Teaching is typically talked about in policies, statistics, and reforms– however hardly ever in the raw, lived language of those who stand in front of classrooms every day.
This interview starts to change that.
In this very first edition of My Mentor Life, an instructor reflects on a journey shaped by direct exposure, function, and a deep awareness of inequality. What starts as a personal choice rooted in lived experience quickly opens into something bigger: the emotional labour of mentor, the quiet weight educators bring, and the day-to-day settlement in between curriculum demands and human complexity.
Throughout these responses, teaching is exposed not as a routine profession, however as a deeply relational practice– one defined as much by persistence, adaptation, and strength as by lesson delivery. It is a story of early expectations being taken apart by reality, and rebuilt through moments of effect that can not be recorded in examination scores or policy briefs.
At its core, this conversation is about what takes place beyond the class walls: the hidden work, the unspoken obstacles, and the enduring commitment that keeps educators appearing even when the system does not fully show up for them.
This is My Mentor Life— and it begins with a voice that advises us why education is never ever almost teaching content, but about forming possibility.
Temitpe Kareem( TK): How did you end up being an instructor?
Serah Yusuf (SY): I ended up being an instructor out of both function and exposure. Growing up in underserved communities, I saw how education could either limit or free a child. That truth formed my choice. Teaching, for me, was not simply a profession, it ended up being a deliberate path to reword narratives and expand possibilities for kids who are often neglected, in line with SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 10 on Decreased Inequalities.
TK: What did you think mentor would resemble and how incorrect were you?
SY: I believed mentor would simply be about delivering understanding. I was wrong. Teaching is psychological, relational, and complex. It goes beyond lesson plans, it needs understanding trainees, building trust, and adjusting to fulfill different requirements.
TK: Walk us through your side of the classroom. What does a typical day appear like for you?
SY: My day begins before the very first bell, reviewing lesson plans, preparing materials, and preparing for learners’requirements. In the class, it is dynamic: questioning, directing, encouraging, and in some cases mediating. I utilize innovation, storytelling, and collective discovering to make lessons engaging. After school, I show, evaluate, and plan for enhancement, supporting inclusive learning as highlighted in SDG 4.
TK: What is the hardest part of this task no one discuss?
SY: The psychological weight. Teachers carry the concerns of their students, hardship, disregard, low self-confidence. We commemorate their wins however also process their battles. That psychological labor is seldom acknowledged.
TK: Tell us about the minute that changed how you teach forever.
SY: A trainee once informed me,”Ma, I believed I was dull up until you explained it differently.” That minute altered my approach. I realized that teaching is not about how well I deliver, but how well trainees understand. Ever since, I teach for impact.
TK: If you could go back to your very first day as a teacher, what would you tell yourself?
SY: I would say:”Focus less on excellence and more on connection. Your students might forget your lesson, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”
TK: Have you ever wanted to give up? What happened, what made you stay?
SY: Yes, there were moments of exhaustion and discouragement. However I stayed because of the trainees, their growth, durability, and belief in me. Each success story reminded me why I started.
TK: What does the education system get essentially wrong about teachers?
SY: It often underestimates the complexity of teaching. Educators are anticipated to provide outcomes without appropriate resources, support, or autonomy. The system sometimes values outcomes more than the people behind them.
TK: If you had five minutes with a policymaker, what would you state?
SY: Invest in teachers as country builders. Supply training, reasonable settlement, and better finding out environments. When you empower teachers, you impact the future of the nation and advance SDG 4 on Quality Education.
TK: Has this job affected your life outside the classroom?
SY: Yes. Teaching has actually formed my perseverance, empathy, and point of view on life. It has made me more reflective in my individual relationships.
TK: What’s the trainee story you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life?
SY: A student who had a hard time academically and mentally later turned into one of the most confident students in my class. Viewing that transformation from self-doubt to self-belief is a suggestion that every child can succeed with the ideal assistance.
TK: What do you want your trainees to keep in mind about you, twenty years from now?
SY: I desire them to remember that I believed in them, even when they didn’t believe in themselves, and that I developed an area where they felt seen, heard, and capable.
TK: In one sentence, how would you describe your mentor life?
SY: My mentor life is a commitment to transforming lives, one student, one instructor, and one neighborhood at a time, advancing SDG 4 and SDG 10 through education.