By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
The Regalo Hope Foundation (RHF) has called for more seminars and workshops that will boost good leadership, innovation and inclusivity in the teaching profession.
The Founder/Director of RHF, Mrs Chineye Onuorah, made the call on Saturday at a seminar for educators, organised by the foundation at Igando, Lagos State.
The event was in commemoration of the 2024 World Teachers Day (WTD) with the theme: ‘Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education’.
“Government is doing a lot in training teachers but it needs to do more. In RHF, we believe that government cannot do it alone, so we are making efforts.
“This seminar is organised to identify with the annual WTD and to equip teachers with fundamental tools to attain an educational environment that fosters growth, innovation and inclusivity.
“One of the things we value at RHF, as educators, is leadership. It is important that they present themselves as leaders because students look at their educators as mentors.
“This programme takes teachers and school administrators through practical skills and knowledge impartation needed to shape a brighter future for educators and educational institutions,” she said.
Onuorah said that there was need for teachers to be empathetic leaders so they could be kind.
“The initiative is to teach teachers kindness, and through this platform they will take studies, projects,’ she added.
She also appealed to teachers to take personal steps to develop themselves to remain relevant.
The RHF founder also advised teachers to pay attention to their health as well as dress well to be role models for students.
Earlier, Mrs Oluwatosin Olowoyeye-Taiwo, the guest speaker and Founder of Street to School Initiative, urged teachers to have a growth mindset and take advantage of any opportunity to grow in the profession.
Olowoyeye-Taiwo said, “Be technology-driven, make teaching and learning fun.
“Artificial Intelligence should be your good companion because it will be as if you are with the experts.
“Be education content provider, as a professional tutor, and compete with global
teachers.
“Mentor your students to use the internet positively,” she said.
Miss Oreoluwa Abiodun, a Partnership and Communication Strategist at RHF, implored teachers to modify their behaviours.
“Behavioural modifications is fundamental because it enables teachers to communicate better with students, manage their emotions and challenges while exhibiting empathy irrespective of their conditions.”
A teacher and participant at the seminar, Mr Moses Ogundeji, described the programme as impactful, adding that it exposed participants to technologies.
“We are thoughts how to apply technology to education through apps to make teaching more effective.
“With this knowledge, we will be able to impact students more,” he said.
Another participant, Miss Ruth Joseph, applauded RHF for efforts in developing teachers.
No fewer than 100 educators, teachers, principals and vice principals and school administrators participated at the one-day event.