Rachael tutors primary school students at Gradely, and she’s very good at building emotional connections with her students. She says she always knew she would become a teacher, but she ran away from it for so many reasons. Let’s dive into her life for a bit.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Rachel Abaire, and I’m a teacher. I studied Educational Management at the University of Ibadan, and I’m currently running my Masters in Educational Management at Unilag. I’m a Christian, I love God, and I’m a hairstylist too. I also enjoy cooking.
Why did you study Educational Management?
I always knew I was going to be a teacher, but I was running away from it. I was running because of the financial mentality attached to being a teacher in Nigeria. My dad was a well-respected teacher, and I guess my journey innately started from him. He taught Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. He even gave me some of his textbooks when I freshly got into the space. Growing up as a teacher’s child, I was super smart, and even used to help the kids in my compound with their homework. I would gather the kids during the summer holidays and teach them for little fees like N10 or N20. I was in secondary school at the time, and I absolutely enjoyed teaching the children. I was also happy I was making some money and doing it in a fun way.
When it was time to go to university, my initial plan was to study Economics, but I didn’t get what I wanted. Educational Management was what I eventually got and studied. At first, I rejected it and was unhappy because I felt I didn’t want to be a teacher. I wanted to be an accountant. But eventually, I accepted it and enjoyed studying the course. I’m glad it turned out that way. I also served in a secondary school where I started teaching professionally before I got my real first and current job in 2017 as a teacher in Ajah, Lagos.
What do you teach, and what class do you teach?
I started with Primary 3, then I moved to Primary 2. I teach Primary 2 all subjects. I also do extra lessons and tutoring on Gradely. I find it fun teaching primary school children. I give them everything that I think they should know, and they understand it. I don’t really see them as kids per se. I try my best to pass the message to them in their own way.
How did you find out about Gradely, and did Gradely change any part of your life in a positive way?
I found out about Gradely through one of the co-founders, Seyi Adelaju. He was an acquaintance and one day, he asked me if I was interested in being an online tutor, as they were on the lookout for candidates. I initially declined because I thought it wouldn’t pay as well as physical teaching would.
During Covid, my school slashed our salaries by half, and I had to find other ways to earn. That was when I decided to apply for the job, and I got it. My husband also joined me at some point, because he’s also a teacher, and that was how we started tutoring on Gradely. We had to create time for the sessions, and plan ourselves well. I grew from having only 2 sessions per week to about 9 sessions per week with different students. Right now, I’ve had over 250 sessions.
How much would you say you’re making from Gradely?
I started with Gradely in the middle of 2020. And in the first 6 months alone, I think I made an extra N300,000. It was quite profitable for me, to be honest.
How do you keep your primary school students engaged online?
I just try my possible best to make it very interesting. I make a conscious effort to always start my class by asking my students how they are, how their day went, and all sorts of engaging questions.
What materials do you prepare for your tutoring sessions?
It really depends on what I’m teaching. Sometimes I create and source for charts, pictures or even videos. I use them to teach and plan how I’ll use them within the 60 minutes of the session. I share these resources with my students as well, either in the chatbox of our live session or on our feed. And after the session, I ensure that I create homework for them and they do it on the app. That has been a super helpful way to gauge their learning progress and also helps me know what I need to focus on. My school is also partnering with Gradely LMS now, so I’m even more used to using it.
Besides helping you earn extra income, has Gradely in any way helped you fulfil your purpose as a teacher?
First, I’m happy I’ve been able to meet other children apart from the children I see at my school every day. I’ve also learnt that I can impact these children’s lives in different ways because we talk about more than just academics. I can contribute to their lives morally and psychologically. Gradely has also taught me how to be a proper and professional online tutor, and of course, helped me learn to plan my time better.
Which of your Gradely students do you think have left the most lasting impact on you?
I would say, David and Oma. I was privileged to homeschool them for about 6 months, and it’s funny how some of their former tutors had a couple of issues with them. But I guess I can say that I just got to understand their speciality. I realized that David was just a child that wanted more. He wanted to explore, feel, he was quite adventurous. On the other hand, Oma is a very emotional child. Whenever we start our sessions, she laughs a lot, and she engages with me like her friend. She relates to whatever topic or subject I’m teaching her with practical objects or circumstances totally outside the subject. I remember that before every session we had, I always felt like I was about to teach my own child. She, on the other hand, is also always very enthusiastic.
Are you a Parent? Mrs Rachael is one of the tutors currently giving out free tutor sessions on Gradely. Click here to book one.
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Eniola Makinde
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