Zippie Oluomo is a young Christian educator whose journey to teaching was not a straight path. After studying for an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Nairobi, Zippie now works as an educator, using her faith to shape her approach to teaching and interacting with her students.
For Zippie, teaching is solely influenced by the biblical worldview, which sees God as the creator of the world and everything in it. She believes that using the Bible as a source of instruction, along with her five class rules - honesty, kindness, respect, a positive attitude, and doing one's best - allows for character formation and discipleship, both in and out of class.
One of the most impactful moments of her career as a teacher was when one of her students came to class one day and told her that another student wanted to kill themselves. Zippie quickly gathered her thoughts, prayed, and sought to find out the extent of the situation. After gathering the school and directing them to their individual classes, she spoke to the middle school class about being Christ-like in their deeds and actions. They prayed together for the student in question, who turned out to be safe. It turned out that it was all a nasty rumor. Zippie's faith and values allowed her to handle this challenging situation with compassion and grace.
When it comes to handling challenging situations or conflicts with students, Zippie believes in working together with parents and praying first, allowing God to guide the situation. For her, the most important qualities for a Christian educator are patience, love, and the willingness to listen and understand.
Zippie's story is a reminder that following your passion can lead you to unexpected places. She stumbled upon teaching after considering a career outdoors, but has found joy and purpose in it. As she puts it, "when you are in the right place doing what you love, it doesn't feel like work." Her approach to teaching, shaped by her faith and values, serves as an inspiration for all of us to pursue our passions with a purpose.
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