For Yewande Omotayo, teaching has actually evolved from a short-lived waiting strategy into a lifelong objective of structure minds, shaping character, and empowering both learners and educators. As Head of Capacity Development and Instructional Coach at The Kids’ Court School, she has actually invested over a decade browsing class, mentoring instructors, and simplifying learning for students across various levels.
In this episode of My Mentor Life, she consults with Temitope Kareem about discovering her purpose in education, enduring burnout, accepting instructional innovation, and why teachers should have far higher value within the system.
For Omotayo, mentor is not restricted to lesson notes, class walls, or transcript. It is an occupation that requires emotional intelligence, strategic planning, continuous knowing, and the determination to keep appearing for students, even when the work feels unnoticeable. From helping struggling students discover confidence to coaching fellow teachers towards quality, her journey reflects the quiet however effective impact teachers make every day.
Temitope Kareem(TK): How did you end up being a teacher?
Yewande Omotayo (YO): I ended up being an instructor while waiting on admission into the university. At the time, it was not always a long-term career strategy; it was just something I entered during a transition duration. Nevertheless, the much deeper I entered the profession, the more I realised teaching was even more than delivering lessons.
Over time, I became ending up being an expert teacher through the work of affecting lives, forming young minds, executing methods that enhance discovering results, and establishing the psychological preparedness the profession needs. Teaching gradually ended up being a location where I found function, and that purpose has continued to develop throughout my career.
TK: What did you think teaching would resemble and how incorrect were you?
YO: Truthfully, I thought mentor would be a walk in the park. I assumed I would have sufficient flexibility to stabilize mentor with other side hustles that might bring in extra income.
However entering the profession quickly altered that perception. I realised I was completely wrong. Mentor is deeply demanding; mentally, mentally, and physically. It requires dedication beyond class hours. You are not simply covering a curriculum; you are forming lives, supporting values, and influencing the future generation. I concerned comprehend that mentor is genuinely a calling because the responsibility connected to it goes far beyond what many individuals see on the surface.
TK: Walk us through your side of the class. What does a common day appear like for you?
YO: My common day is dynamic and complex. It revolves around training, training, modelling, teaching, planning, reporting, implementation, evaluation, and class observation.
No two days are precisely the same. Some days include working straight with students, streamlining concepts and supporting their knowing journey. Other days focus on building instructor capacity, observing class practices, offering feedback, or developing strategies to reinforce training shipment.
A big part of my work is guaranteeing that knowing stays meaningful and available to various types of learners. So, my day is frequently filled with balancing leadership obligations, educational support, and the practical realities of mentor and learning.
TK: What is the hardest part of this job nobody talks about?
YO: Among the hardest parts people seldom discuss is the amount of preparing that teaching needs. Behind every successful lesson is substantial preparation, thoughtful strategy, and deliberate application.
There is likewise the challenge of reaching every learner in the classroom. Students do not process info the exact same way, so teachers continuously think of distinction, engagement strategies, and how to make finding out significant for everybody.
Another hard element is preserving work-life balance. Mentor can consume your time if you are not mindful. The preparation, evaluations, meetings, and psychological financial investment can easily spill into your individual life.
TK: Inform us about the minute that altered how you teach permanently.
YO: A significant juncture came throughout my early teaching years. I began my profession as an associate teacher in the Nursery section of my school before relocating to the Main area after about a session and one term.
I aspired to learn and extremely available to development. After being assigned a based on teach by my lead teacher, the COVID-19 pandemic took place and schools unexpectedly relocated to remote learning.
I keep in mind feeling truly worried. I understood how to prepare PowerPoint discussions for physical mentor, but online mentor was a totally various truth. My Director challenged me to convert all my presentations into Nearpod, an educational learning platform.
At first, it felt frustrating. I reached out to a coworker who guided me through the process. I discovered, experimented, and eventually produced extremely interactive lessons utilizing the platform. When my Director evaluated the work, the feedback was extremely motivating since the lessons were engaging enough for essentially anyone to understand.
That minute transformed my method to teaching. It showed me that finding out can happen efficiently beyond physical classroom walls. It likewise pushed me to explore educational technology tools more deliberately so I might support different kinds of learners more effectively.
TK: If you could go back to your very first day as a teacher, what would you inform yourself?
YO: I would inform myself that the journey will not always be smooth, but growth is possible through dedication, constant learning, improved abilities, and determination.
There will be obstacles, moments of unpredictability, and days when the work feels overwhelming. However with durability and a desire to keep learning, impossible things can become possible.
TK: Have you ever wished to quit? What occurred and what made you remain?
YO: Oh yes, many times. Among my biggest struggles was finding a healthy work-life balance. There was a period when work taken in a lot of my time that I hardly had space for household, buddies, or personal wellbeing.
Ultimately, with the assistance of a coworker, I developed methods to manage my time better. I learnt how to plan better, organise my workload, and create boundaries that permitted me to recover other crucial locations of my life.
That adjustment made a substantial distinction and reminded me that sustainability in teaching matters. Discovering balance helped me stay in the occupation and continue doing significant work.
TK: What does the education system get basically wrong about instructors?
YO: Among the biggest concerns is that the system often positions instructors at the bottom of the expert hierarchy.
There requires to be a stronger recognition of the fact that instructors are foundational to every other occupation. Without teachers, medical professionals, engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers would not emerge.
The system must move beyond rhetoric and genuinely value instructors through better support, expert development chances, and policies that recognise the value of their contribution to society.
Read also:
My Teaching Life: “I Teach to Rewrite What’s Possible for Every Child”
My Mentor Life: “I Stopped Teaching Topics and Started Mentor People”
TK: If you had 5 minutes with a policymaker, what would you state?
YO: I would advise them that instructors are developers of possibility. They form minds, build self-confidence, and assist mold the future.
If we really want instructional improvement, then investment in instructors must become a top priority. Teachers require chances for expert growth, allowing policies, encouraging environments, and systems that help them flourish. When teachers are equipped and empowered, the impact on learners and society becomes remarkable.
TK: Has this job affected your life outside the classroom?
YO: Yes, it absolutely has. Mentor has actually helped me end up being a much better version of myself. It has affected the method I relate with people, manage challenges, communicate, and react to situations around me.
Working with learners and teachers teaches persistence, empathy, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. These are qualities that naturally extend beyond the class into everyday life.
TK: What’s the student story you’ll bring with you for the rest of your life?
YO: One story I will always bring with me is that of a learner many teachers were often afraid to have in their classroom due to the fact that of behavioural challenges.
Instead of focusing entirely on the behaviour, I deliberately worked on constructing a real connection with the learner. I looked for to comprehend the kid better, establish trust, and produce favorable support group.
Gradually, there was visible enhancement, not simply in behaviour however likewise academically. By the end of the academic session, the student received the Most Enhanced Student award. That experience enhanced an essential lesson for me: in some cases, what students need most is not rejection or labels, however connection, persistence, and somebody going to believe in their capability to grow.
TK: What do you desire your students to keep in mind about you, 20 years from now?
YO: I desire my students to look back and say, “I became who I am since Mrs. Omotayo thought in me.”
I desire them to bear in mind me as an instructor who truly cared, challenged them to grow, and created opportunities for them to think individually and become confident in their abilities. For me, lasting effect is not just about academic success; it has to do with assisting students see possibilities within themselves.
TK: In one sentence, how would you explain your mentor life?
YO: My teaching life has been a journey of building lives, shaping minds, and developing significant impact that extends beyond the class.