In the town of Modakeke, a quiet revolution is unfolding inside classrooms. It is not one led by technology giants or policymakers, but by a group of young trainee teachers from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) who are transforming traditional teaching with creativity, empathy, and innovation.
As part of their 2025 Teaching Practice (TP) programme, these student-teachers from the Faculty of Education are redefining what it means to teach, not just through chalk and talk, but through relatable stories, role-plays, AI tools, and a dash of local language.
For Akinola Peace Oluwafunminire, teaching English at Amazing Grace International College, Modakeke, has been both exciting and demanding. ‘It has been going well, though a little stressful,’ she admitted with a smile.
Her students, a lively bunch of JSS 2 pupils, struggle with expression in English, but that has not stopped her from finding creative ways to connect with them. ‘I give relatable examples and sometimes explain in their language – Yoruba – for better understanding,’ Peace explained. ‘It brings about active participation because they can connect the topic to their own experiences.’
Her approach of switching languages and using AI-assisted visuals has yielded impressive results. Students who once sat silent now engage, ask questions, and even laugh through lessons. Still, the enthusiasm comes with a challenge.
‘Sometimes everyone wants to talk at once,’ she said, laughing. ‘It can get frustrating. But I set classroom rules and make sure there are consequences for breaking them. That way, I maintain order while keeping the energy alive.’
At The Scholars’ Model College, Esther Akintade stood before a classroom of inquisitive SS1 students, chalk in hand. Her subject? Economics. But instead of droning through demand and supply graphs, she brought the concepts to life with relatable, everyday examples. ‘When teaching demand and supply, I refer to things like the increase in rice prices or fuel scarcity,’ Esther said. ‘These are things the students see every day, so it makes learning real.’
Her lessons often doubled as mini-market simulations. ‘I once made the students act as buyers and sellers,’ she recounted excitedly. ‘They got so into it that they started bargaining like real traders! And afterwards, they could explain the law of demand better than ever.’
For Esther, creativity is not about flashy technology; it is about relevance. ‘When students can link classroom knowledge to life outside school, that’s when true learning happens,’ she added.
Over at Modakeke Baptist High School, Enioluwafe Akinnigbagbe discovered the magic of storytelling. Teaching Literature-in-English to SS1 and Christian Religious Studies (CRS) to SS2, she uses creative reflection and narrative recall to keep students attentive. ‘In Literature, I ask students to summarise everything they learned at the end of class,’ she said. ‘They love it because I praise their efforts, and no one wants to be left out.’
Her CRS lessons are even more captivating. ‘I take them back to the first mention of whatever topic we’re treating,’ she explained. ‘Telling the stories in-between catches their attention and makes them curious. Everyone likes a good story.’
The result? A class once known for disinterest now buzzes with questions and discussions. ‘Even the students who seemed indifferent before are now eager to contribute,’ she said proudly. ‘Appreciation goes a long way.’
These student-teachers may still be in training, but their classroom experiments echo a larger truth, that education thrives where creativity lives. Through local examples, interactive storytelling, and relatable teaching, they continue to show that innovation in education does not always require expensive gadgets. It requires just the willingness to connect with learners’ realities.