As the world works together to realize the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals, we appeal to our partners in governments and across the education and private sectors to commit to building a highly skilled, valued and empowered education workforce. This constitutes a critical path to realizing SDG 4, which envisions a world in which every girl, boy, woman and man has access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities.

This means securing decent working conditions and fair wages for all teachers including at the tertiary level. It means providing teachers with training and development. It means increasing the number of quality teachers, especially in those countries with high numbers of untrained teaching personnel. It means removing unnecessary restrictions on research and teaching and defending academic freedom at all education levels.

Finally, it means raising the status of teachers around the world in a way that honors and reflects the impact they have on the strength of society. This World Teachers’ Day, join us in empowering teachers to teach in freedom so that, in turn, every child and every adult is free to learn – to the benefit of a better world.

I would love to hear you thoughts on how we can improve the status of our teachers, how can empower them, and how they can teach in freedom.

Image Credit: www.pinterest.com

To every profession, a teacher is responsible. To the many success and ingenuity recorded in our World today, the hand of the teacher is visible. Today, the world celebrates the amazing roles Teachers play in shaping our lives and in building great minds. On days like this, I remember my mother for she gave 33 years of her life in molding Characters! Odiro ofele i bu onye nkuzi!

To all teachers out there, may God bless you with all the wisdom, knowledge and understanding together with the strength you need to build people.

We celebrate you!

OjisiEmezie

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Issues

MEET THE SOGUNRO HEROES [PART THREE]: PETER OLAGUNJU

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this is the third in the series and I am most excited with the things this young man has been able to do for those kids in Sogunro.

In this episode, Polyglot, student, volunteer and social entrepreneur Peter Olagunju takes us through his life, his experiences and why language for him is an important too in the business of volunteering.

I hope you find his story inspring.

OjisiEmezie

I am Peter Olagunju and I am studying Russian in the European Studies Department of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Schooling for me is a very interesting. It is interesting because I am studying a new language, Russian. I used to speak a bit of Portuguese and wanted to study it in a University. At the time I wanted to put in my application to UI, I found out that UI does not offer Portuguese. Many factors contributed to my choice of Russian. First is that I have a thing for European Languages. Second, I have always wanted to work as a Career Diplomat. My first day in class as a Russian student was really very fun for me.

I started volunteering last year, that is 2015. My decisions was premised on my love for helping people. Often times when I traveled from one state to another, I noticed some small villages and settlements inside thick bush and I never stopped wondering whether they had health facilities to cater for their health needs, schools for the little children and whether these people were economically empowered. This would usually draw tears from my eyes. I couldn’t stop thinking of how to help them. As I did not have resources to execute these, I decided that I was going to join any organization that helps such people.

I started volunteering with Project ASHA last year, 2015.

It has been eye-opening and educative. The knowledge and experience I have garnered can never be bought with money nor can be quantified.

Sogunro has become my second home. I was part of the Volunteers that started the Sogunro project. The love I have for the people of Sogunro is amazing. The Sogunro project taught me to love, taught me to respect people and to give. Honestly, I should tell you that it has never been easy for me considering that I have to travel from Ibadan to Lagos almost every other weekend to volunteer in Sogunro.

I have learnt to interact with people of humble backgrounds like we have in Sogunro. One of the sessions I led (where there were always over 50 young women and girls) changed my orientation about young women and girls. And it was in that session that I first danced all my life! Yes, you heard me right! That day, I was teaching the women sex education. I was telling them about their bodies and how they must jealously keep it.

They opened up to me, answered the questions I asked them and even gladly obliged details of sexual abuse they have had from men. To drive home the point, I led them in a song which they gladly sang and danced to. Suddenly, one of them said I must dance. The others agreed and then I was left with no choice. And yes, I did dance. They were very happy. That day, they became a new child to me that I gently and lovingly nurture. \

Sogunro has had an history of exploitation by selfish individuals who had documented their story, told the stories to sponsors who they got money from but never gave back to the village. When we got to their community, we first had to win their trust. When we did that, they gladly opened up to us. Project ASHA has not just impacted the young women of Sogunro but the community at large. The different sessions we hold with them has taught them interpersonal skills, respect for people, love, trust, unity. Many of the young women have now learnt to look inward to identify what disempowers them as women.

This, they have identified as the first step to getting them out of poverty, all forms of abuse and violence against women. From enlightenment campaigns to knowledge sharing and talent exhibitions, the women of Sogunro are set to take over their world. They will no longer be ordered around by cheating and jobless husbands neither will they be abused by randy uncouth men.

The future holds beautiful things in stock for them. With their knowledge and exposure, they have been set on course to empower themselves by themselves.

Besides volunteering, I am a Freelance Journalist, I compere events and I also care for children living with the Down Syndrome. My colleague, Chinyere Azike and I, co-founded The Nechamah Foundation that caters for children who have the Down Syndrome.

I believe an uninspired person is already dead though still alive. ASHA means life to me. I draw inspiration from Vweta Chadwick and every member of the Project ASHA team.

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Issues

MEET THE SOGUNRO HEROES: PART TWO: LYDIA OKORIE

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"With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world." Dalai Lama XIV

Yevo! Yevo! Yevo! The returning school children shrieked when they saw me, even the ones who couldn't go to school join in the taunt nay chants; a new name added to the litany of names an albino would have to bear.

From Afin o je iyo, onye ocha, obobo, ebo, ocha, bature, anasara to orisha, now Yevo!

Well, typical of me, I acknowledged and returned the cheers as I walked upon huge layers of dirt now turned road with open gutters and heavy presence of poverty and malnutrition. This was the scenario that greeted me at #Sogunro a shanty community that sits somewhere around Iwaya area of Yaba, Lagos.

My darling friend Vweta Chadwick runs Project ASHA, a community intervention program for women and girls in underserved communities. Its main focus is Empowering Women of the Future. Severally she had invited, Friday November 18, I obliged.

So I had read and watched reports on residents of Makoko, a waterfront community which Sogunro is part of. Inhabitants are made up of mostly Egun people of Badagry, Ilajes of Ondo State and a large number of Republic of Benin and Togolese settlers.

Through Project ASHA, young girls were made to believe in themselves, to reach deep and explore their potentials and see the world beyond the waterfronts. As I taught some students how to pronounce some words and watched the exhilarating dance steps of the Egun people at the Sogunro Musical put together by the ASHA Initiative, I was inspired by the resolve in the minds of these girls to recreate their world.

through my many interviews with the projrct volunteers, one thing kept resonating, and that is; ASHA is all about inspiring hope and transforming lives and I must stay mine was affected too. Lessons abound everywhere and I sure took home valuable lessons. If these girls can raise their heads above the dirty waters and environmental hazards that perhaps define their habitat and focus on the future they want by exploring their potentials, I see no reason or excuse on your part.

Lest I forget, you can find your way to Sogunro and see the many things you can do for them.

That day as I left for Ijebu Ode, Ogun State Southwest Nigeria for another function, the happy voices of those kids bring joy to my heart and smiles on my lips. Perhaps for the first time in many years, the feeling is devoid of any bias or anger. So today, go ahead and call me Yevo! I will answer because I am a Volunteer!

But just before you do, please meet this amazing College student who believes she through teacher mentorship, we can really improve the lives of the young ones. At only 21, she has so much faith in the actualization of the dreams of the Sogunro girls.

Keep grinding and soon you ball!

OjisiEmezie

Let's me you. Give us an introduction on who you are, a background about you.

My name is Lydia Okorie. I was born 29^th of July 1995 at Akoka in Lagos Mainland. I am a 400level student of English at the University of Lagos. I am the last of five children. I am a native of Nkanu- East local government in Enugu State.

Any educational qualifications? How's schooling for you?

BA English (2017). Schooling for me has been exciting and challenging. Various tasks to be completed before specific times.

When did you start volunteering, can you remember why you took such decisions?

I started volunteering in July. I became a volunteer because I felt there was more to being alive and the passion to put smiles on the faces of people is quite ardent

How long have you been involved with the Project Asha?

I have been with Project Asha for about six months now.

What has the experience been to you?

The experience for me has been fulfilling. I have come to realise that although there are various means these people could be empowered, I'm glad be able to play my part.

What does Sogunro mean to you and how long have you been involved with the Project?

Sogunro to me has been remarkable. I remember when I first came to the community, the people were less cooperative. I see the progress and I'm glad. I have been involved with the project since July.

How much impact do you think Project ASHA has had on the Sogunro community?

impact has been tremendous. From empowerment, health, exposure and many more. Project ASHA has given the women and girls in Sogunro community a platform to express themselves.

Describe the Sogunro Girls, what do you think the future holds for them?

Sogunro girls are amazing. It amazes me when I see their zeal to become something great irrespective of their environment. I believe the future is what we make of today, so for the girls, the future holds more beautiful things as they continue in various developmental projects designed for them by Project ASHA.

Aside Volunteering, what does Lydia do?

Aside volunteering, I teach.

What does ASHA mean to you?

To me, ASHA is a vehicle to the actualization of one's dreams.

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Dreams

CHIBUEZE OFOBUIKE: HOW WE ARE PUSHING THE NEXT GENERATION TO A GREAT START

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Every year, thousands of school leavers graduate from secondary schools in the remote parts of Nigeria with little or no direction about the next step to take. More worrisome is the fact that the majority lacks the requisite force that should lift them from negative beliefs to the thoughts of possibilities. Nothing inspires them. No one motivates them.

It is against this backdrop that a team of young, spirited and passionate Nigerians came together under the platform of THE PUSH TO START PROJECT to aid teens studying in the rural areas across the country that have little or no access to the internet nor other vital information and exposure that aids learning. Thus, with the support of private individuals, the Team procured wonderful motivational books, in view of providing the students with accounts of the writer’s quests towards success and how they defeated environmental limitations.

On Thursday, October 13, 2016, the Team, led by Mr.Ofobuike Chibueze, impacted in the lives of 140 senior students of Community Secondary School, Ebenebe, an agrarian community located in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. It was an amazing sight to behold, seeing the enthusiasm and eagerness in the teens as they sat quietly under the shades of Mango trees (as the school do not possess a Hall) to listen to the speakers who lifted their zeal to aspire beyond borders.

Anchored by Miss Nkechika Udeh, a budding researcher on the verge of acquiring a Masters Degree in Political Science from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the event started by 12 Noon with an opening prayer said by a female student. The first speaker, Mr. Agwu Prince Chiemeka took the students on a journey he titled Dreams.

A First Class Honours Degree holder in Social Works and Community Development from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the founder of The Rhetoric Project – an outlet that offers well grounded knowledge in effective communication and mentorship - Mr. Agwu commenced his teachings by highlighting that dreams are illustrations from the book one’s soul writes about him or herself. He taught the students how to dream positively which defines individual success as against dreaming while asleep.

By defying all odds to emerge one of the best brains in the history of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Mr. Agwu presented the story of his life which is the definition of success achieved through sheer hard work, belief, determination and perseverance. He promised to stay in touch with any student who demonstrates all that he did to succeed.

The next session featured yet another powerful talk by one of Nigeria’s youngest university lecturers, an entrepreneur and the CEO of Smart Leaders Are Made Initiative (SLAM), Miss Ngozi Marion Emmanuel, with the topic “The 21^st Century Youth at Crossroads: Rediscovering Mentors and Role Models”. The students were taken down the lane of the very important position of the youths in any society and how the fate of such society lies in their hands. She exposed them to the challenges that militate against their success which include the wrong utilization of technology, pop culture among others. However, she educated them on the impacts of role models and possessing the right mentors which will prevent them from being caught in the web of the challenges. With an hour-long teaching on Mentorship, the student’s minds were agitated as they sought to know more.

The participants received copies of THINK BIG: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence and Gifted Hands, both written by Ben Carson MD. Other inspiring books by several authors were also given to them. The Team collected the data of the students in view of following up their academic and moral progress.

The final announcement by the Coordinator of the Project threw the participants into wild jubilation, such that they have seemingly never experienced. With the goodwill of individuals who are concerned about the future of the Nigerian school child, three (3) opportunities for free WAEC Forms were presented to the students. The gifts will be given to the student who submits the best comprehensive and concise report of the event within one week, while the other two goes to the best students in academics and in character, respectively.

The success of the event could be measured by the questions and reactions of the students who expressed their readiness to apply all that they were taught.

The future of Nigeria lies in our teens which include those living in the remote communities with limited opportunities. It is our collective duty to secure their success. The Team is seeking for the next school to visit in the coming months so as to further unlock potentials that will ensure a prosperous society.