By Claudia Liburd
Nevis Reporter
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| Maureen Adams |
(Charlestown; Nevis): After taking home the Extra Mile Teacher of the Year Award on Saturday night, Maureen Adams of the Charlestown Secondary School explained how the award has helped to shape her career.
The Extra Mile Teacher award was presented on Saturday, November, 25 at the Old Manor Hotel. According to the award winner, after initial nominations the nominees had to submit a portfolio, which outlined their teaching philosophy.
"The portfolio contained our teaching philosophy, a lesson plan and various bits and pieces that we do throughout the school year such as the tests and exercises that we administer as well as any inspirational writing that we do," Adams said.
"It feels very good to be appreciated and I accepted the award on behalf of the Charlestown Secondary School because I would not have been able to do all those things if I was not in this environment. I feed off of my colleagues because they are very motivated."
In retrospect, Adams elaborated on the new challenges teachers face in the modern-day classroom.
"Our students have changed in that they have a lot more issues. Many students come to school with problems that are beyond the teacher," she said. "It is sad but it is the way the society is going and they are influenced a lot by what is happening in society. We have to remember that we are a part of that society and sometimes it can be negative."
She added that there are good things that teachers can rely on in the community to help them when there are problems. When they need advice, members of the community can also act as great resource persons.
"We are imparting information, which will equip these students for life. We have to train them the best way we can so that they can develop good study habits, good work ethics and just so that they can have good morals," Adams said.
Finally, Adams advised younger teachers to get qualified to further enhance the teacher profession as well as their own personal careers.~~Adz:Right~~
"Go down to St. Kitts to the college and get your teacher's training qualifications and after you have taught for a couple of years, post-qualification; it is best to go away and get your degree so that you are fully qualified and then you can travel anywhere," she said.
Adams said that she would like to act as a role model for the new teachers coming into the profession. She added that she still looks up to her role models who are some of the senior teachers.
"I observe how they control and how they motivate the students and I try to copy that because it works. My only hope is that some of the things that I do and don't do will rub off on some of the other teachers," she said.
The Extra Mile Teacher award was the brainchild of the Hon. Livingston Herbert, former Junior Minister of Education, in collaboration with Jennifer Hodge, Principal Education Officer.
The initiative was taken to motivate teachers after the onset of the CLICO Insurance Company Teacher of the Year awards, which are held annually in Barbados.
The award is presented in three categories - Pre-school, Primary School and Secondary School. Ms. Marigold Wilkinson of Gingerland Pre-school and Mrs. Claire Lake of St. Thomas's Primary School took home the award in the other two categories.
