MY FIRST TEACHING EXPERIENCE

I have never taught in my life before, it was my first time. The last time I attempted teaching was when I rounded up with my Secondary School (high school) education, but it never worked out due to the salary rate of most mushroom schools (Schools of low standard) as at that time. Schools of such standard were the only school ready to hire a secondary school graduate with no teaching experience like me. Given there poor salary rate, my father advised that stay back at home instead and prepare for my JAMB exam.

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On the 15th of February 2023 I began my NYSC program. This time it is a no option case, I must have to teach whether I like it or not. My primary place of assignment was a school, a school in an interior part of Benue State. A school located in the little community of Pass Brother. Pass Brother is a community located at about 5 km before Abinsi. While I and other corp members lived in Abinsi, those of us who were assigned to Dopama Model School report to school every morning from Monday to Thursday for our teaching job. Friday was our off day, it is also our day of CDS. By implication, our weekend begins on Friday; that is if we do not have a sensitization program for to carry out.

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Dopama is an amazing school with so many amazing Children, but it in located in a typical village. Having lived in the village all their lives, most of the children were completely unable to speak English, while others are only able to say some words in English. Teaching them was really difficult but amazing. The most difficult part in teaching them was being able to make them understand. Coupled with the fact that they cannot speak English, there was no way we could understand their local language since we all came from another region of the country.

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In Dopama Model School, I met children with so many potential, many of them are highly intelligent but were never given the opportunity to explore. In the little villiage of Pass Brother (before Abinsi), I met children whose parents completely do not care about their education. In the school (Dopama Model School), many of the children do not come to school with books. Some others come with just a single note book for the entire lecture and their parents see no reason to care about that. The major reason why most of the parents send their children to school is simply because other children are going to school, and so they don't really care about what the children gain from being in school. All they want is that there children go out with other children every morning and come back home after school.

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Truth be told, I enjoyed every of my moment with the children of Dopama Model School, I only wished I could have done more than being just their teacher. I wished I could have given a more substantial support. But still, I am happy to have had an impact.