I really enjoy teaching. There is no other word for it. I look forward every semester to the new crop of students and wonder what new ideas and interpretations, they will bring to the course. Each group of students is different and memorable. They all have various characteristics and it is fun to move from the tentative beginnings where we are all strangers to the stage where we are teasing each other, debating issues and reaching a consensus. Most of my students remain in contact with me through the years as I always tell them that their success is my success and their failure is my pain.
I believe that teaching is in my bones. My Mom was a primary school teacher and I watched her with her students and grew to love the profession. She was gifted with the children with learning difficulties and I watched as she patiently encouraged them to be confident and challenge themselves. I do not have the same patience and do not think that I would not do well with persons with learning disabilities but I have tried to emulate her patience, student-centeredness and love for the profession. It is a great profession and I feel great pride when I see my students in high-levelled posts and with their PhDs. I sometimes invite them to deliver a module in my courses and “show them off.”
Teaching has to be enjoyable and practical. We cannot stay within the theoretical domains. So although my courses are sometimes highly theoretical, I try to ensure that we remain with our feet on the ground and deal with the issues that confront ordinary people in their everyday lives.
My principles for a successful course are honesty: transparency and equality of treatment. The strategies which continue to be successful for me are:
I do not ever want to leave the teaching profession and I want to assist in whatever way I can to enhance the teaching and learning process. Each student is a special gift to us and provides us with an opportunity to impact their lives in a positive way. My best reward was when a student told me that based on what he had learnt in my “Social Investment in Children” course, his relationship with his daughter had improved tremendously.
What more can I ask for? Nothing else!!!
Our 7 faculties and 12 professional schools offer more than 200 programmes to some 18,000 graduate, undergraduate and continuing studies students.
The UWI, Mona ranks first in Jamaica among accredited tertiary-level programmes. In 2012, the University was again one of Jamaica’s Top 100 Employers.
