Book O’Clock Literary Tweetchat: Improving Teaching of Literature in Nigeria
Guest: Zainab Abdulrasheed
There is a deficiency in how Literature is taught generally in Nigeria. Ranging from the obsolete syllabus, to the poor inclusion of contemporary voices, to the demotivating teaching method of many Nigerian teachers, schools and institutions.
This has contributed to why students have low interest in Literature and would rather major in courses they think are more interesting. Graduates of Literature (especially those who have poor literary background) find themselves wishing they had studied a different course, because the literary world they are ushered into is far more advanced than the 'rhymes and classics' world they were used to.
Some teachers however stand out in their pursuit of changing this narrative. They make the best out of their Literature students, engage them in activities that spur them to take interest in the literary world and guide them until they can manage their enthusiasm themselves. One of such teachers is Zainab Albdulrasheed.
Zainab Abdulrasheed is a high school teacher of Literature with a 9 year experience. She is passionate about Literature and mentoring the younger generation to follow suit, through a number of educational activities like spelling bees, dramas, poetry, and writing competitions. This has earned her students feats in notable national and international competitions.
Her passion for teaching has also earned her a number of awards and recognitions. Some of which are: the 2018 TFCN Teacher Prize for Literature, award for Best Teacher 3rd position (senior school) at the Lagos State Education District III merit award ceremony 2018. Recently, she was a recipient of the prestigious SHE-eo 2020 star award for her service to humanity, among others.
Book O'Clock for its literary tweetchat series (#bookoclocktweetchat) will be engaging Zainab Albdulrasheed on a Tweetchat Tomorrow, Saturday, August 8, 2020 by 5PM (WAT). The purpose of the conversation is to find out what she does differently and through her story, show Nigerian teachers and students how Literature classrooms can be improved.
If you’re a student or teacher interested in learning how to improve your classroom, don’t miss this. Bring your questions as well and they will be attended to. Click here to direct you to Book O’Clock Twitter account.
