BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - SOME may say that he is a bit too much in the disciplinary category while others would argue that he is every parent dream teacher. But for Anthony Wiltshire, he sees his teaching career as making a difference in the lives of young boys and girls.
Wiltshire has been a teacher his entire adult life, having first stepped into a classroom equipped for teaching at the age of 17.
Born and raised in Webbe’s Ground, Gingerland, Nevis, Wiltshire attended the Gingerland Infant School, Gingerland Junior School and Gingerland Secondary School where he graduated in 1978.
From there he travelled to St. Kitts where he was placed at the then Sandy Point Primary School (SPPS) as a classroom teacher in October 1978. He spent 23 years as a classroom teacher before taking up the mantle as Principal when Mrs. Guishard-Bertie retired in 2000.
He moved on to the Dr. William Connor Primary School in 2005 in the capacity as Principal and then to the Bronte Welsh Primary School in September 2011 where he still can be found.
Being the last of five children and with his three older brothers as teachers, Wiltshire, in an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, said that his inspiration for the career stemmed from his admiration for them.
"Because I came from a family of teachers...my three brothers before me were teachers, and as a result, looking back I think that is where I at an early stage wanted to be a teacher. My eldest brother Mr. Joseph Wiltshire was a former teacher at the Charlestown Secondary School as well as the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education in Nevis. I would say that he has been my role model. As a youngster looking at him, the way that he operated, I wanted to be like him."
Wiltshire said that he always had and still has a passion for teaching, as he views it as touching the lives of children.
When asked if he would choose another profession if given a second chance at life, he replied in the negative, stating that "I have that passion, even though it is a different ballgame all together now, but teaching is a job that at the end of the day you gain satisfaction knowing that you would have touched lives".
He continued: “When you move around, in my case, there is always somebody who would say ‘that's Teacher Wiltshire’, and it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that I have touched so many lives.
"There is this wide receivership in that there are the parents, there are the children and the general public and, at the end of it all, you would have touched so many lives that you are able to interact with various people, [have] various lines of reasoning and that kind of thing. You have the academics, you have the skilled people and yes you would even have those who would have ended up in jail even though you would not have taught them to go to jail, because you would have been hoping that everybody would have been on the straight path...but then there are those.
"Because I have impacted so many people, whether directly or indirectly, it gives me that sense of satisfaction. And at the end of it, I have touched so many lives... and that gives me the will to go on. And if I were to be 17 again, teaching would be my path."
With regards to corporal punishment, Wiltshire said that while he is a firm believer in that form of disciplinary method, he is not proposed to using it carelessly.
He explained that he is "old school" but, at the end of the day, he believes that the children must understand what they did wrong and why they have been punished.
"Being of the old school, I'm a believer of the Bible, and the Bible speaks of sparing the rod and spoiling the child. I don't believe in beating children for beating sake, but children must understand that there are consequences. There must be action! You do something that you were not suppose to do, there are going to be consequences.
"I believe that corporal punishment should be used sparingly. And at the end of it, you just don't beat the child like that. You are supposed to be able to speak to the child and let him or her know that they did something and there are consequences and, as a result, that is why you are getting three lashes. And at the end of it, I expect because of this you would refrain from repeating whatever it was that they did wrong.
"So, I am a person who believes in corporal punishment. But as the years go by, I realised that as a young teacher, when I taught, I was misguided...in that that was the norm of that time so we thought that for everything there were lashes. But as we become more mature, we realise that you use it sparingly."
He said that it was only last week he had to administer corporal punishment to a child, having spoken to that child on more than one occasion about fighting, adding that "I am an advocate of corporal punishment! I don't think it should be taken out of the system but use it as a last resort and use it sparingly".
Wiltshire, comparing the profession 20 years ago with present day, said that the education system has become much more difficult, in that teachers are often challenged and they are no longer looked up to and respected by children, parents and society as they used to.
"We are in an age now when we are challenged. Nothing is wrong with that but sometimes it is the way in which we are challenged. In that, over the years, we have found that some of the younger parents, perhaps they themselves need training because some people don't know how to be parents, so you would find that they challenge decisions made at the school level," he added.
Wiltshire has not only touched the lives of children academically, but also in the field of athletics.
He has managed the National Youth Athletics Team for almost 20 years and was the Manager of Team St. Kitts-Nevis when the Carifta Games were hosted in the Federation in 2008.
He is one of the founding members and the only President of the Principal's Association which was established in 2007. He is also an Executive member of the St. Kitts Teacher's Union.
Wiltshire is also a "church man", once again touching the lives of many people within the religious community.
He is a family man, having been happily married to Joycelyn Wiltshire for 29 years, and she, too, has been in the teaching profession for as long as he has - 35 years.
His wife has also been actively involved in the sports arena, having been a chaperone for the National Youths Team as well as for Team St. Kitts-Nevis at the Carifta Games in 2008.
Wiltshire said his wife was also a chaperone for one of St. Kitts’ athletes for a major OECS event.
Together they have two children, Ruan and Joyan, and Wiltshire said they have recently became the grandparents of a little girl.
Describing his wife’s effect on his life, Wiltshire said, "My wife is the ideal complement for myself, and she is instrumental in all that I have achieved, whether it be sports-wise, academically or church-wise. She is the person who keeps me going."
Wiltshire noted that he and his wife have together spent their lives in the teaching profession and that their children have chosen different career paths, even though his son had taught for just one year.
In his spare time, Wiltshire assists children in the Sandy Point community with their homework and other projects; understanding that there are many parents who, not having the opportunity to complete their secondary education, may not be academically inclined to provide that assistance to their offspring.
SKNVibes spoke briefly with two teachers who both said that Wiltshire is a stern but fair Principal. They said that he is feared and respected by the students and reasons well with parents and teachers.
One, who had also worked with Wiltshire at SPPS, added that he was one of the best teachers at that school and that he learned a lot from him, both in his capacity as teacher and Principal.
This publication also spoke with the Public Relations Officer of the St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletics Association, Evris Huggins, who said that Wiltshire performed well in his capacity while he was a part of the Association.
He said that the impact Wiltshire made on the athletes is immeasurable and the Association would forever be grateful to him.
Huggins also spoke of his experience as a student at the SPPS, stating that while Wiltshire was strict, he did it with care and paid close attention to their different learning styles and did his best to ensure that they all grasped what he was teaching them.
Wilshire said that he would like to leave a legacy of being known for the positives he made in the various communities where he taught; adding that he considers himself meek and that people could seek him out for assistance whenever needed.
"What I would like for my legacy is that I have touched lives. Nobody is perfect! I have made mistakes along the way but I believe that I have gone out of my way to ensure that whichever community I work in becomes a better community; the lives of the boys and girls, there is a change, a positive change in them. And at the end of the day, I am satisfied that I continue to still fulfil in that role...the role of touching so many lives and not only academically but holistically.
"I have touched the various aspects of society. I think that I am a humble person. I can relate to anybody. Anybody could feel comfortable with me. No matter where I go and what I am, I'm not going to forget where Mr. Wiltshire came from."
Offering words of advice, Wiltshire said, "We as adults must assist the young generally, and we must understand that we made mistakes and they would made mistakes too. But the thing is, having made those mistakes, what can we do about it? We have no control over how we come into the world but we have control over what we end up as."
