CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – SHE could have been teaching primary school students a long time ago, instead Brenda Smithen-Williams prefers to stay among the pre-school children she has been teaching for the past 20 years.
She told SKNVibes: “I have the basic requirements to enter the other level in education, which is Primary, but I prefer this level.”
Smithen-Williams, the supervisor at the Charlestown Pre-School, gets a special joy from being able to work with children from an early age.
“I have been given the opportunity to interact with them socially, physically, emotionally and educationally.”
Obviously warming to the task of discussing her charges Smithen-Williams said, with a gleam in her eyes, “It keeps me active and looking young. Children around this age are very loving.”
According to the long-serving educator, one hardly goes out and hear “I love you” from persons on the road, but “I hear this so often from my children that they become my friends over the years”.
She continued: “I find that the parents are also very supportive of their children at this level, and of the school on a whole. They are more cooperative and, because of this, I prefer to stay at this level.”
Teacher Brenda, (as she is affectionately known), admits she enjoys seeing her charges reach different milestones and doing things for themselves.
“When they first come, some of them can hardly talk; their language is not well-developed, but when they leave it is well-developed and they can do things for themselves. They can do simple things like tie their shoe laces and learn to share and play with others.”
She continued: “They are generally more sociable when they leave here. I try to model what I do. I encourage them to speak properly, to be friendly and to be kind to others. These are life skills…and I try to encourage them to get into it early so it can be part of their life.”
Smithen-Williams reveals that she keeps track of her charges when they leave to attend primary and later secondary schools. “I even keep track of those who have gone on to university.”
Apart from a brief stint at the Gingerland Pre-school in 1994-95, Smithen-Williams has spent all of her 20 years in the profession at Charlestown – 13 as a teacher and the last seven as the school’s supervisor. This has given her the privilege of dealing with her ‘grandchildren’, or the children of students who would have passed through her care years ago.
Teacher Brenda is proud of Charlestown Pre-School and admits that she is always looking for ways to promote it.
“For example, my school is under observation as one currently being funded by UNICEF. It is one of the few chosen in the Federation. I am very proud of that, so I am trying to keep up with that standard.”
While enjoying many happy moments over the years, Teacher Brenda admits that there are some sore points.
“My biggest grouse is at the end of the day when you think your work is over some parents just would not come to collect their children. Sometimes when they do come they do not even have an excuse for being late or…they did not even call to say they would be late.”
Smithen-Williams has some advice for persons entering the field: “First of all, they must have a love for children. If you do not love children you will not make it.”
She also said teachers must be willing to go the proverbial extra mile for the students and be prepared to be a mother to them.
