Teachers across Anguilla, both long-serving, as well as newly-appointed, at all levels of schooling and education, turned up on Monday, September 7, in their offices and classrooms, buoyed by a rousing welcome back ceremony held on September 4, 2015, dubbed “Teachers’ Appreciation Day”.
Held at La Vue Boutique Hotel and Conference Centre under the theme “Developing Minds, Moulding A Nation”, the event had the involvement of the Anguilla Teachers’ Union, and the Ministry and Department of Education. To add to the occasion, the teachers, cheered on by the artful Master of Ceremonies, Colin Johnson, broke out into robust hymn-singing and clapping as part of the programme before being addressed by the Honourable Minister of Education and Social Development, Evans McNiel Rogers.
“I bring you greetings from the Ministry of Education as we are about to begin another academic year,” he told the large assembly of educators. “I trust that you had a well-deserved rest and you are completely rejuvenated and eager to engage with the students entrusted to you this year.”
The Minister continued: “I must begin by commending all of you for the work that you have done over the past year, which ensured the success of many of our students at all levels of the system from preschool to secondary school. While you come under criticism at times from the public, I am more than certain that those who criticize you the most will not want to trade places with you for one day. From the Ministry of Education, I simply say thank you.”
Mr. Rogers assured the teachers that all the officials in his Ministry were in support of their achievement of excellence. “Our children deserve the best from us – as parents, leaders and community members – and yes, as teachers,” he told them. “We have to help you to give your best to each child. This means we have to provide the resources you need (and I know they are never enough); we have to provide relevant training for this profession – opportunities for professional growth, and sometimes the simple things like guidance, encouragement and a listening ear. I pledge that we will do our utmost to live up to our side of the bargain. Like any relationship, you too will have to keep your side of the bargain for it to work…”
The Minister added: “For excellence to be achieved, you have to keep that enthusiasm that you started out with when you first became a teacher. Continue to make your classrooms attractive, know your content, plan your lessons to cater to different learning styles and abilities, always be prepared, make learning interesting and engaging, show your students that you care, and be receptive to opportunities to improve yourselves.”
Ms. Sandra Fahie, Education Officer, Curriculum, commended the teachers for their successes in National Tests at both primary and secondary levels; improvements in the CXC results – particularly in Mathematics at the Comprehensive School – as well as in the Standardized Reading Tests and Functional Literacy at primary level.
“Teachers, let us applaud ourselves for the difference we are making toward achieving our mission, which is to produce knowledgeable and skilled citizens to function effectively in a rapidly-changing technological society,” Ms. Fahie stressed. “At the same time, we must also recognise the work of our preschool teachers in laying the proper foundation on which we were able to build.”
Fahie
The teachers were further motivated by Dr. Maurice Smith, Director of the National College for Educational Leadership in Jamaica. Dr. Smith holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Behavioural Sciences, Teaching and Learning from the Northern Caribbean University and the Nova South-Eastern University. He is also a Jamaican 2010 Fulbright Scholar with a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from Howard University and, among other accomplishments, is a motivational speaker.
In summary, he told the teachers that, in developing minds and moulding a nation, they needed “charisma – a distinguishable presence in the community and at school – competence, demonstrative practice and character, and the power to do right.” He elaborated at length on these characteristics in a manner that underpinned the seriousness of properly educating students and instilling in them good values as part of the education process.
