Reporter’s Diary: Tales Of My Teaching Practice

The teaching practicum exercise of the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University started with an orientation programme where rules guiding the exercise were made known to the students. Thereafter, students were asked to report to their various schools.

Officially, the exercise started on June 26th, 2023. Amazingly, most students of the Faculty were not done with their examination but the exercise started irrespective.

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Students observed the practice in various locations across Osun State, places like Ile-Ife, Modakeke, Osu, Ipetumodu, Ilesa, Osogbo and other places suggested by the teaching practice committee.

Personally, I observed the exercise in a well known public school in  Ile-ife. The school environment was characterized by so many lands almost turning to a forest and various dilapidated buildings due to poor mantainance. We were over 50 student teachers, and sometimes we outnumbered the students on the assembly ground.

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I will never forget how unserious and unwilling the students were when it came to learning. It was however important for the student teachers to get acquainted with the students so that there will be a free flow when supervisors come around to supervise.

If I were asked to describe the students, I would describe them as students who lacked accurate information on the importance of Education. I assume most of their parents coerced them to come to school. This further shows the importance of enlightening and sensitizing students most especially in the rural areas on the importance of Education.

In my personal opinion, I will say the teaching practice was not really done the way it was supposed to because two weeks after it started, secondary schools in Osun State started their exams which means that students were not really able to practice the teaching they came for. Due to this, some student teachers were supervising using micro-teaching.

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Also during the exercise, the Education Students Association of Nigeria, (ESAN), OAU chapter, which is the faculty’s association shared welfare packages to students which further lifted the spirit of Students of the Faculty of Education.

The exercise ended officially on August 4th, 2023, although some schools vacated before then which officially ended the exercise for some.

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The exercise is usually done in part 2 and part 3, making it a total of six units (that’s how important it is) and it is the practical aspect of studying Education. It is an opportunity for upcoming teachers to understand the role of teaching and what it takes to be called an educationist. It provides the aspiring teachers experiences as they are in the actual teaching and learning environment and makes them know more about the management of a school.

Like the saying goes, better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher!