I don’t regret for being a teacher- Mrs Mercy Adetimehin
Mrs. Mercy Oluwapelumi Adetimehin, is the School Principal of CAC Grammar School, Akure, the capital of Ondo State. She is a woman of substance, who has passion for teaching. She spoke with The Focus Magazine Publisher, Ayodele Ologunola, why chosen teaching as a profession, her achievements in the profession and other issues.
Excerpt:
Out of all careers, why did you choose teaching as your profession?
“Initially, I didn’t have the belief that I will be a teacher. What I have in mind is to be a nurse, but along the lines, I don’t know how I found myself in teaching profession. The subject I so much love when I was in the secondary school is geography. It was the love that I have for the geography that pushed me into teaching profession. The geography subject makes it easy for me to really find myself in the teaching line.’
You didn’t’t prepared to be a teacher as you said, but you found yourself in the profession, do you not think you chose a good career?
“To say the truth, I didn’t regret being a teacher. It has been a blessing for me to impact in other people’s lives. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a teacher. He taught his people in the way of the Lord. So being a teacher has been a blessing to me. Those of the students I have impacted into their lives, whenever I see them made me to be joyful. They were the one that introduced themselves to me, in any places we meet ourselves.”
Are you now telling us that you have been fulfilled in this chosen career?
“Sincerely speaking, I am fulfilled with what God has done for me. I thank God that I did not chosen a wrong career. I am able to get to the pick of my career and I am still trusting God that, He will take me to the highest in this job which is Tutor General.”
Ma, in your journey to this greatness, what are some of challenges you met on the roads to success?
‘I can say that one challenge I encountered is after my marriage, which was taking care of my children with academic works. It was a big challenge for me, but Almighty God stood with me. I was able to discharge my duty effectively. But when we talked about hazard in the teaching profession, I can say that God gave me the grace not to fall into the hands of evil students. Because some teachers fell into the hands of some of these evil students in the area of correcting them. Some of these teacher were attacked spiritually. The Lord has been my guide and protecting me.”
Since you came to CAC Grammar School, some months ago, you have recorded a lot of achievements. What has been your secret of success?
“It has been God behind my secret of my success. The two schools i served as a principal, l laid a good legacy behind. I have it in my plans that I must leave the school better than the way I met it. I worked in the United CAC Grammar School, Akure. It is the first place I first worked as a principal. On getting there, I changed the narrative of the school to a better one. We did the renovation of some classes,and the school hall. The idea i have as a teacher is that, whenever you get to a particular place, you must try all your possible best to improve on what you met on ground.”
In CAC Grammar, what are your achievements?
“I recorded a lot of achievements which can be seen physically. I started with the renovation of JSS one block, the on going corpers’ lodge that I am believing God that He should give me power to complete before I leave the school. The corper lodge is an isolated building which was not demarcated. Work is ongoing on the lodge. We renovate the administrative building which hosts the principal office, with the FOYER to make it look more beautiful. We also do the renovation of computer office with the help of the students and the IGR the school generated. All what we achieved for the school is from God. You can not get anything unless it was been given to you from the above. I thank God that He has been helping me.”
The school is about to celebrate her 60th anniversary, as a sitting principal who will be in charge, how do you feel?
“It’s a thing of joy to be the sitting principal to host the 60th anniversary of CAC Grammar School, Akure. There are lots of things we are going to take care of, which i believe God will help us. I salute the old students of the school for their efforts. They have been preparing well for the anniversary.”
What has been the relationship between you and the old students in moving the school forward?
“Immediately I was posted to the school, I met a file of philanthropist and the old students. So, I started calling them and by every month end, I will send a greetings to everyone of the old students. Some of them don’t know me, i have to introduce myself to them that I am the current principal of the school. The rapport between us made them to start to do something in the school. We can see their impact in the school. Our relationship has been cordial. CAC Grammar School has been a home for many of them. When they visited the school, we talked and asked what they do for the school. They have been trying their best. The principal that will come after me will have a lot of works to do, but before then, I’ll take him or her through.”
What is your relationship with the PTA?
“We have a cordial relationship too. We worked together for the success of the school. The only problem is that not all students pay their school fees. The little ones that has been coming in has been used judiciously.”
What is your word of advise for the staff, teachers and students?
“CAC Grammar School is a good school for any parents to send their children to. I’m appealing to the teachers to be up and doing by trying their best. The students should put in more effort in whatever they are doing. They should be hardworking. It is one of our old students that gave us the gigantic school hall, which was named “Adamu Adedipe Multipurpose Hall”. It was built by one of the old students. If one person can do that, what disturbed others not to do the same? They should be hoping, hardworking and be focused.”
By the time you leave the school, what do you want you to be remembered for?
“The students that I met in the school and who had left would be remembered for what I have impacted on them. And those that I am going to live behind, would remember me that there as a woman who love and have passion for them. I love CAC so much, because the day the school was established coincidentally with my date of birth. Let say I have enough funds, the rate I wanted to transform the school would have been very great. It was the lack of fund that debarred me. I have a great vision for the school. But I thank God for the little ones He allowed me to do.”
You are woman with a large heart believing in doing good, what has been your motivating factor?
“The home you come from add to whatever good things you are doing for humanity. We can called it heredity. I can say that I inherited it from my father. My father was a farmer who was able to train all of his children. As things were not easy then, he still helped other people. My father told us a story that he wore a bathroom slippers for a whole years. You can imagine a farmer who wore a slippers for a whole years, still he sent his children to St. Joseph, St. Monica’s and Independent schools in Ondo City? My elder sister was the first senior girl of Independent School, Ondo. She was on scholarship all through. She is one of the authors of the New General Mathematics. My father was a man with a large heart, compassionate, hardworking and focused, definitely the gene is running in the family. So, it has been God on our side in our entire family.”
