Teaching is typically discussed in policies, stats, and reforms– however rarely in the raw, lived language of those who stand in front of classrooms every day.
This interview starts to alter that.
In this very first edition of My Teaching Life, a teacher reflects on a journey formed by exposure, purpose, and a deep awareness of inequality. What starts as a personal decision rooted in lived experience quickly opens into something bigger: the psychological labour of teaching, the peaceful weight teachers bring, and the day-to-day settlement between curriculum demands and human intricacy.
Across these reactions, teaching is revealed not as a regular occupation, but as a deeply relational practice– one defined as much by perseverance, adaptation, and resilience as by lesson delivery. It is a story of early expectations being taken apart by truth, and rebuilt through minutes of effect that can not be captured in exam scores or policy briefs.
At its core, this conversation is about what happens beyond the classroom walls: the hidden work, the unmentioned obstacles, and the enduring commitment that keeps teachers showing up even when the system does not fully appear for them.
This is My Mentor Life— and it starts with a voice that reminds us why education is never ever just about teaching material, however about shaping possibility.
Temitpe Kareem( TK): How did you become a teacher?
Serah Yusuf (SY): I ended up being an instructor out of both purpose and exposure. Maturing in underserved communities, I saw how education might either limit or free a child. That reality formed my decision. Mentor, for me, was not just an occupation, it ended up being a deliberate path to reword narratives and expand possibilities for kids who are frequently ignored, in line with SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 10 on Minimized Inequalities.
TK: What did you think mentor would be like and how wrong were you?
SY: I thought teaching would simply be about providing understanding. I was wrong. Teaching is emotional, relational, and complex. It surpasses lesson strategies, it requires understanding students, building trust, and adapting to fulfill different requirements.
TK: Walk us through your side of the class. What does a normal day appear like for you?
SY: My day starts before the first bell, evaluating lesson plans, preparing products, and preparing for learners’needs. In the classroom, it is dynamic: questioning, directing, encouraging, and often mediating. I utilize technology, storytelling, and collective discovering to make lessons engaging. After school, I show, evaluate, and prepare for improvement, supporting inclusive knowing as highlighted in SDG 4.
TK: What is the hardest part of this task nobody talks about?
SY: The emotional weight. Educators carry the concerns of their trainees, poverty, disregard, low self-confidence. We celebrate their wins but likewise process their struggles. That psychological labor is hardly ever acknowledged.
TK: Inform us about the moment that altered how you teach permanently.
SY: A student when told me,”Ma, I believed I was dull until you discussed it in a different way.” That minute changed my technique. I understood that teaching is not about how well I deliver, but how well students understand. Ever since, I teach for effect.
TK: If you could go back to your first day as an instructor, what would you inform yourself?
SY: I would state:”Focus less on perfection and more on connection. Your students might forget your lesson, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
TK: Have you ever wished to give up? What occurred, what made you stay?
SY: Yes, there were minutes of fatigue and discouragement. But I remained because of the trainees, their growth, strength, and belief in me. Each success story reminded me why I started.
TK: What does the education system get fundamentally wrong about instructors?
SY: It typically underestimates the intricacy of mentor. Educators are anticipated to provide outcomes without adequate resources, assistance, or autonomy. The system often values outcomes more than individuals behind them.
TK: If you had five minutes with a policymaker, what would you say?
SY: Purchase instructors as country builders. Supply training, reasonable compensation, and much better finding out environments. When you empower teachers, you affect the future of the nation and advance SDG 4 on Quality Education.
TK: Has this task affected your life outside the classroom?
SY: Yes. Teaching has formed my perseverance, empathy, and point of view on life. It has made me more reflective in my individual relationships.
TK: What’s the trainee story you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life?
SY: A student who had a hard time academically and mentally later turned into one of the most positive learners in my class. Watching that change from self-doubt to self-belief is a reminder that every kid can prosper with the best assistance.
TK: What do you desire your trainees to remember about you, twenty years from now?
SY: I desire them to remember that I thought in them, even when they didn’t believe in themselves, and that I developed a space where they felt seen, heard, and capable.
TK: In one sentence, how would you describe your mentor life?
SY: My teaching life is a dedication to changing lives, one student, one teacher, and one neighborhood at a time, advancing SDG 4 and SDG 10 through education.