Educators across Anguilla have placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of health promotion and spiritual awareness to their professional development as they work under much stress at the various schools.
They took time off from their classrooms on Friday, October 5, to assemble en mass at the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium not only to speak about their professional work, but for lusty singing, prayer, rigorous physical exercises; various health checks; and for advice on healthy eating. The event was the Anguilla Teachers’ Union (ATU) 2018 Biennual Professional Day under the theme “Charting the Course Through Healthy Wholesome Living”.
Ms. Michelle Queeley, President of the ATU, put the event into perspective: “Today, we join thousands of teachers across the world in celebration of World Teachers’ Day also known as International Teachers’ Day,” she stated. “It marks the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which in part recognizes education as a key fundamental right, and establishes an entitlement to free compulsory education ensuring inclusive and equitable access for all children.”
She went on: “This year’s theme – ‘The Right to Education means the Right to a Qualified Teacher’ – aptly reminds the global community that the right to education cannot be achieved without the right to trained and qualified teachers. While we in Anguilla embrace this global theme, alongside the unions in the region and the world at large, we submit that the right to education is also the right to a healthy, happy, hopeful teacher. It is little wonder, then, that we have chosen as our sub-theme ‘Charting the course through healthy, wholesome living’. Colleagues, it is really no accident that the ATU has decided to focus on the health of our teachers. You, as well as I, know that teaching is quite a tough job and with each passing day it gets tougher and tougher. The demands placed on us by parents, administrators, students and the society at large, are overwhelmingly great.
“We watch you struggle under the heavy weight of teacher stress, anxiety, and all the ailments that come with them. We do ourselves in justice in caring so much for our children that we often neglect to care for ourselves. Every day, colleagues, I bear witness to at least two critical warning signs that we walk the road burnt out knowing full well that we are literary dropping down.”
Ms. Queeley, who outlined some of the burnt out issues experienced by teachers and affecting their ability to perform well, appealed to the teachers to pay attention to the tell-tale signs. “The time is now to reflect, recharge and reenergize,” she advised them. “Your union feels and shares your pain, and there is absolutely no gain. If you do not care for yourself, you will not be strong enough to take care of anything else in your life. Give us a chance today to take care of you.”
Permanent Secretary, Education, Mrs Chanelle Petty Barrett, extended profound thanks and appreciation to the teachers for all the work they did during the last school year, and were currently doing. She went on: “As you already know, you are the mother of all professions. The future of nations rests on your shoulders. Your hand holds the keys to unlocking potential. Your words have the power to build or to destroy. Your job can be overwhelming, frustrating and even heart-breaking, but oh so rewarding! And if you have to choose anything else to do in this world, I would like to believe that most of you will still choose to be teachers.”
She stressed that at the centre of quality education was quality teachers. “For this reason we try to provide opportunities for teachers to obtain their certification; to be exposed to professional development; to retool and acquire new skills and approaches to reach students,” she stated. “I encourage all of you to grasp these opportunities. To be an effective teacher, you must stay on top of your game; strive each day to be better than you were the day before. Too much is at stake to do otherwise. As a result of all these expectations of teachers it is easy to become stressed, overworked and, as your union president has said, burnt out.
“While we are not in the classroom, the Ministry and Department of Education are here to support you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to us. Let us know your challenges, and when you need our help. We do recognize how overwhelming your responsibilities must be, and that is why we are happy that the ATU has chosen this theme – ‘Charting the course to healthy wholesome living’. Teachers, it is important that you take care of yourselves first and foremost. We want you to be healthy: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. These are critical to your overall wellbeing. Take time for yourself. Do the things you like to do; pursue other interests – getting some exercise; make sure you get those servings of fruits and vegetables; go to beach and breathe in the healthy morning air. As we sang this morning ‘Be still and know that God is in control’. Whatever it takes to get you relaxed and rejuvenated, just do it.”
The keynote speaker was Clinical Psychologist, Dr. O. Linda Banks, who said she loved the theme of the conference because it was important to have wholesome development. She spoke on such matters as: self acceptance; purposeful living; rest and relaxation; exercise; what is life; the power of the mind; forgiveness and love; the power of words; counting your blessings; being innovative; reinventing yourself; self- respect and spirituality.
The Teachers’ Day event was chaired by Mrs. Ann Marie Letang, an acknowledged cancer survivor. She took the opportunity to advise the teachers on various spiritual and physical matters affecting their everyday living and professional life.
The devotional singing and prayer were by Mrs. Cynthia Gumbs and Minister Oralyn Mussington. There were also performances by the Albena Lake Hodge Concert Band and a group of FWD dancers.
