STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENTS

The least lucrative profession can be said to be teaching, yet some students of Obafemi Awolowo University and Adeyemi College of Education had their teaching practice at Ife . Afolabi Oni a 400 level student of Education English got the reaction of some student teacher.



‘Teaching practice is a time you go and exhibit what you have been taught. It is a practice and you must be good ambassadors of the University. You must be humble enough to learn from the permanent teachers and always be diligent and hardworking,’ those were the words of the formal Acting Head of department, Special Education and Curriculum Development (SEC), Dr Mrs Yemisi Ajibade during one of he SEC 300 (Language Teaching Methods) lectures.
Teaching practice is a 6- unit course in Obafemi Awolowo University and is observed at the end of 200level and 300level. Each section of the exercise has 3 units each. It is a time of facing the challenges and the reality of the teaching profession. The exercise is usual for a minimum of 6 weeks and has commenced since on the 15th of February 2010 . The students are expected to be 21st century teachers and accustomed to the classroom. Supervisors of various degree of expertise will be at hand to grade the students’ teacher as the exercise progresses. Lesson plan (statement of objectives, orderliness, logicality, Language of presentation), teaching aid, presentation, classroom management, and teacher’s personality are evaluated. Lateness or absenteeism from place of practice without prior notification of the Teaching Practice Committee attracts a capital punishment of repeating the course which is equivalent to an extra year.
Several big-wigs have said that Nigerian undergraduates are not employable, but this cannot be said of Education students of OAU. Despite the fact that the Educational sector is given the least preference by the Federal Government, these students’ teachers and their supervisions still work their fingers to the bone to ensure that the standard of Education in Nigeria gets better. While students in Engineering are whining that the stipends allocated to them during Industrial Training is not sufficient; students teachers and their supervisions earn nothing are stipends for transportation during the practice. The student’s teachers teach with all their might as some of their supervisors part with a few Naira notes to serve as extrinsic motivation to the student’s teachers despite the fact that fact that the fuel their cars with no remunerations. Some supervisors travel as far as Ilesa, Oshogbo , Moro and more distant places to supervise students.
A lecturer who will not want his name to be mentioned said, ‘I traveled to Ipetu-modu to go and supervise some students to the detriment of my fuel, I earn the same amount with lecturers in other faculties that do not have any supervision to make outside the school premises.’
The Financial Secretary of National University Education Students Association (NUESA), Kuye Olusegun, 300level Education Economics shared his experience with Campuslife, ‘Teaching Practice has been a dream come true for me. My happiest moments were those times I spent in the classrooms with the students in SS 3 teaching them Mathematics after school hours from 4-6pm . More so, my school, Adventist Secondary school provided conducive environment for all the student’s teachers. This exercise made me fall in love with teaching Mathematics but I believe that student’s teachers should be motivated as we spend a lot on transportation and instructional materials.’
For Adebanwo Abiodun a 400level student of Education Economics said, ‘TP has been an ordeal, but it prepares the potential teachers for the future challenges in the profession. The students in my school will only keep mute when my supervisor is around; apart from that you need to wipe them before they can be quite for a second. It has not been easy.’ He concluded.
For students in Adeyemi College of Education their exercise ended on the 19th of March and Campus life spoke with Adegoke Abiodun a 300 level student of Biology Education said the exercise was fantastic and interactive. ‘We had football match against OAU and Debate; it is interesting for teachers to debate before their students. It was fun. The system is not encouraging us and we had to encourage ourselves by exchanging gifts among ourselves.
Majekodunmi Abiola Chemistry department, Adeyemi College of Educetion , Ondo State said, ‘TP was very interesting for me and I got to have a feel of people especially secondary school students in the ways they viewed life and I was able to just blend with them. Student teachers and school students should be more patient, disciplined in tackling life issues.’
Ngozi Eunice a Part 4 student of Education Political Science posted to Adventist Secondary School, said, ‘Teaching Practice has been interesting, thanks to Adventist Secondary School. TP has been fun in all aspects; sports, academics, spirituality, etc. I learnt a lot about the Bible, the joy in sharing (giving gifts) the students have been fun, a bit challenging, which helped me to prepare properly before going to class. The school teachers have been accommodating and encouraging. It was a little bit boring because there wasn’t really much to teach the students since they were already preparing for tests and exams. The school principal has always been concerned about our welfare and students from Adeyemi College also made TP more interesting. In the long run, this has been the best TP I have ever had.’
Famutimi Temitayo Education/Economics 400L made his view know to Campuslife that 'The teaching practice exercise has from time memorial been a platform where teachers in training get the practical experience of the pedagogical world in a normal classroom setting. Really, it has been fun all this while, the permanent teachers, the students as well as my colleagues really made the exercise worth the while. My recommendation is that the Federal Government should encourage students/education students by giving those allowances during the exercise that as it is given to their counterparts in the faculties of Engineering and Environmental Sciences.'
Igbokwe Emmanuel Osinachi, Physical Health Education Department Part 3 said that, 'Teaching Practice is an excellent experience. It affords one the opportunity of experiencing and trying out those things learnt in class. More so, personally it gave me the chance to relate with the younger generation and impart into their lives beyond academics. The work experience also gives one a taste of the work life after school.'

Afolabi Oni
08036126690
oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com

TP, SIWES, OTHERS, LENGHTEN STUDENTS STAY ON CAMPUS

It’s been several weeks now, about a month since the 2008/2009 Rain semester examination at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has ended. Though many students are back at home on long vacation, yet mindless of the sense of gregariety and the feel of miss for loved ones that is immanent in all humans, some students were made to stay back, though not taken aback on the essence of this. This is in partial fulfillment of their professional training for a period of seven weeks.

Kayode Gabriel Adeola, 200-L Quantity survey said:” the first week was for orientation, enlightening our less initiated eyes on the endless opportunities that await us out there. It was also to guide us on the way to go by the training.

Of those made to stay were the students of the faculties of Education, Technology, and Environmental Design and Management (EDM), undergoing training in pedagogy, engineering, and environmental design cum management.

Ajibade Davies, a 200-Level student of the Faculty of Technology explained: “ though those of the Faculty of Education refer to their training as Teaching Practice (TP), those of us in the faculty of Technology and our colleagues in the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management (EDM) call it various names at different levels: Students Working Experience Programme (SWEP) in part 2: Students Industrial Working Experience Scheme (SIWES) in part 3, and Industrial Training (IT) in part 4 ”.

Some of them share their experiences with CAMPUSLIFE on what their training has being like:

Kayode Gabriel Adeola also said most articulately: “we’ve been exposed to series of activities. SWEP has been challenging and demanding - We were out on one of those days on a visit to the OPA Water Dam; on another day, the oxidation pond (where the collection of wastes and sewage water are collected for treatment, for the safety of the users thereof). It was a long trek through the thick led by an agile staff. The most interesting aspect of this is the market survey we had to Moore, Opa, Lagere and other markets to get the market value of various building materials such as cement, paint, block, reinforcement, etc, from merchant-men who trade in it. All to drill us! ”

Alawode Afolake, a part 3 student of English Education however shared that: “TP has been boring for me, both in the school and in my hostel. This is because my school dad and lone school confidant has graduated. It’s also no easy task producing Instructional Materials (IM), as it’s not readily available. More so, junior school students can be troublesome, making classroom management much difficult”.

To many a student of the faculty of education who were posted very far from the hostel facility, the teaching practice has not been convenient as they’ve had to spend so much on transport fare irrecoverably, unlike their counterparts in the faculties of EDM and Technology who will be paid later. They wish the TP ends now.

On how they’ve been able to keep friendship across the miles, connecting with missed roommates and loved ones, both Gabriel and Afolake, reached the terminus of means having mentioned that they call the mobile lines of those they’ve missed and chat on facebook. Thanks to Extracool.



By Afolabi Oni
08036126690

NUESA and Pedagogue International organized Jamb expose with Dele Ashade and JAMB

With just two days to the university tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) organized by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Pedagogue’s international in conjunction with the Nigerian University Education students Association organized an expose on Saturday the of 10th of April 2010 at Biological science lecture theatre C in Obafemi Awolowo University. The Chief speaker of the program was Dr. Dele Ashade, the author of the popular A to Z of Jamb and The invincible Teacher. Dr Dele Ashade flew into the country from the People's Republic of china to give some useful hints on the forth coming examination. Also present was the Jamb Coordinator Oshogo, Pastor Babalola Bamidele who represented the Jamb registrar, Prof Dibu Ojerinde. Pastor Babalola gave reorientation to the candidate that they should come to the examination hall on Saturday with nothing because pencils, calculator and other need materials will be supplied by JAMB. He reminded students that students shouldn’t take a 2nd generation university as their 1st choice if a 1st generation university was their 1st choice. This he said will narrow their chances of gaining admission as the 1st generation university my not consider them. He advised students to adhere to instructions strictly as any form of indiscipline and examination malpractices will not be taken likely as such will be reported to the police.



The Former Head of Department, English Studies, OAU, Prof. Yusuf Salami, said OAU may not consider students that chose her as 2nd choice and those that have chosen OAU as their 1st and 2nd choice stand a better chance. He advised students to check the brochure careful and confirm if their subject combination corresponds with their chosen course. Lecturers from OAU and other universities were also present.

Dr. Delle Ashade advised students to study tenses closely as their are no such verb like understanding, knowing, seeing, loving among others. He told student that to get the title for a passage they must consider the subject matter. UTME candidates asked him their question and he gave immediate answers to them.

The Pedagogue International awarded Dr. Dele Ashade as the Pedagogue of the year 2010 in recognition of his tremendous impact to the success of the Nigerian students. Pastor Babalola told the student that they should prepare hard as the cut off mark for universities, polytechnics and colleges may be the same. He took out fifteen minutes to pray for the students as the program came to a close.

Speaking with Campuslife Dr. Dele Ashade said, 'The reason we have failure in English language is because people don’t practice what they learn. More so, the Nigerian system hasn’t prepared the students to fact this examination. They are not well taught and their teachers not well trained. The system is unjust. What we need is a complete overhauling of the educational sector; I mean start all over by training our teachers. The Nigerian system is unjust to the Nigerian students. To all candidates, I say to you, don’t involve yourself in examination malpractices, be confident because you can’t fail; you have everything it takes to pass.’

The President of Pedagogue’s International the co organizer of the expose, Dennis Imafedion said, ‘I’m basically interested in excellence in public examination; to eradicate failure completely and reduce mediocrity. I’m the happiest man on earth today because this program is a success. It hasn’t been easy with the publicity, arrangements among others. I’m grateful to Akpomuje Paul the President of NUESA for paling with us and mobilizing education students and most especially Dr. Dele Ashade because we requested for and hour and he gave us a day. To all UTME candidates, please be a generator to your generation.’

Afolabi Oni

OAU, Ife 08036126690

400level edu English

5th campuslifeworkshop

We started our journey with a visit to cocacola in order to see production process of coke and then headed for the Silverbird cinema where students never stopped taking snapshots. Students give their goodwill massage to the late Yar Adua and when ahead to trill themselves with Iron man II. Back at the Mainland Hotel students had their dinner as many made their own new delicacies and headed straight after little information from the Editor, Ngozi Nwozor.

Saturday morning started with breakfast and all made way for the workshop proper. Students trilled themselves as Ngozi Emmanuel sang ‘I have a dream’ and Afolabi Oni presented his poem ‘If I don’t marry you’ to the applaud of all students. Others also presented jokes and read out their short stories. The editor Ngozi Nwozor gave use useful writing tips and thereafter Mr. Clem Ugorji the Communication Manager of Coca Cola Nigeria Limited gave us a presentation on coke. Mr (The white man) when being as by Lateefat from Unilorin on how unhealthy coke can be gave a dramatic response that he had being taking coke seen he was six. He left the stage after predicting that Chelsea will win the FA cup final with smile brimming on ever students face. Mr. Jackson Akpasubi represented the MD of TCV, Mr Dele Alake, gave some highly significant tips on Leadership such that the questions didn’t stop pouring of students as it took the intervention of the editor to randomly select few students out of the many and we went for the COKE break.

Mr. Jim from NBC commenced the 2nd workshop with a reference to his hero, Steve Prefontaine, who ran with a limp and was 4th at the Olympic long distance but dead before the next Olympic. He spoke bluntly to students that leaders are made not born and emphasized the fact that we should write our tombstone. He told us how he moved up the ladder as a fitness trainer at porker and Gamble from a state university to become the CEO of that company and rounded off by saying we should be the diamond in the rough.

This edition of Campuslife workshop I will not have missed even for the millions in the world. Lets me take for granted the exotic food and drinks, the first class treatment in mainland hotel, the reception at the nation and the relaxation at the Siverbird galleria all this are side attractions. This 5th Campuslife workshop was extremely special because it was not just to tell us about the ethic of Journalism but how to be good leaders. One cannot say, when NBC/Campuslife-The Nation organizes workshop, it is to teach how to write and that is what some selfish cooperate enterprise do. They teach you to be useful for them and that is selfish, what NBC did again is to teach us to be useful for ourselves. We were taught practical leadership and its attribute. Many of us want to be leaders and we are already leaders on our campuses, but we have little or no knowledge of what leadership entails. They trained us to be useful for ourselves and our community, for them. If I’m asked to say anything to NBC, Campuslife, and The Nation, thanks will be an insult, we are grateful will be a debasement, we appreciate you will be utter disrespect. I am speechless. Have a bear hug. said Oni Afolabi OAU

THE REALITY IN LIFE AFTER SCHOOL

‘The worst thing you can do after leaving school is to work for any company or person. It irritates me to see a large crowd of graduates struggling to be factory worker. It is how big you can think that will determine how far you can go in life,’ those where the word of the chief speaker, Mr. Ogbo Awoke at a workshop organized by the association Demography and Sociology students on Thursday 20th 2010 at OAU cooperative hall.

According to the President, Olaosun Dewe, a 400 level student of Demography and Social Statistics he said, ‘This is the first Demography leadership and Entrepreneurship workshop (DLW). This workshop is meant to make students job providers and not job seeker. It will make them self reliant and serves as an eye opener for all students to the unlimited opportunities available to us after school.’

Engineer Antony Oba the CEO of Tropical Entrepreneurship Development Center, ‘Students should be able to start a job of their own even while on campus. Unfortunately, the system is not encouraging them. Students should not complain about initial capital to start off. The first thing they need is the idea, ideas that are solutions to the problems of the society. You can start small; you don’t need all the money in the world to start off. You can start with 5000 naira and then you will grow. Most students are coming in fresh to the market and they are looking for 1 or 2 million Niara. Where do you think you will get it? When people see the success you are making with the little you have started with, then you will attract money. Students can start by selling books to their colleagues and I call it portfolio bookshop. There is nothing wrong in dreaming big, neither is there anything bad with starting small.’

Mr. Ogbo Awoke requested for seven volunteers to have a bite on an Apple and after each has had a bite. He showed the participants how much each ate, and he said, ‘life is a big round apple, all you have is one bite.’ He further said, ‘there is no limit to your ideas, Chinua Achebe published Thing Fall Apart at 26 was are you doing?

One of the participants, Adeseye Matthew a 300level student of Demography said, ‘This seminar came at the right time, especially at a time where the numbers of job seekers are innumerable. Many of us are thinking of working with Shell or Chevron and her is someone her to talk to us (Mr. Ogbo) who shuttled between shell and Chevron and still resigned on his own. Working in such places is false life because once you are sacked you cannot live the life you were living while on the job. My orientation has changed.’

Afolabi Oni

400 level Education English

Students Attacked by Police

On Sunday last week, some students of Obafemi Awolowo were arrested in town, six of them four ladies and two guys in Modakeke where they stay. They slept at the police station for the night but we got the information on Monday morning the president of the student union and the welfare officer went down to Akarabata station where those persons were taken to. When they got to the place they were told that they had already transferred the students to the head quarter in Modakeke, so when the President and the Welfare officer Christopher Kris were about leaving the place when the policemen on duty started threatening them with guns so the president, Paul Alaje now called the P.R.O Adelu James to mobilize students to the second police station so that our students would be released. The PRO mobilized students and some other union officers also led the students down to the Nigerian police divisional unit Modakeke. On getting there the first thing we wanted to do was to ascertain the reason why those persons were arrested but when we got there they had already released the students.

Reporting to Campuslife, The General Secretary of the students’ union, Tiawo Thomson said, ‘The police officer that we met on duty gave an excuse of mistaken identity we already understood that it was a mistaken of identity. We then told them that we understand that it is a case of mistaken identity, but the Nigerian police must apologize to those students they were unlawfully arrested and unlawfully dealt with but the first information that we got was that somebody in town who stays were this students stay insulted a member of the vigilante and as a result of that the vigilante consulted with the police to arrest our students because they were beaten, that the students must be given medical attention and that such should repeat itself again.’

Students headed for the palace of the king of Modakeke and made their demands, he appealed to the students that he said he will stick to them at all times that he would see what he could do in other to make sure such occurrence never come up again and he gave them 2000 naira to fuel our buses.

Another eye witness, Asaju Olanrewaju said, ‘While we were leaving we were told that one of our students has been detained in Akarabata police station again, so we passed that rout to ascertain the authenticity of that report. We got to the place only to discover that the police officers on duty had fled. More so, none of our students was there. While we were leaving we heard sounds of gun shots and teargas so we looked back to actually ascertain what was going on, then we discovered that the police officers had already gone to mobilize the indigenes of Modakeke against us. In other to avoid casualty we retreated and we withdrew our students from the troubled spot. We came back to the campus and barricaded the gates (the road in front of the gate) the reason we did this was to send a signal and message to people that are really concerned because police brutality has been on the rise for so many years even this is not the first time they will be doing such a thing we have reported similar cases and the excuse they keep giving us is that such acts are being performed by the rank and files in the police. Why we barricaded the road four hours was that the road leads to Abuja, Lagos and some other places and we attracted some personalities. They came down to us they are able to talk to us. Those people that came around actually appealed to students the president of the union also appealed to the students and the students left the barricade the road was open and vehicles were able to pass all this things were done peacefully and very constructive and you know a way that is already known by our union.

Adie Moses a 200 level student of Physical Health Education said, “It is pathetic that rather than our country to be progressing, we are retrogressing. Our security men are ensuring that citizens are insecure and make indiscriminate use of Guns. No little thanks to the beautiful display of maturity by OAU students, because if we had waited probably we will be counting death which may result in closure which is the last thing any Ife student wants to hear. Ugly event but well managed by the students.




CULTISTS BEATEN

On Sunday three cultists were arrested but while we where trying to release our students that were arrested on Monday, one of the cultists ran away. We later paraded the remaining ones on campus after interrogations the slim one claimed he was initiated into BLACK AXE by his friend who told him that the was going to a party on February 9. He consented to follow his friend to the party but while they drove along Parakin lane, his friend parked the car and told him that he wants to smoke. ‘I responded to my friend that I don’t smoke and he asked me to follow him into the bush. On getting into the bush, he started beating me and I was badly battered, and I allowed myself to be initiated.

Speaking with the Gist, the Secretary General of the Students’ Union Taiwo Thomson said, ‘The truth is that they have both confessed to the crime and the students’ union of Obafemi Awolowo University has Zero Tolerance for cultism and as such we cannot but remember the death of our fallen heroes who were murdered by cultists. After the parade they were hand over to the security unit. We are not scared of them, and Ife is not a place for them.


Afolabi Oni

08036126690

oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com

BLOOD DONOR DAY IN OAU

The World Blood Donor day by the World Health Organization (WHO) is observed world wide on the 14th day of June every year and OAU was not left out. However, on Obafemi Awolowo University campus, Ile-Ife Nigeria , it was observed on the 18th day of June year 2010 by All-Nigeria United Nations Students and Youth Association (ANUNSA), Obafemi Awolowo University chapter in conjunction with World Health Organization and National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS). Blood donation by OAU students started around 10: 00 am at White House Basement and ended around 4:30pm the same day. About 71 students donated blood. Gifts were given to donors in form of glucose, malt drinks and biscuits T-shirts, hand bands and face towels to serve as motivation in the nearest future.

Speaking with campus life a donor Mr. Osowade Ebenezer Adegoke 300 level student of Economics said, ‘I think it is a privilege to save a life. A dead man can’t be able to donate blood nor save a life and it is the greatest gift you can give a person.

The Social Director of ANUNSA OAU chapter, Mr. Bala Daba asserted that, ‘Before any donation is made they check the weight of the interested donor and if lesser than 50kg, the person is not allowed to donate. More so, the blood pressure is also checked and the intending donor is refreshed before the donation is made. The sample of the blood is taken to be tested in their lab to certify that the blood is safe. We were also told that donors will be given preference should they need blood provided they can provide their donation card. It was not easy convincing students to donate because of their poor standard and low quality feeding. Many of them refused to donate because they hardly eat good food and the overwork themselves, but we tried our best’

The coordinator W.H.O. Osun State, DOCTOR AKINOLA FATIREGUN said, ‘The future of every nation depends on the capacity of its youth to take over from the older generations, the responsibility to sustain, strengthen and improve interventions for a better and healthier living for its population. In this context, it is of paramount importance to recruit and retain young voluntary non-remunerated blood donors, with the hope that this new generation of enthusiastic and motivated blood donors will form a pool that provides the safest possible blood for use in health facilities wherever and whenever it is needed. This is intended to save lives of the patients suffering from severe anaemia or bleeding, which pose a major public health problem mainly in children less than five years of age and in young mothers in our region.

Mrs. Christiana Raji from the N.B.T.S. said ‘We were invited by ANUNSA to observe World Blood Donor Day with them and also to collect blood for those who are in need in hospitals. We make blood donated from different donors available to every Nigerian in need of blood without charges. This donation is mainly for the hospitals that has victims in need of blood urgently. For instance, as we are talking now, there is a pregnant woman who is need of blood urgently and an accident victim who has lost a lot of blood and needs a donor to donate blood to him urgently.’

The ANUNSA-OAU President, Omosebi Oloruntobi, a 300 level student of the department of Economics, said, ‘The main objective of ANUNSA is to propagate the ideals of UN. We observe the World Blood Donor Day on the 18th day of June instead of on the 14th day due to some constraints. We are doing this because it is in line with the objectives of the UN to observe World Blood Donor day to donate blood to people in need. This year’s theme is “NEW BLOOD FOR THE WORLD” and the emphasis is on young donors who will willingly donate blood for people in need to save lives. In time past we have observed the World Environment Day June 5, we went round the school picking and cleaning the school environment and making the students aware about the need to conserve the environment to reduce global warning in order to make the world a better place for us.’

Afolabi Oni, OAU- Ife 08036126690
oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com
I love you aunty, shout out to you. You are just too nice. Shout out to all OAU student and wishing them success in their examination next