My experience as an Arts teacher started with
my interview in Western College Yaba in 2007, I was overwhelmed with anxiety
when I saw many teachers and students gathered in a class to test my teaching
ability but I summoned courage and I succeeded. My little experience
during my National Certificate in Education (NCE), teaching practice in Arts also
helped. My first time in class when I was employed was not easy but as
time went on I became better.
My career
as an Arts teacher has been learning, eventful and interesting experience. My
journey as an Arts teacher in Western College has really exposed me to a wide
range of experiences.
I have been
able to review and research new, old, awkward and strange topics that really
opened my horizon to the diversity of arts. Through modern tools, past
experiences and ideas, I have been able to derive inspirations and insights on
what to teach and how well to impact such knowledge to my students.
Teaching
Arts in secondary school has really given me the opportunity to apply the
teaching skills, knowledge and methodologies acquired through Nigerian
Certificate in Education (NCE) programme as well as my Bachelor’s Degree (B.ED)
both in Fine and Applied Arts and it has helped me in building up my skills of
knowledge dissemination. In fact, I can proudly call myself a master in
Arts, and my wonderful performance manifested in UBE 9 Junior WAEC Examination
in which I had a hundred per cent pass from the students this year.
I can
display adequate knowledge and mastery of the subject anywhere with ease.
My career
in teaching of Arts has also helped me build up my practical artistic skills
nationally and internationally owing to the fact that I have to illustrate with
diagrams most of the concepts on the topics in my lessons. These facts
are commendable and they have made concrete and lasting impressions in the
minds of my students and in terms of their drawings and creativity.
I have
taken students out for excursions to different places of interest and this has
taken me to places such as Art Museums, Galleries , craft centers, textile
mills and competitions such as quiz competitions, inter school competition in
practicals and so many other places. I have gained lots of
experiences, seen lots of artefacts and so many contemporary art works, as well
as the students.
Being an
Arts teacher has taught me to be patient and tolerant as it takes a lot of
patience to be able to handle some students especially when they do things
contrary to what you expect from them, most often during practical classes.
As an Arts
teacher, I engage in extracurricular cultural activities like , preparing
students for drama, dance and singing presentations during and outside the
school programmes and on several occasions, we have won awards which include a
creativity award I won in Stylish teens competition at Ikeja. I have also
introduced some societies in the school like the calisthenics group and
creative Arts club.
Being
an Arts teacher has exposed me to lots of challenges which include
teaching theater arts and needle craft and to many others outside Art.
As an
excellent Arts teacher, my school does not need the services of photographer
during special occasions as I always do event coverage for the school.
This would not be possible if not for my high display of knowledge of the world
of Arts.
As an Arts
teacher, I have discovered over the years that I can stand out in any other organization
outside the four walls of a school.
I am proud to be an
Arts teacher and it has made me what I am today.
