Teacher Appreciation Week: Say Hello to Gloria Elendu!

The first time I heard about a “Teacher Appreciation Week”, I thought it made so much sense because being a teacher anywhere in the world ultimately clothes you with a lot of frustration, challenges, and responsibility. But don’t sweat it. Teaching is a job that is also very rewarding, full of pleasure, admiration, and excitement.

My education journey is a peculiar one. My parents are educationists, and so you can say this profession has trailed me since childhood. I wasn’t one of those kids to whine about wanting to become a medical doctor (although I fancied it).

I had always known deep inside that teaching was my calling. Despite this knowledge, I spent some years of my life ignoring it because I wanted to be in a more “lucrative” industry. Everybody in my class wanted to. Nobody ever thought about becoming a teacher. It made me feel so alone, and I thought maybe it was best to shut out that small voice in my head that kept saying, “Gloria you’re meant to be a teacher”. But guess what? No matter what you do, life will always get you back in line.

After graduation from the university, I started my career as a conservation educationist at a conservation centre where I educated visitors, tourists, students, and researchers on the need of conserving natural resources. I was hoping to climb the corporate ladder and become a conservation manager, then a director.

During my service at the conservation centre, I came across a lot of people who would often say to me, “You would make a great school teacher”.

Even though I knew that I was a great teacher, I was somewhat reluctant to venture into classroom teaching.

After a few months, I found myself in Niger state working at the National Park. and, I decided to volunteer at a school that needed an English and science teacher.

I worked tirelessly at grooming the kids and I did a great job and that was my eureka! So much for being a “conservation manager”!

The Classroom Life

Since I settled into this profession, I’ve always ensured that I am constantly doing right by my pupils. Made mistakes? Yes, but I dust myself up, and I keep going. My goal in the classroom is not just to teach or educate, but to instill in the little hearts of my students a love of learning.

I believe that the one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. I always tell my students, “Do not fear failure, but rather fear not trying”. This has governed my life and has somewhat guided how I relate with my students and others around me. I do not encourage my students to not fail, I encourage them to just try. To learn something new, you need to try new things, and not be afraid to be wrong. Believe it or not, great things happen to those who don’t stop trying.

A good friend once asked me a question. A question I often ask myself just to be reminded about who I am and why I exist. It was the first time someone else asked me this question, “Gloria, what do you really want as a teacher?”

My answer, I want a world where every child understands that they are capable of so much more, only if they are willing to take that leap of faith and a world where every teacher understands how to give that gentle push.
I want my students to always remember my class as a safe, positive, and fun environment where they are free to express themselves and demonstrate their mastery of concepts. Because that’s exactly what it is.

So you think you know Gloria?

Q: What’s a typical Friday night like for you?
A: A typical Friday night is a movie night.

Q: If you won the lottery and decided to give up teaching, what would you do instead?
A: I am likely to become a writer. Writing is my second love.

Q: What’s your dream vacation?
A: My dream vacation is somewhere serene, with a beach view, trees, lots of good food, and internet access. There are many places to find these and I am open to all of them.

Q: What’s that one thing most people don’t know about you?
A: One thing that many people don’t know about me is that I am a scrabble pro.

The Gradely Blog