Mr OJO Olayele
New member
WHAT IF YOUR PROPRIETOR IS NOT THE PROBLEM
Yes, you read that right.
What if the way you've been treated at work, the compensation you receive, and the opportunities you've been given are not actually your boss's fault?
What if the problem is you?
I've come to realize that in almost every school, there are two kinds of teachers.
The first are teachers who are simply being paid for their time. They are there to occupy a classroom and keep the children busy.
The second are teachers who are paid for the value they create. They are known for the quality of their work and the results they produce.
At my last place of work, my proprietor told me something I have never forgotten.
He said, "Right now, there are only two or three teachers in this school giving me what I really want. The rest are simply occupying space. The only reason they are still here is because I haven't found better hands to replace them."
That statement stayed with me.
It also explained why he never joked with the few teachers he believed were adding real value. Like every school owner, he wasn't just looking for people to fill positions. He wanted quality.
So let me ask you a few honest questions.
If you leave your school today, will you truly be missed?
Can you confidently say you are an asset to that school?
Can you honestly point to ways the school has improved because you are there?
Can you say the children are learning better because of your efforts?
If your answer is no, then you may just be occupying space.
The salary you receive may simply be payment for your time, not for the value you bring. Your work is being tolerated because there isn't a better option yet. The moment one appears, you could be replaced.
That is a difficult truth, but it is a truth many people need to hear.
Are you truly knowledgeable in the subjects you teach?
Are you committed to becoming better?
Do you teach with your whole heart?
I've seen teachers who entered the profession simply because they couldn't find another job.
They teach like victims of circumstance.
They go to work every day feeling sorry for themselves.
In their minds, they keep saying, "If this country were better, I wouldn't be here."
If that is how you truly feel, then do yourself and the children a favour.
Leave.
Let people who genuinely care about children's lives take those classrooms.
Enough of people merely filling spaces while children suffer.
Some teachers spend hours watching movies during school hours.
Some are always on WhatsApp.
Some are constantly making phone calls.
Some abandon their classes to gist in another classroom.
Meanwhile, the children are paying the price.
If you don't have the heart to teach, if teaching is not something you are willing to do well, then please resign.
Now, does that mean every proprietor is perfect?
No.
There are terrible employers too.
But before blaming your boss for everything, pause and examine yourself.
Could the problem be your attitude to work?
Could it be your commitment?
Your punctuality?
Your preparation?
The quality of your teaching?
Because I've seen something over the years.
When a teacher consistently delivers value, becomes dependable, and genuinely cares about results, the way management relates with that teacher often changes.
Not always, but very often.
So before concluding that your boss is the problem, ask yourself one question:
What kind of teacher am I?
The one being paid simply to occupy space?
Or the one whose value makes the school better?
Change your output.
Change your attitude.
Become someone the school cannot easily replace.
You may discover that the change you've been expecting from your workplace begins with you.
Yes, you read that right.
What if the way you've been treated at work, the compensation you receive, and the opportunities you've been given are not actually your boss's fault?
What if the problem is you?
I've come to realize that in almost every school, there are two kinds of teachers.
The first are teachers who are simply being paid for their time. They are there to occupy a classroom and keep the children busy.
The second are teachers who are paid for the value they create. They are known for the quality of their work and the results they produce.
At my last place of work, my proprietor told me something I have never forgotten.
He said, "Right now, there are only two or three teachers in this school giving me what I really want. The rest are simply occupying space. The only reason they are still here is because I haven't found better hands to replace them."
That statement stayed with me.
It also explained why he never joked with the few teachers he believed were adding real value. Like every school owner, he wasn't just looking for people to fill positions. He wanted quality.
So let me ask you a few honest questions.
If you leave your school today, will you truly be missed?
Can you confidently say you are an asset to that school?
Can you honestly point to ways the school has improved because you are there?
Can you say the children are learning better because of your efforts?
If your answer is no, then you may just be occupying space.
The salary you receive may simply be payment for your time, not for the value you bring. Your work is being tolerated because there isn't a better option yet. The moment one appears, you could be replaced.
That is a difficult truth, but it is a truth many people need to hear.
Are you truly knowledgeable in the subjects you teach?
Are you committed to becoming better?
Do you teach with your whole heart?
I've seen teachers who entered the profession simply because they couldn't find another job.
They teach like victims of circumstance.
They go to work every day feeling sorry for themselves.
In their minds, they keep saying, "If this country were better, I wouldn't be here."
If that is how you truly feel, then do yourself and the children a favour.
Leave.
Let people who genuinely care about children's lives take those classrooms.
Enough of people merely filling spaces while children suffer.
Some teachers spend hours watching movies during school hours.
Some are always on WhatsApp.
Some are constantly making phone calls.
Some abandon their classes to gist in another classroom.
Meanwhile, the children are paying the price.
If you don't have the heart to teach, if teaching is not something you are willing to do well, then please resign.
Now, does that mean every proprietor is perfect?
No.
There are terrible employers too.
But before blaming your boss for everything, pause and examine yourself.
Could the problem be your attitude to work?
Could it be your commitment?
Your punctuality?
Your preparation?
The quality of your teaching?
Because I've seen something over the years.
When a teacher consistently delivers value, becomes dependable, and genuinely cares about results, the way management relates with that teacher often changes.
Not always, but very often.
So before concluding that your boss is the problem, ask yourself one question:
What kind of teacher am I?
The one being paid simply to occupy space?
Or the one whose value makes the school better?
Change your output.
Change your attitude.
Become someone the school cannot easily replace.
You may discover that the change you've been expecting from your workplace begins with you.