Esther Onyia

Being a flexible teacher, I have enjoyed teaching students at different levels from primary to tertiary.

USE OF FITTING ILLUSTRATIONS
One of the things I enjoy about teaching is the ease with which I can draw lessons from fitting illustrations. Appropriate illustrations drive the point of a lesson home and is a powerful memory aid. Without prying into their privacy, I try to get to know the students better to be able to choose fitting illustrations for them.

USE OF QUESTIONS
I make generous use of questions - questions that stimulate a student's thoughts and feedback. Getting a student's opinion helps me to understand how a student thinks in order to strategise personalised efforts to fill such needs. Part of such efforts is knowing when to use leading questions and multiple choice questions.

EXPRESSION
I love to hear students express their feelings, values, and concerns. Such expressions help me spot areas the student needs to improve on.

In my experience as a teacher, I have learned that students learn well when they love the teacher, love what they are learning and feel understood. To that end, I try to help the ones I teach to have a sense of dignity even when they seem not to be following the lesson. Expressing confidence in their ability to learn can boost their learning abilities and enthusiasm. I try hard to hide any irritation I feel when a student shows signs of slow learning. Staying positive and focused on the goal has been my drive.