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Many of us entered teaching believing our job was to provide answers. After all, that’s what teachers are expected to do. But the longer we teach, we discover an interesting truth: The best lessons are often remembered not because of the answers given, but because of the questions asked. Questions Make Learners Think When we immediately provide answers, learners may remember information for…

The staffroom had many talented teachers. Portfolio could prepare a lesson plan before breakfast. Koches could organize Sports Day using only a whistle and optimism. Reuters knew tomorrow’s news yesterday. Fuliza could survive an entire month on a salary that had already disappeared. Exit had resigned emotionally six times that term. Then there was Remedial. Nobody had ever seen him in a…

“What is the correct answer?” It is one of the most common questions heard in classrooms. While there is nothing wrong with checking understanding, effective teaching goes beyond finding the right answer. It encourages learners to think, explain and reason. The questions teachers ask often determine the quality of learning that takes place. Not All Questions Are Equal Some questions require…

There are three statements no experienced teacher believes. “We’ll finish early.” “This meeting won’t take long.” And the most dangerous of them all… “Kindly spare me just five minutes.” The trouble started at exactly 3:55 p.m. on a Friday. Teachers had already packed their bags. Koches was halfway into his tracksuit jacket. Fuliza had checked his M-Pesa balance for the seventh time that…

Walk into any modern classroom and you’ll notice how much education has changed. Digital devices, online resources and artificial intelligence are becoming part of everyday teaching. These tools have opened exciting possibilities for both teachers and learners. Yet one of the most powerful influences on learning doesn’t require electricity, internet access or expensive equipment. It is…

Every teacher knows the pressure. The calendar is moving. The examinations are getting closer. The syllabus still has several topics remaining. The temptation is understandable: teach faster, cover more content and move on. But is finishing the syllabus always the same as helping learners understand it? Not necessarily. The Pressure to Keep Moving Teachers often feel judged by one…

There are certain statements teachers never question. “Exams begin tomorrow.” “The Director is visiting.” “Parents will report at 8.00 a.m.” But there is one statement no teacher believes. “Go home and rest.” It happened on a Friday afternoon. The week had been unusually long. By 3.30 p.m., even the staffroom chairs looked exhausted. Fuliza was calculating how many days remained until…

“That learner never says anything.” It is a comment heard in many staffrooms. Teachers naturally notice the learners who answer questions quickly, volunteer to demonstrate activities, or eagerly contribute during discussions. But what about the learner who rarely raises a hand? It is easy to assume that silence means confusion, lack of interest, or poor preparation. Sometimes it does. But…

” They are doing fine.” It is a phrase teachers often use when talking about learners who finish their work quickly. They answer questions confidently, perform well in assessments, and rarely require extra attention. As a result, our focus naturally shifts to learners who are struggling. While this is understandable, it can leave another group quietly overlooked. Sometimes, the learners who…

There was a time when staffroom discussions happened in the staffroom. Teachers would sit together. Share tea. Discuss learners. Complain professionally. Then technology arrived. Today, the most powerful room in the school is not the staffroom. It is WhatsApp. The trouble began at exactly 9:47 p.m. Most teachers were asleep. Others were pretending to sleep while scrolling. Then…

You ask a question. You know several learners can answer it. You covered the topic yesterday. You saw them complete the exercise correctly. Yet when the question is asked, only a few hands go up. The rest remain silent. Some stare at their books. Others avoid eye contact. A few suddenly become very interested in something outside the classroom window. Many teachers assume these learners…

A meeting is called. An announcement is made. A new procedure is introduced. A new timetable is released. A new reporting system is launched. And somewhere in the staffroom, a teacher quietly asks: “When was this decided?” Most schools work hard to improve learning and create order. But even in well-run schools, there are moments when teachers feel disconnected from decisions that…

There are many difficult meetings in education. There are meetings about examination results. There are meetings about discipline. There are meetings about fees. Then there are meetings involving Baba Lawyer. Those require prayer. The trouble began when Grade Six results were released. As expected, some learners performed well. Some performed reasonably. Others demonstrated great…

The school day ends. Learners go home. The compound becomes quiet. Yet many teachers leave with the same uncomfortable feeling. “I was busy all day, but there is still so much left to do.” The lesson plans are not finished. The marking is incomplete. Messages still need responses. Reports remain pending. And somehow, despite working from morning to evening, the workload seems…

Every term begins with optimism. The scheme of work is ready. The lesson plans are prepared. The calendar looks manageable. For a moment, it feels like everything is under control. Then reality arrives. A public holiday appears. A sports event takes a day. An assessment week interrupts lessons. A meeting takes an afternoon. A class needs extra time on a difficult topic. And suddenly,…

The lesson ends. Learners leave the classroom. The day continues. But many teachers carry something with them long after the lesson is over. A question. A doubt. A nagging thought. “Could I have explained that better?” For many teachers, this inner conversation is a daily experience. What is interesting is that the teachers who ask these questions are often not struggling teachers. They…

The first resignation happened in February.The fifth happened on a perfectly normal Tuesday morning. Or so we thought. The trouble began when Circular entered the staffroom carrying a file thick enough to qualify as furniture. Teachers immediately became nervous. Circular never carried such a file unless somebody’s happiness was about to be redistributed. She placed the file on the…