The idea that anyone can become a teacher as long as they are graduates of higher institutions is, for the professional teacher, an irksome one to grapple with. And teachers are professionals. It takes something more than just a degree from a university to impact knowledge to students in a classroom. Getting that done the right way requires pedagogical skills.
Skills without work tools won’t count for much. This is why TTNF’s downloadable teaching materials are so important. Thanks to them, Nigerian teachers can now access numerous educational resources that could make their work much easier.
The Teaching Network Foundation was founded by Dr Dolapo Ogunbawo, a vastly experienced educationist. She says that she was inspired to start the foundation by a friend in the academia who set up a website offering his books and research papers to his friends and work colleagues.
“His act of generosity inspired me to think about my almost 40 years of work in education and the wealth of resources and materials on education, teaching and learning I have accumulated and can share”, she explains on her organization’s website. “I realized that I don’t have to wait for a terminal illness or death before others can benefit”.
TTNF offers teachers the opportunity to develop themselves professionally. It also gives them the platform to network with other teachers, and to take advantage of placement and recruitment opportunities. Other benefits provided by the non-profit organization include discounted training programmes, guidance on tailoring personal statements and CVs to suit the teaching profession, as well as access to new research and findings on education from across the world. In short, the TTNF is built as a network for those in the teaching profession or anyone enthusiastic about education to interact and find the space to grow professionally.
For a teachers’ oriented project, the TTNF gives Nigerians something to think about, something different from the backward, poorly valued picture painted of the teaching profession by our society. Hopefully, it will become a rallying point for a new perspective on what is indeed the mother of all professions.
To find out more about TTNF, visit their website, www.ttnf.ng