August 29, 2024
A Lasting Love For Education
Odunayo Oluchi Adams’ path from a secondary school graduate searching for purpose, to teaching young children at Tempo Schools, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, then becoming a student at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (ACOED), and now back to Tempo Schools as a professional and certified Early Childhood Educator, embodies the transformative power of dedication, vision and love for education.
Tell Us About Yourself….
My name is Odunayo Oluchi Adams, I am a graduate of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (ACOED) now Lagos State University of Education (LASUED). I am also a Certified Teacher by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). I currently teach at Tempo Schools, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. I chose to be a teacher in order to impart knowledge to my pupils and eradicate illiteracy one pupil at a time. I also chose to be a teacher because it presents me the opportunity to train and build future leaders.
I started teaching in 2017 at the age of 17 when I completed secondary school. During my course of teaching, I decided to take education as a full career and enrolled for my NCE in Early Childhood Education at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (ACOED). Ever since I started this journey it has been fun and educative.
I started my journey as a Cohort 0, SEED Fellow after the sensitization session organized in my institution on 6th February 2023. Ever since joining the Fellowship program I have made significant strides as the Fellowship equipped me with innovative teaching strategies and hands-on experience, which I have seamlessly integrated into my classroom.
What drives me professionally is my pupils’ success. I have a deep relaxing feeling when I see my pupils succeed in whatever they do.
Personally, I am driven by love. I experienced true love from my class teacher, Miss Bose from Golden Heritage School, Ota, who gave me all the support as an albino pupil. I also want to give my pupils the opportunity to learn under the umbrella of love no matter who they are and how they look.
Aside teaching, I am also passionate about cooking, baking and I love watching movies.
Walk Us Through Your SEED Teachers-in-Training Fellowship Journey.
I started SEED Teachers-in-Training Fellowship program with two online self-paced trainings from partners of SEED Care & Support Foundation: Black Belt program by 1 Million Teachers [with support from Queens University, Canada, HP and Girl Rising] and Transforming Nigerian Youths by Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University [with support from MasterCard Foundation, Young Africa Works]. I got to learn many things about being a teacher through the various courses — learning how to learn, skills for adolescence, identifying the signs and prevention of gender based violence, amongst many others which I was able to implement during my Teaching Practice at Ansarudeen Primary School, Ota. I also learnt how to start and grow a business, the right attitude to business and management of resources which I plan on implementing what I’ve learned by owning a business in future.
Beyond the online trainings, the Fellowship provided various learning and networking opportunities:
- support in setting up my LinkedIn profile to showcase my journey as an Educator, expand my network and expose me to further opportunities. You can find me on LinkedIn, here.
- continuous learning via the WhatsApp community with various sessions, projects and assignments.
- in-person opportunities to meet teacher leaders who have several years of experience in the field; amongst others.
As the pilot Cohort [Cohort 0], we were unable to fully complete the Fellowship program components such as the Study Tour, One-On-One Mentoring, etc. Despite this, I remained committed to the SEED Teachers-in-Training Fellowship program. So when the opportunity opened up to participate in the Community Impact Project (CIP) alongside Cohort 1 Fellows, I jumped on it — although I had already graduated from my institution. On 2nd August 2024, our team delivered our CIP after months of behind-the-scenes work. I collaborated with other pre-service teachers to deliver this impact project for All Round Positive Nursery & Primary School, a low-fee private school in Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria.
How have you applied the learning from the SEED Teachers-in-Training Fellowship program to your day-to-day teaching?
During the Fellowship program we had various training sessions on our WhatsApp platform. One of those sessions was with Miss Joy Ifeanyi, where she spoke about children with “special needs “. When I got my job I found out there was 2 pupils in class who are termed “special”. I didn’t feel awkward or scared on how to teach and understand them. Teaching them would have been though if I had no prior knowledge or idea.
What lessons have you learnt since you started working as a teacher that you did not learn from school?
Relating with colleagues and customer service (how to handle parents). When I started working I realized that my colleagues aren’t my course mates or “friends” but rather professionals with same goal. I learned how to treat them and team up with them. My place of work gave special training on how to handle parents without being “rude” or expressing our “hurt”. I learned how to manage situations before it escalates. I also learned how to welcome my pupils every morning with bold beautiful smiles especially when we’re at the gate receiving them.
What excites you most about education in Nigeria?
Getting to know individuals, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the Ministry of Education coming together to create opportunities for educators to gain knowledge and seeing programs like that of SEED Care & Support Foundation reaching out to low-fee private schools in giving them an opportunity to learn and transform.
What concerns you most about education in Nigeria?
I feel teachers are not honoured or respected enough. I fear that in the future we might have less number of teachers.
What Is In The Future For Odunayo Oluchi Adams?
As I continue to teach at Tempo Schools, I remain focused on creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment. I strive to empower my students to embrace their individual strengths and overcome challenges, just as I have done as someone living with albinism. My goal is to instill a love for learning and to help my students build confidence in their abilities.
I am excited to further develop my skills as an educator, seeking new opportunities for professional growth. I plan to return to Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) to obtain my full degree in Early Childhood Education and hope to further my education abroad (likely Canada). I am also committed to advocating for inclusivity and diversity in education, ensuring that every child, regardless of their background or challenges, has the opportunity to thrive.
Overall, I am grateful for SEED Fellowship experience, which has equipped me with the tools to excel in my teaching career and to inspire the next generation of learners.
Watch the video below to learn more about Odunayo Oluchi Adams and see her in action in her classroom at Tempo Schools, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Congratulations Odunayo Odunayo Adams. This shows the power of resilience. Thanks for not giving up on yourself.
Your dedication to growing as an educator is truly commendable. This achievement marks the beginning of an exciting journey where you will inspire, guide, and shape the future through your students. Continue to lead with passion, purpose, and resilience, knowing that you have the tools to make a lasting impact. The world needs committed educators like you, and your influence will be felt for years to come. Keep pushing boundaries, and never stop learning!
Wishing you continued success!
Proud of you dear friend…. Keep shining ❤️❤️❤️
Nice one sweetie
Congratulations, Odunayo. It’s the beginning of greater things.
Am so happy for you my friend, I pray God continue to take you higher in Jesus name amen.
Congratulations my name sake, the world indeed needs committed educators like you