IMPRESSIONS:
By Obioha Ikenna
Being
a writer and freelance agent for select media outlets, the need to
fine-tune my skill set in professional writing in order to help boost my
chances of recommendation from clients was paramount; and with a stroke
of luck, I enrolled for the Advanced Clinic to achieve these goals. The
Clinic kicked off on Saturday, 1 September with my obvious absence that
stemmed from late information about the program.
My
first contact with the coach (Femi Akintunde-Johnson) was via WhatsApp.
There, he introduced the concept for the Clinic; guiding me through the
five-day orientation that detailed the rules of conduct for both online
and class interaction; syllabus outline for the four-week course and
also aided with a few catch-up materials.
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| Obioha Ikenna |
With the
next class approaching (8 September), I was filled with an anticipation
for the possible form the four-hour lecture was going to take. Although
we established an online acquaintance, I presumed that real-life
situation was going to be a different experience.
Laid-back
on a rotating chair propped against the wall parallel to the entrance
availed Akintunde-Johnson with the view of anyone entering or leaving.
As I walked up to him to exchange pleasantries, he beamed and extended
his arm to shake me. “You are Ikenna,” he said with his hand clasped to
mine. “Your beard is something oh!” he said as I rushed back to the
reception to sign. This brief encounter had me chuckling. I concluded
that he was a friendly man but more importantly, a calculated person who
noted my name and not just my face through sent portrait on WhatsApp.
Apparently, it wasn’t a special treatment I received - he addressed each
student by name.
Soon, a good number of the class
convened and the lectures commenced with him making corrections on the
previous assignment. A one-to-one experience, he captured the attention
of the entire class, going back and forth with straight-to-the-point
explanations; it was as though he felt where we needed help and
highlighted it intuitively. He also relied on humour - when necessary -
to tackle problems effectively. His approach to tutoring created the
ambience that was essential for effective learning.
- Obioha Bede Ikenna (Graduate of September, 2018 ADC-2 Workshop/Training)
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