Teachers Helping Teachers Tuesday: Preventing Burnout

You know the feeling. It happens when you see other people out for walks during their lunch hour (and you just spent 10 minutes "eating" while emailing a passive aggressive parent). Or when you hear how you need to try this new teaching technique, even though you have been doing it for years. Or when you are up all night, sick, and have to crawl to the computer to write your sub plans. You think, "How much longer can I do this?"

We're constantly asked to do more with less. And there is no end in sight to the increasing pressure on us from standardized testing, parents and administrators, contentious bargaining sessions, the current anti-teacher climate, and top-down leadership.
Teachers need to band together to support each other and make teaching a more sustainable career.

There are several things we can do for each other and for ourselves

1. Support Teachers in Times of Need.
When someone on your staff is going through a difficult time, a thoughtful gift from his or her fellow teachers can mean a lot. A fund can be created at the beginning of the year. Each staff member brings what they can. One person can be in charge of this amount, and select appropriate gifts or support when it is needed.
This is a meaningful way to support each other, and it builds community and morale.

2. Plan for a Better Work/Life Balance.
A small group of teachers can improve the climate and community of the school by planning some activities that support wellness. I don't mean another canvas bag or mug! This could be a weekly running or walking group, monthly get-togethers, weekly treats in the teachers' room, or other meaningful ideas.
We need to encourage each other to be involved in activities outside of school.

3. Provide Back Up.
Have a meeting with a difficult parent? Plan to take a trusted colleague with you. Is your colleague having a rough day? Do their recess duty for them. These acts of kindness show solidarity, community, and kindness.

4. Support New Mothers.
Sleep-deprived breastfeeding new mothers face many challenges as they return to teaching. Support them in helping to find a secure place to pump milk, and work with staff to provide coverage so they can continue to work and provide breast milk for their babies. This can be challenging in a space- and time-strapped school -- but it is essential to creating a family friendly, breastfeeding supportive environment.

5. Seek Leadership Opportunities.
Teaching lacks a clear career ladder. Many teachers don't want to become principals, but they want to explore other professionally paid challenges. Seek out opportunities to extend and enrich your profession, such as mentoring, coaching, teaching college courses, or writing.

6. A Change Would Do You Good.
When you feel like quitting, it might be that you are simply ready to teach another subject, grade level, or in a different school.
Changing your position or school might be a better fit and a way to rejuvenate your teaching.

7. Band Together.
Teachers can and should work together to forward the interests of public education and teaching. We can meet together and take action on issues of importance such as the environmental health of a school, the leadership, endorsing (or not) school board members, and taking positions on certain policy decisions. Joining your local union, and getting involved directly with supporting schools and public education, can lead to empowerment and further engagement.

8. Create a Positive, Supportive Climate.
The last thing teachers need is to feel more isolated! Teachers need to collaborate, problem-solve, and share successes often. This should be regular, planned, in school time. Sometimes administrators need to be reminded of this. If the climate deteriorates for any reason, handle it directly before people are hurt and disenfranchised. This could be through staff meeting discussions, or through a group reading of a book and other means suitable for such environment.

These are just a few ideas that can help teachers stay positive, empowered, and connected to their school communities.

Teachers can support each other to make each day a little brighter. And that's a start.

Credit: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/preventing-teacher-burn out-Katy-farber

Eva Adelaja: Lagos Government Sacks Six

Justice  has been served to those involved in the unethical battering and punishment of a student of Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos.
The principal of the school, Mrs. C.O. Coker, the vice-principal Mrs. Balogun, and four teachers whose names were given as : Mr. Bello (Mathematics), Mrs. Tejumaye (English), Mrs. Omoge (PE)  and Mr. Bakare (Economics) were removed from the school according to reports.

Their removal was as a result of the investigation carried out into the flogging of the pupil Ogechi Anyawelechi by the teachers on the instruction of the principal.

Recall, that Ogechi was flogged on her bare buttocks and made to cut grass for over four hours due to a misunderstanding between her and the head girl of the school whom she purportedly slapped after the latter slapped her.

When the incident became public, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development Princess Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf  instructed the Directorate of Schools Social Services of her ministry to probe it.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Education Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, they were removed because of their complicity in the “assault saga”, adding: They will no longer work in the school from Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Dash Place’ Blog hopes this serves serve as a deterrent to others who are toeing this unethical path all in the name of discipline or correction.

Photo of accused QC Teacher with Students surfaces online

A picture of Olaseni Oshifala (see picture above) the teacher at the centre of the Queen’s College’ sexual molestation has surfaced online. He’s seen posing with some students in their dormitory.

The accused teacher (Oshifala) and the principal – Lami Amodu – who rose to his defence have been invited for questioning by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
It is reported that they were drilled for many hours before  being released on bail.

Recall that Oshifala, is being accused of forcefully trying to kiss and touch the private part of an unnamed JSS 2 student of the school in Yaba, Lagos.

Student Battered and Punished By Principal at Eva Adelaja Girls School (Warning: Graphic Pictures)

Barely a week after the Queens College allegations, another story is making rounds yet again and from a government school as well. 

Read reports below.

According to 'Daguru' who made the report online, this happened last week, at Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos. Daguru wrote: "I am writing to report the physical and emotional abuse to a girl child as a result of punishment meted out to her by her teachers at school.

She was made to strip off her shorts and canned on her bare buttocks and slapped severely by the principal and 5 other teachers because she returned the slap on her face from the head girl who slapped her first. The head girl then reported to the school authorities who in turn physically battered her and then made her cut grass for 4 hours under the sun.

Her name is Ogechi Blessing, she is 14 years old and a SS2 Pupil of Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School at Bariga in Lagos State. This incident occurred on the 16th of March 2016. The perpetrators of this crime are a. Mrs. C. O Coker (School Principal) slapped her severally b. Mr. Bello (Maths Teacher), canned her and slapped her severally c. Mr. Bakare (Economics Teacher) slapped her severally d. Mrs. Tejumaye (English Teacher) slapped her severally e. Mrs Omoge (Civic Education Teacher) slapped her severally f. Mrs. Balogun (Vice Principal) slapped her severally

The Principal has refused to honor the request from the police officers at Bariga Police Station but instead brought soldiers to intimidate the officers investigating the case. She has missed out on writing 4 exams since then. Justice needs to be done for this inhumane act against the girl child.

The school principal has completely refused to corporate with the police. She has insisted that neither she nor her fellow teachers would report to the police unless directed by their supervisors at the state ministry of education. We need to bring an end to the physical and emotional abuse of our children in government schools in the name of corrections.
                    

Source: Kemi Filani's Blog

Eight-year old pupil arrested

An eight-year-old pupil of Prospect Primary School, Akute, Ogun State, Oyindamola Onimole, has been detained by the Ajuwon Police Division.

Punch newspaper reports that  Oyindamola, who was held by the police between 6pm on Wednesday and 12pm on Thursday, was arrested by a policeman from the station for reporting a teacher in the school, identified simply as Mrs. Oni, to his mother.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Oni, who is the wife of one of the policemen at the station, had maltreated Oyindamola at school and the pupil reported her to his mother, Mrs. Nimota Onimole, who subsequently stormed the school and complained about the assault.

After the mother left, the teacher was said to have descended on the child again for daring to report her to his mother.
A source in the school said, “After school hours, the teacher called her husband and he stormed the house of the pupil and arrested the minor.
“When Mrs. Onimole (Nimota) returned from work about 10pm, neighbours told her about the ordeal of her son. She left for the police station to ascertain what had happened. The mother, who went to the police station to bail her child, was also detained.”
Oyindamola’s father, Olalekan Omole, confirmed on Thursday that his wife and son were detained by the police.

He said, “At about 6.30pm, the teacher and her policeman husband, went to our house and forcibly took my son. They used okada(motorcycle) to pick my son.
“When my wife returned about 10pm and got to the station around 10.30pm, requesting to get her child released, she was equally detained at the station. All this happened because of the influence of the teacher, whose husband happened to be a policeman at the station.
“My two remaining children slept alone at home that night. I had to consult a lot of people to wade in and get justice for my family.
“But today (Thursday), at about 12pm, my son and my wife were released by the police.”

Olalekan, who expressed outrage at the detention of the minor, said he would contact his lawyer to take the matter up.
Oyindamola’s father added that he had informed the school proprietor about Mrs. Oni’s alleged misconduct

Six-year old female pupil abducted in Lagos School

Six-year-old schoolgirl, Oluwajuwon Akinsanya, has been abducted by unidentified persons at the Ojo Military Cantonment, Lagos.

The primary one pupil of Maryam Bliss International School, Ojo, was said to be sleeping in the room with her parents in Block II, Flat 5, Engineer Quarters, when she was whisked away by the abductors.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the men also stole the phone, money and recharge cards (vouchers) of the victim’s parents.

Her mother, Yetunde, told punch newspaper that the family had yet to be contacted by the abductors since the incident happened in January.
She stated that she had visited more than 200 places seeking help, adding that she was sexually harassed in one of the religious houses she visited.
Yetunde said, “On January 20, 2016, around 4.30am, while we were asleep, I suddenly heard a loud noise and I woke up.
“I checked the floor where my daughter normally slept, but I didn’t see her. Her younger brother, Enoch, was on the bed with my husband and I. I thought she went to the toilet to urinate.
“However, when I checked the place, I didn’t find her. It was when I got to the kitchen and met the door opened that I knew intruders had come in. They came in from the kitchen.
“They took my bag and removed all the money there. They also emptied my purse where I kept the recharge cards I sold to people. My husband’s phone was equally taken away.”
She said she reported the matter to the Ojo Barracks Military Police and the victim’s father was arrested. She said the military authorities said her husband was the first suspect.
He was, however, later released and three other suspects arrested.
The suspects – Mercy Akere, Ayodeji Akinsanya and Segun Akinsanya –were alleged to have been accused by Yetunde of issuing threats against her family.
Our correspondent gathered that the military later released the suspects, saying there was no evidence against them.
Yetunde, a trader, said a member of her husband’s family took her to an orthodox church for help.
She alleged that the pastor after giving her a fake prophecy of her daughter’s whereabouts, sexually harassed her.
“I complained to my in-law who took me to his church, and he called the pastor in my presence to challenge him.
“The pastor told him on the telephone that he only used a candle to rub my breasts because that was what my child sucked; and my private parts, because that was where she came out from. He said he did it so that the deliverance would be quicker,” she said.
Oluwajuwon’s mother, who expressed dissatisfaction at the way the military were handling the case, said she asked for a transfer to a civilian police station, but the Officer-in-Charge, Major Obot, refused.
When contacted, Major Obot declined comment, saying he was not authorised to speak with PUNCH Metro.
“I am not the right person to talk about the case. The child’s father is a military officer and the case is being handled by the military because it happened in the barracks,” he said.
The victim’s father, Sunday, a sergeant, said he did not suspect his relatives or girlfriend, adding that he was also not in support of the matter being transferred from the military.
He said, “My wife is only suspecting my relatives and girlfriend because before this incident happened, we had a misunderstanding.
“I am a military officer and I can tell you that investigations are ongoing. I suspect those who surround my wife, but I know soon, God will expose those behind this.”
Sunday’s brother, Segun, who was among those initially arrested, denied knowing anything about the abduction of the child.
He said he had not been in talking terms with Yetunde prior to the incident, adding she wanted to get back at him with the incident.
A counsel in the Femi Falana Chamber, Mrs. Olakitan Boluagbaje, said the chamber was preparing a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, for the case to be transferred from the military police.
She said, “I can’t imagine that such a thing could happen in a military barracks. And the way the military officers are handling the matter is pathetic.
“The main actors in this case are civilians, and it is only reasonable that the case is transferred to the police. We will be writing the CP to request the transfer of the case to him.”

Pupils fall out of moving bus in Lagos

                           Photo Credit: Vanguard

Two pupils of New Vine International School, Mushin, Lagos, have been reportedly thrown out of a moving bus driven by the Proprietor, Mr. Ekezie Augustine, at Costain Roundabout, Surulere on their way from the National Theatre, Iganmu.

The proprietor was handed over to the Divisional Traffic Office, Iponri, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of Lagos State Police Command, for prosecution.

According to the principal of the school, the affected pupils, Seunfunmi Oseni, 4, and Amira Otegbola, 6, were among the twenty pupils that embarked on the journey to the National Theatre the said day.

The children, were rushed to Brickfield Medical Centre, at Ademuyiwa Road, Ebute Metta, and we're subsequently referred to Foremost Radiology, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, for brain scan before further treatment.

According to an official of Brickfield, “the boy, Seunfunmi, sustained a lot of bruises on his head and leg. He has not walked since he was brought here. We feared he has injured his legs too. He is always folding it and he preferred to be carried.”

Further investigations also revealed that the school was not registered with the authorities in Lagos and it had just relocated to its new address in Mushin.

However, the Principal said certification of the school was being processed. He added that “the children were over-excited and uncontrollale before the incident happened.”
About three teachers were reported with the children on the bus on the said day when the incident occurred.
The questions that begs for answers are: what actually happened?  Did the pupils sit so close to the door? And what we're the teachers doing when it happened?

Credit: vanguardngr.com

Dr. Maria Tecla Montessori

Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy.

She opened the first Montessori school—the Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House—in Rome on January 6, 1907. Subsequently, she traveled the world and wrote extensively about her approach to education, attracting many devotees. There are now more than 22,000 Montessori schools in at least 110 countries worldwide.

Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870, in the provincial town of Chiaravalle, Italy. Her father was a financial manager for a state-run industry. Her mother was raised in a family that prized education. She was well-schooled and an avid reader—unusual for Italian women of that time.

Beginning in her early childhood years, Maria grew up in Rome, a paradise of libraries, museums, and fine schools. Maria was a sterling student, confident, ambitious, and unwilling to be limited by traditional expectation. At age 13 she entered an all-boys technical institute to prepare for a career in engineering.

In time, however, she changed her mind, deciding to become a doctor instead.

When she graduated from medical school in 1896, she was among Italy’s first female physicians.
She developed an interest in education, attending classes on pedagogy and immersing herself in educational theory. Her studies led her to observe, and call into question, the prevailing methods of teaching children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The opportunity to improve on these methods came in 1900, when she was appointed co-director of a new training institute for special education teachers. Maria approached the task scientifically, carefully observing and experimenting to learn which teaching methods worked best. Many of the children made unexpected gains, and the program was proclaimed a success.

Utilizing scientific observation and experience gained from her earlier work with young children, Maria designed learning materials and a classroom environment that fostered the children’s natural desire to learn. News of the school’s success soon spread through Italy and by 1910 Montessori schools were acclaimed worldwide.

Montessori education today, offers children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life.

Thank you Dr.Maria Montessori, you have set a clear path to follow.

Happy Women's Day :#PledgeForParity

This year’s International Women’s Day is all about #PledgeForParity

Parity is the state or condition of being equal, especially as regards status or pay.

"Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to taking action to accelerate gender parity."

Happy International Women's Day to every woman out there who has been holding her head up high regardless of what comes her way.

Cheers to every woman!

Teachers Helping Teachers Tuesday: Practical Things a Teacher Should Know (1)

When Terry Heick found out his friend was going to be a teacher after handling various craftsmanship jobs for a long while, he decided to help him out by creating a list of random things teachers have to know in order to survive.

This list has been divided into parts with the first part below and subsequent parts to follow suit.
I encourage all teachers to take a cue from this.

1. How to manage their time with military-like precision
2. Where teaching has been, where it is, and where it’s going
3. How to wash their hands
4. When they’re working too hard
5. That every student has something really, really special in them
6. The difference between teaching, covering, and learning
7. When to push, and when to pull back
8. That your time with a child is just a blink of an eye in the span of their life
9. What it means to understand something
10. How to see students, not a class
11. That students love the water fountain so very much
12. When during the day to make copies, or how to go paperless
13. How to fix a broken copier
14. Which meetings you can skip, and which you can’t
15. How to use technology better than the students
16. When to say no
17. What to do when you suspect a child is being abused at home, or bullied in school or online
18. Who to go to for what
19. How not to get caught sitting at your desk by the administrators
20. How to organize and optimize digital and physical learning spaces.

Some of these ideas overlap, but the big idea of this list is to show the wide range of things teachers have to know that are actually practical and useful.

I believe this has helped. The second part comes up on the next teachers helping teachers Tuesday.
Cheers!

Gunmen abducts three from Lagos school

Armed bandits on Monday night abducted no fewer than three female students of the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, a private school in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
Perpetrators of the act who struck from behind the school, took the three girls away at about 8pm on Monday.
The parents complained about the low perimeter fence of the school and inadequate presence of security operatives around the hostel end of the school where the gunmen struck.

Confirming the incident, the state command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police said that efforts were on to track the abductors and rescue the girls.

BMJS, a co-educational Secondary institution of Lagos Anglican Dioceses was founded on October 18,1996 by late Most Reverend Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye and was named after Late Reverend Thomas Babington Macaulay who was the founder of C.M.S. Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos in 1859.
May the girls be returned and reunited safely and unharmed to their families.

Theodor Seuss Geisel

Theodor Seuss Geisel ( March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) otherwise known under the pen name Dr. Seuss was as an American writer and illustrator best known for authoring popular children’s book. 

He published his first children's book "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" in 1937. He adopted other pen names such as : Theo LeSieg, Rosetta Stone, Theophrastus Seuss.

He focused on children's books, writing classics such as If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1955), If I Ran the Circus (1956), The Cat in the Hat(1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), and Green Eggs and Ham (1960) with some of his works being adapted into movies.

Geisel's birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.

Dr. Seuss never had any child of his own though he devoted most of his life to writing children's books. He would say when asked about this, "You have 'em; I'll entertain 'em.". 

On September 24 1991, Dr. Seuss died of oral cancer at his home in La Jolla at the age of 87. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered. On December 1, 1995, four years after his death, University of California, San Diego's University Library Building was renamed Geisel Library in his honour for the generous contributions made to the library by himself and wife and their devotion to improving literacy.

 In 2002, the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden opened in his birthplace of Springfield, Massachusetts, featuring sculptures of Geisel and of many of his characters.

He won many awards due to the nature of what he did and was widely recognized even till today he’s still being talked about.

Happy post-humous birthday Dr. Seuss.