In this Interview, we feature Kayode Adewale, an award-winning teacher, who made to the top 50 finalist for Global Teachers’ prize.
He opens about his background and his journey so far.
Can you tell us about your background and what inspired you to become a teacher?
Once again my name is Kayode Adewale. I’m a mathematics teacher in Imagbon/Imaka Comprehensive High School. I started my teaching career in 2006 as a primary school teacher but I switched to secondary school in 2008 to accept another job that is thought lower than what I was doing before because of my interest to teach in secondary school.
In 2020, l was announced as the best Senior Secondary School teacher in Ogun State and I was awarded 2.5 million by the Governor.
I was also awarded the Outstanding Youth on Education by National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ogun State. In 2022, I became the United Champion for the Maltina teacher of the year and qualified to be among the top ten in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In 2023, I was the second runner up of best teacher in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In the same year, I won a car, went to a U.S function, Football Teaching Excellence and Achievement Programme.
It’s a program by a US department with a funding provided by the US government. Shortly after I returned, l was also selected for another program in U.S which we call “Limitless Global Educator” which is a gathering of the top 20 STEM educators across the globe.

By Gods grace, I was among the top 20 STEM educator in 2024 and I was selected to attend the Limitless Global Educator Program (a program organised by Limitless Space Institute in Texas).
That’s very very good sir so what drives your passion for teaching and what keeps you motivated?
Alright, I got my inspiration to join the teaching profession when I was in SS1 which was grade 10 at that time. We all know the Nigerian’s Education system operation, 6 3 3 system of education.
The first 6 is the primary years, the next 3 is the junior secondary years and the next 3 is the senior secondary years. This is the stage where the student decide what they want to become in the future.
At that point, my class teacher asked almost all the students in the class what they wished to become in the future in order to know where they will be placed; either into science, commercial and art class. You know, these days, it’s different. Unlike today, it was science, business and community.
One after the other, we talked about what we wanted to become. Some said they’d like to be medical doctors, some wanted to be engineers, and some wanted to be bankers.
But one thing I observed was that this same man who happened to be a teacher was the one advising those that wished to be a medical doctor or an engineer or a journalist what to do and how to go about it. When it got to my turn, he asked me what I’d like to be in the future and I told him I’d like to be a teacher.
He looked at my face and he said “Do you know what you’re saying ?” I said “yes” and he asked me why. I told him I wanted to be someone like him who would be an inspiration to the young ones.
My reason was because these people that wished to be a medical doctor did not bother to go to a medical doctor to know what to do. And he said, “God will answer your heart desire”. And here I am today, a celebrated teacher throughout the world, who chose to become a teacher at grade 10 and that my class teacher is now the present principal of that my secondary school, Abodi Comprehensive High School.
So you see, I’m sure today I will be the happiest person; that young boy that decided to become a teacher that day, is now a world celebrated teacher
How do you assess students’ learning and progress in your classroom can you tell us?
I adopt the method we call “inquiry based learning”. It is a situation where you start your class with questions. That’s what inquiry based learning simply means.
At the beginning of the class, you give them a kind of question that will give them an idea what the content you want to dish out to them is about. At that point, you already know where they’re at; you know their behaviours.
So once they are done with the class, then you can do a kind of review based on what they have learned to gauge their level of comprehension before you start the class and after. Then you apply the treatment, which is what you’ve taught.
Like I tell people, my teaching philosophy is based on the ground that I have a career objective for myself which was what I said in secondary school. My objective is to contribute and be at the forefront of transforming education in Nigeria and I can’t do that alone. Okay? I had to collaborate with others so I extended that kind of gesture to other people.
Oh wow that’s so lovely, sir. How does it feel to be recognised as one of the top 50 Global Teacher Prize finalist?
Of course, I feel on top of the world because this is what I’ve been looking forward to. For the past three years, this is my third time of applying for this award. After winning almost all the Luca and international awards, the global teacher prize is our own noble prize and a lot of past winners have really inspired me.
I met the winners of 2021 in the Washington DC when I went for food by teaching ambulance and achievement. She also booked an appointment with me. Of course, we have been talking online before we met physically and you know all those things people are doing have been inspiring us. I knew that I’d rise to the level of wining the global teacher prize.
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