Retired Kisumu teacher finds new voice in poetry
Retired teacher Willis Onyango. He has turned to poetry to celebrate teachers adapting to the digital era. Photo/ File
The soft scratch of a pen on paper has replaced the echo of classroom chatter for 70-year-old Willis Onyango.
Once a familiar voice at Arude Primary School in Kisumu, the retired English and Literature teacher now spends his days crafting verses that pay tribute to those still standing before pupils--the teachers navigating the uncharted waters of the digital era.
After more than 30 years of teaching, Mr Onyango hung up his chalk in 2020. Yet retirement didn’t silence his passion for education. Instead, it gave him a new medium: poetry. His latest work, The Evolved Educator, reflects the transformation of the teaching profession and honours those who continue to adapt to changing times.
“When I started teaching, our tools were chalk, books and blackboards,” he told Avdelta News.
“Today, learners are expected to research answers online, yet only a handful can access smartphones and laptops.”
In his reflective tone, Mr Onyango paints a vivid picture of the classroom’s evolution — from dusty blackboards to glowing screens, from hand-copied notes to internet searches.
He recalls his early years, when a teacher’s authority came from books and memory. Today, he says, it’s about navigating a flood of online information while helping learners think critically.
“I never experienced what today’s teachers are going through,” he said.
“They are required to be both mentors and digital guides.”
His poem was born from those thoughts — a rhythmic meditation on how educators continue to shape young minds amid a wave of technology, reforms, and resource constraints.
Mr Onyango witnessed the dawn of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) shortly before his retirement. He describes it as a shift that demanded not just new teaching styles, but an entirely new mindset.
“The junior school is understaffed and ill equipped,” he said.
“Most rural schools lack the infrastructure needed for the digital shift. Teachers are expected to guide learners in new ways, sometimes without the tools they need.”
He notes how Grade 9 learners are now introduced to calculators, online research, and practical projects — while in many rural schools, power outages, few computers, and limited internet remain everyday challenges.
“In some schools, two teachers handle all subjects — from Mathematics and Languages to Agriculture, Science, Creative Arts and Pre-Technical Studies,” he added.
“Can two teachers handle all these? They must have evolved or are evolving.”
His admiration for modern teachers runs deep. He calls them “trailblazers” — professionals juggling heavy workloads, limited resources, and the pressure to integrate digital tools into learning.
“They can use books and the internet to manage, but it takes resilience, diligence, dedication, competence and passion,” he said.
Those words form the heart of The Evolved Educator, a poem that celebrates teachers who keep the flame of learning alive in an age of technology and transition.
Below is the full poem, which has since drawn attention from educators and former colleagues alike.
The Evolved Educator
By Willis Onyango
A master of innovation, a leader of the pack,
The teacher of this millennium navigates the digital track.
With screens that glow like stars in the night,
They guide their students through the digital light.
Their classroom's a fusion of old and new,
Where technology meets wisdom, and knowledge breaks through.
They're mentors, coaches, and guides, all rolled into one,
Helping students find their path, beneath the digital sun.
In this era of information, where bytes and bits abound,
The teacher's role is to help students discern and astound.
To cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and more,
Empowering minds to shape the future's score.
With patience, passion, and dedication, they inspire and ignite,
The flames of curiosity that burn through day and night.
The teacher of this millennium is a trailblazer, true,
Shaping the next generation, with skills anew.
Through virtual realms and real-world spaces,
They connect the dots between knowledge and life's places.
A bridge to the future, the learner's light,
Guiding students to shine, with all their might.
For Mr Onyango, poetry is more than a pastime — it’s a continuation of his calling. The classroom may have changed, but the mission remains the same: to shape minds and inspire growth.
“I may no longer mark books or write schemes of work,” he said, smiling. “But I still want to touch lives.”
And through his poetry, he continues to do just that — echoing the spirit of teachers who refuse to fade, even as the classroom transforms around them.