A bumper pay awaits me as pupils flock my tuition classes

One of the talents that I thank God for honouring me with is my undisputed ability to see opportunities where others see problems. My ability to implement things (like my house and my degree have proven) may not be something to write home about, but my ability to come up with new ideas can never be questioned. I even surprise myself at how creative and fresh-thinking I can be.

As you are aware, following my disassociation with this year’s Class Eight, the preparations of our candidates has been one of the worst. So much that when last week, I stepped into that class to teach for the first time this year, I was not shocked to confirm what I had all along feared – that our 2016 class is  so bad that if they sat an exam with the current Class 6 pupils, the latter would beat them hands down.

This was a major concern to Bensouda and I. “None of you even finished the syllabus!” exclaimed Bensouda, a day after she had taught. On the day she had been in class, she had come out too tired to quarrel anybody.

“Madam headmistress,” said Nzomo. “Remember last year we had a teachers’ strike.”

“How does last year’s strike affect syllabus completion this year you little girl?” wondered Bensouda.

“By the time I took over the class, they were not even done with Class Seven syllabus and I had to complete it first,” she explained. “I only started Class Eight syllabus late second term and I hope to finish it before the exams.”

“And so when will you ever revise?” asked Bensouda.

“I am focusing on quality teaching,” she said. “Not scanning through things like other teachers do and then waste a lot of time revising.”

“I can’t believe you are reasoning like that,” I said. “Revision is very important for students preparing for KCPE exams,” I said.

“Not if you teach well like I do,” she insisted. “Revision if for lazy teachers.”

PREFERRED TEACHER

Worried that the students might fail, the teacher in me decided to step in. I attempted to go to class but the class teachers complained that I was interfering with their timetable and they would everyday get me out of class. The students, however, liked me. In fact, they preferred me over their teachers. This has not gone down well with teachers.

“Dre, we have worked so hard on this students,” Kuya told me last Wednesday.  “We know you suspect they will pass highly and you now want to take responsibility but we want to tell you this year we will do so well that our name will be in the newspaper.”

“Then how come the students prefer me?” I asked them.

“Because we go there to seriously teach while you go there to make jokes,” said Kuya. “These being young minds, whom do you think they would prefer? The joker of course!”

I did not argue with him but I had no doubt that the students genuinely wanted me as they believed I would  increase their chances of passing KCPE. Many of them may not proceed to secondary schools but most wanted good performance in KCPE. And so did their parents. It was not soon before this matter came up for discussion at Hitler’s.

“Dre hii mwaka usiposaidia watu watanguka mtihani,” said Nyayo, adding that he had been informed that the Class Eight teachers were jokers.

“Wewe ndio kijana wetu kwa hiyo shule,” Rasto added. “Usiwache hao watu wa mbali waangushe watoto na wajukuu wetu.”

Rasto added that he had been told by his grandson that the candidates wanted me.

An opportunity

My super-creative mind went to work and instead of seeing a problem, I spotted an opportunity. A great opportunity! In fact, if I planned myself well, I could make some small money from the situation. I knew parents were not happy with the situation and would do anything to make their children pass. And that anything included parting with some money. I went to work; that evening I visited Tito.

You remember Tito, don’t you? Tito is a former student of mine who then went to Mwisho wa Lami Secondary, from where he ‘graduated’ with a very strong D+. But Tito is evidence of what a creative mind can do for you. After high school, we hired him as an untrained teacher but an affair with one of the schools girls, Sandra, saw him get fired. They married a month before Sandra sat  her KCPE exam and they later opened Busy Bee Academy, housed in his brother’s simba and his late parents’ house.

TOP MARKS

“I have an idea,” I said when I met him.  I told him that our Class Eight teachers were not well prepared and we could do something about it.

“Why don’t we open a one month crush tuition programme,” I suggested. “You will provide the classrooms and materials and once the parents hear that I am involved and will be teaching, this place will be full.”

Tito, being business-minded, did not hesitate. He seemed to have had everything ready, and was just waiting for the appropriate time. We discussed about how to quickly market and implement the idea to reap maximum benefits. He immediately started working on a write up to be distributed as soon as possible. “We have little time and I want us to get students from other schools too,” he said

The next morning, the papers were all over:

You want Top Marks in KCPE?

Come to Busy Bee Top KCPE Preparatory Academy.

For Top Past Papers, Top Teachers (Mwalimu Andrew) and Top Tips!

Come One, Come Two, Come All. Top Marks!

Many parents had never given much thought to Busy Bee Academy but the fact that I was involved changed everything. By the end of the day, lots of parents had made inquiries and were willing to pay. We were charging Sh100 per session and we did not wait, we started that day!

Word about the tuition had spread far and wide and I spent the whole Saturday and Sunday with the pupils from Mwisho wa Lami and other schools at Busy Bee preparing them for KCPE. I had lots of exam past papers and answers and used my experience as an examiner and marker to guide the students through the road to top marks in KCPE.

Starting last Monday, we decided to have classes after 4.30pm and believe me or not, we have been having full classes. On Wednesday, overwhelmed with the students, I invited one of my colleagues, Madam Anita, to help teach another class as we had split the class into two. Tito would hear none of it. Despite the fact that he has never prepared a KCPE class, he insisted on taking over the other class – after attending two of my sessions

All the money is being handled by Tito and his wife Sandra. It must be a tidy sum I will get but I do not want to ask for it now as I know myself – I may just start visiting Hitler’s and forget about the evening classes.

I can tell you for sure that a big harvest awaits for me after KCPE once Tito pays me. Who knows, it may be enough for me to finish building my house this year!