Viral TikTok sensation and educator Priscilla Karanja, popularly known as Teacher Cillah, has opened up about her early struggles in school, revealing that she was not exactly a top performer in primary school.
She hinted that her academic challenges might have stemmed from the many household responsibilities she had to juggle at home back then.
Speaking to Parents Magazine on Sunday, February 23, 2025, Cillah reflected on her journey, marvelling at how she defied the odds to become a teacher—a career that has not only flourished but exceeded her wildest dreams, thanks to the power of social media.
“When I reached Class Four, I don’t know what happened, but my grades started dropping. Looking back, I think it was because of the lifestyle I grew up in—there was just so much work to do at home.”
Cillah, who has captured the hearts of many with her engaging teaching style, also pointed out that if she were in today’s education system, she would not have been labelled a ‘slow learner,’ a term that carried a heavy stigma.
Instead, under the more advanced CBC curriculum, she would be recognized as a ‘time-taker learner.’
“My school life was interesting because I wasn’t a top performer—I was a time taker. Back then, they called us slow learners. Now, they’re time takers, taking their time and learning at their own pace.”
Digital learning curve
Cillah also reflected on how fast digital learning and advanced teaching tools have emerged, noting that many primary school teachers struggle to keep up with the rapid shift, especially those who have not been exposed to such sophisticated technology.
She recalled how, despite landing a well-paying job at one of Nairobi’s prestigious schools, she initially found it daunting to navigate a laptop, having never used one before.
She added that a kind friend came to her rescue, teaching her the basics of using a laptop. Ironically, even the school’s onboarding training for new teachers was conducted online, leaving her at a loss on how to operate the system.
“Hiyo ni ile like sijawahi guza laptop, ndiyo hii imeletwa, so you know nothing. So my friend alikuwa ananiambia, ‘Hapa ndipo unawekea WiFi, unawasha hapa, unamute hapa, unafanya hivi kazi zikikuja, and this is how you share the screen,’ and so forth. So alinifunza, and ikakuwa sawa. Ilikuwa lazima ulearn. Kulikuwa na training hiyo shule, lakini training ilikuwa online pia,” she says.
Going viral
Teacher Cillah was not a familiar name on social media, but everything changed in 2019 when she began sharing her fun and engaging approach to learning online. Her CBC-based teaching techniques struck a chord with many, turning her into an instant sensation.
Her content revolved around using songs to teach instead of delivering plain theories, while other videos captured her joyfully dancing with her students as she taught and wrote on the whiteboard.
If her videos are anything to go by, her students absolutely adored her.
Many felt comfortable opening up to her about personal struggles at home, while others simply enjoyed her presence, going as far as gifting her flowers and small tokens sent by their parents as a sign of appreciation.
She continued to ride the wave of success, eventually securing deals with companies specialising in online learning and e-learning materials for students.
At the time of this reporting, her TikTok page is among the most followed, boasting a staggering 396,000 followers and 5 million likes.
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