Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe Constituency and former Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum, has shared a vivid account of his experience teaching in the United States, describing how cultural stereotypes and classroom challenges shaped his journey as an educator abroad.
Speaking on The Career Trail Season 4, aired on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, he recounted that he spent about 10 years teaching mathematics and computer science in the United States, an experience he described as both demanding and transformative.
“In the US I was a high school mathematics and later on computer science teacher. America gave me my first job, so to speak. I taught for 10 years in a fascinating environment,” he said.
Dr Adutwum explained that his early days in the classroom were marked by questions from students that reflected deep cultural misconceptions about Africa.
“I remember one kid who walked into my class and said, ‘You are from Africa, right?’ And I said yes. Then he said, ‘That’s why you are so Black.’ And the guy is Blacker than me,” he narrated.
He also recalled more striking moments where students openly expressed stereotypical views about Africa.
“Students would ask you things like, ‘Do you guys live on trees in Africa?’ One day a student asked me that,” he stated.
The Member of Parliament recalled a particularly difficult moment when students used disruptive tactics to frustrate teachers, including releasing a strong-smelling substance in the classroom.
“One day the classroom was smelling like rotten eggs. I thought there was a sewage problem. I quickly called the office and security came in,” he recounted.
He later discovered it was a deliberate act by students meant to disrupt teaching and force teachers out.
“I didn’t know there was something they sell in stores that smells very bad. They throw it on the floor and it bursts open. The smell is unbearable. They do it so the teacher will send them out or leave,” he explained.
Beyond stereotypes, he described the difficulty of working in extremely tough school environments where teachers frequently left due to student behavior.
“I used to be a substitute teacher for about two years before I became a full-time teacher. Some of these schools had very difficult students. One school had had about 10 teachers who all left,” he disclosed.
He noted that one of his early strategies was to quickly assert authority and stability in the classroom, especially in environments where teachers were frequently dismissed by students.
“I told them I was going to be their teacher for the rest of the year, even though I had just arrived. If I hadn’t said that, they would have given me hell in the first few days,” he highlighted.
Dr Adutwum further recounted how he gradually adapted to the students’ culture and language in order to connect with them effectively.
“I decided I would go to the library, read children’s books, and learn their vocabulary so I could speak their language,” he noted.
He revealed that understanding youth culture, including popular figures at the time, also helped him bridge the gap between himself and his students.
“I studied about Snoop Dogg, his life history and everything. So I created a story and told the kids I grew up with Snoop Dogg. They believed it,” he recalled with a laugh.
According to him, this approach helped him win the attention of students and make mathematics more engaging.
“I would use Snoop Dogg in math questions. If Snoop Dogg went to the store and got a 10% discount, how much did he pay? They loved it,” he remarked.
Dr Adutwum shared that his ability to adapt eventually transformed his classroom experience, earning him recognition from students who once struggled with discipline and learning.
“They brought me a note and wrote,‘Thank you for putting up with us and staying with us for the rest of the year. We are grateful that you did not give up on us. We are grateful you stayed and helped us through. We feel like you saved us,’” he shared.
“I remember when I visited the US recently, I walked into a store and one of the sales ladies approached me and said, ‘Hey Dr Yaw, I was talking about you last night with my grandma. We were remembering all the fun times we had with you when you were our teacher,’” he added.
He noted that the experience taught him the importance of flexibility in teaching and understanding learners from different backgrounds, adding that what began as a challenging environment eventually became one of the most fulfilling periods of his career.
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