In January 2013, I embarked on my professional journey as a Year 5 Class Teacher at a private primary school in Lagos, Nigeria. The role presented a unique blend of challenges and exhilaration, especially as a new educator. My primary objective was to address the diverse learning needs of my students. Despite the limited resources provided by the school, I innovatively crafted my own teaching materials using charts and recycled products. I also offered personalised support to each student, ensuring their individual learning requirements were met, while collaboratively working with other stakeholders.

My commitment to personalised education continued in subsequent positions, where I taught Year 1 students. In these roles, I initiated after-school programs for students struggling with reading and continuously pursued professional development courses. This enabled me to deliver high-quality, engaging lessons and cater to the needs of both my higher-achieving and struggling students.

In January 2017, I joined an International School in Lagos as part of a Graduate Teacher Trainee Program. This was my first exposure to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. The program involved hands-on training in classroom management, learner engagement and observation, progress tracking, and the creation of differentiated learning resources. This experience was transformative, igniting my passion for everything related to EYFS.

Upon completing the training in April 2017, I was appointed as a Teaching Assistant, initially in a Nursery class for 3-4-year-olds, and subsequently for Reception (4-5-year-olds). In August 2018, I was promoted to the role of Class Teacher in the Nursery class.

Since then, my career has advanced as a Class Teacher and Year Group Coordinator in Nursery, and later as a Reception Class Teacher and a Nursery Manager, within International British settings in Lagos. Working in schools affiliated with the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) has provided me with numerous opportunities for local and international trainings, exposure to school inspections by COBIS and ISI/BSO, and preparation for lesson observations by senior leaders, all resulting in outstanding outcomes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, my school transitioned to virtual learning, utilising platforms like Edmodo, Google Classroom, Zoom, and Google Meet. This shift required additional training and adaptation, after which I efficiently delivered high-quality online lessons. I developed lesson slides, worksheets, and pre-recorded lessons using various technological tools, video editing apps and game-based learning platforms.