WHEN YOU HELP OTHERS, YOU ARE HELPING YOURSELF

LET ME SHARE AN EXPERIENCE WITH YOU:

Several years ago when I received my call-up letter for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I was posted to a Public Secondary School to teach. I was to teach CRS.

That was how I got my first Official Classroom Teaching Experience.

I taught classes in SSS 1 to SSS 3.

I ENJOYED TEACHING THE PUPILS BUT THAT JOB WAS CHALLENGING and I will tell you why.

Usually when a corps member is posted to a Secondary School to teach, he/she does the job of an assistant teacher; assisting the real teacher (the subject teacher).

The subject teacher is supposed to be the boss; he/she owns the job, but delegates to the corps member.

In my own case, the school I was posted to didn't have a CRS teacher so I was the major and only teacher.

I had to learn how do my job without anyone putting me through: I had to write lesson notes without guidance, I had to enter into the class and teach without being monitored and I had to mark the pupils’ notes.

Take note, all these are things I have never done before.

So, I NEEDED A GOOD PLAN IF I WANTED TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND FULFILLING SERVICE YEAR.

What was the plan?

The plan was to go in search of another CRS teacher in the Neighbouring Government Secondary School.

I introduced myself to the teacher and explained my mission, she was accommodating and that was how she started to put me through. I collected lesson notes and text books from her and she gave me guidance when she could.

DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE SCHOOL WHERE I SERVED DIDN'T PAY ME, I GAVE MY BEST to the pupils till I was done with service. I was told by the principal and her vice that if they had the power to retain teachers, they would have retained me. But they don't have the power to do that because ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAN EMPLOY TEACHERS TO GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS.

I enjoyed doing the teaching job. In fact, that was how I discovered that I had passion for teaching.

A year later, I got a job in another Secondary school; a private school, the experience I had during my service year helped me and I always tried to do my job diligently.

One of the rules under Education is that from time to time, inspectors usually go to private schools to inspect the works done by teachers.

When this is about to take place, you will see the private school teachers getting jittery, some will rush to complete their lesson notes, others will quickly mark abandoned notes and so on.

When it was my turn for inspection, lo and behold, the inspector assigned to me was the same woman I usually go to meet for guidance when I was a ‘corper’. My joy knew no bound. Since she knows how hard I worked back then she did little or no inspection and APPROVED everything about my work, she also started to sing my praise publicly and I became the envy of all my colleagues.

HERE ARE THE LESSONS I WANT TO DRAW FROM THIS:

1. HELP OTHERS, BECAUSE THAT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO HELP YOURSELF.

I helped the pupils BY GOING THE EXTRA MILE in order to deliver my teachings more effectively and I ended up helping myself.

2. Whatever your hands find to do, do it well because GOD SEES YOU and PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.

3. Be dedicated.

4. Seek out people to guide you or put you through when you are doing something that is new to you.

5. Welcome corrections because that is one of the ways to get better at what you do.

#lifeskillscounsel

© Elizabeth Oduwaiye

Life Skills Counsel