Inside Education is a monthly column established by the Ministry and Department of Education. The column will showcase various aspects of the education system. There are many successes in the education sector which ought to be celebrated, and this medium provides an inside look at those accomplishments which often go unnoticed. We invite you to read our column as we share the positive work being done in our schools and the opportunities for development and partnership.
This month, we focus on Grade 2M of the Adrian T Hazell Primary School. When one enters Grade 2M, it is immediately apparent that it is a happy place. The students are comfortable in their brightly decorated classroom, are enthusiastic about learning and can confidently answer the questions being posed by the teacher whom they obviously adore. Within a few moments of being in this stimulating learning environment, it is evident that the adoration is mutual and both students and teacher enjoy a good rapport.
Class Teacher Ms Marian Abbott is a dedicated, creative teacher who has been in the teaching profession for approximately six years and who completed her Associate Degree in Education in 2013, making her a trained teacher. This ambitious, young professional, is presently undertaking studies leading to a Bachelor’s Degree in Education Leadership and Management via the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies. Teacher Marian also brings her love of singing to the classroom. She uses singing to teach various concepts, and sometimes plays classical music in her classroom when the children are working as this research proven technique helps to stimulate brain activity while keeping the students calm.
This term, Teacher Marian challenged her students to undertake a science project entitled “Moving on Wheels”. This project was based on an activity in the Science text book which sought to demonstrate to students how vehicles move, but Teacher Marian took it one step further. Firstly, she shared videos with the students to demonstrate how vehicles move and how the design of wheels affects the vehicles’ performance. Then, she took the students outside to examine the vehicles driven by teachers to observe their various parts and discuss how they affect the movement of the vehicle. However, the most exciting part of this project was that students were required to make actual vehicles out of various materials with the assistance of their parents. Vehicle wheels were also made from various materials including wood, bottle covers, rubber, CDs, cardboard etc. All the parts of the vehicles had to be labeled and children were then allowed to race the vehicles to see how they performed. From this activity, children learnt that the movement of vehicles is affected by several factors including the size and thickness of the wheels, the weight of the vehicle and the materials used to make the vehicle and the wheels.
When asked why she chose to challenge the children in this way, Teacher Marian indicated that the children enjoy learning and they particularly enjoy working on projects. “I try to make learning fun and to meet the needs of each student. I like to see the light in their eyes when they understand a concept.” According to Teacher Marian, all the students did very well on the project and are very proud of their work. This was borne out when the children were questioned about the project. They readily shared what they had learnt and beamed excitedly when displaying their vehicles. The students were pleased to announce that the excitement is not over. This week they will be launching rockets using vinegar and baking powder. Look out!
The Ministry and Department of Education congratulate the students on their work and commend the parents for their support and Teacher Marian for going the extra mile on this project. Gratitude is also expressed to Mrs Tracelyn Hamilton, Principal of the Adrian T Hazell Primary School, who was so pleased with the work done by Teacher Marian, and the students, that she recommended the project for this month’s feature.
Please join us next month for another edition of Inside Education.
