Debbie Smith poses before the 100-day countdown board in her grade two classroom. Students who attend school every day for 100 days get a certificate celebrating their achievement.The board is also used to teach students mathematics skills. - francine black

From her childhood days, Debbie Smith knew she would become a teacher.

And, clearly it is the profession for her, as she has sought to develop innovative ways to engage her pupils in the learning process. "The classroom is moving away from the teacher being the only talker...we have to engage the students and relate what they learn to their lives," she said.

Smith told THE STAR that from she was small she was always teaching or supervising others, so it was inevitable that she ended up in the profession.

To pursue her goals, at 17 she enlisted at St. Josephs Teachers' College in Cross Roads, St. Andrew, where she pursued a diploma in early childhood education. She did not stop there, as she later pursued a bachelor's degree in guidance and counselling, receiving second class honours when she graduated last year.

Other issues

She said she decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in that area because she realised that once children have other issues affecting them, they cannot focus on learning.

"I find that if you don't deal with the guidance issue, you can't help a child," she said.

Interestingly, for most of the 11 years that Smith has been teaching, she has been based at Half-way Tree Primary School, St Andrew, where she is a past student. She teaches a grade two class but is also the teacher responsible for the drama club and mathematics for the grade. She is also the teacher representative on the school board.

One of her most treasured teaching moments was when she gave her students homework, which parents were having difficulties helping them because they did not understand. "They came and said to me, 'Miss, I don't understand', and it was me and them on the blackboard, going through the problem. Their willingness to say, 'I don't know, can you help me?', really impressed me," she said.

Parental involvement, she stressed, is one of the key things she believes is very important in the success of children in the classroom. "There is so much and no more that a teacher can do," she said.

In an attempt to get parents more involved at her school, she said they have family math night and family literacy night.

These events help parents to have a greater input in their child's learning.

Cognisant

She said teachers ought to be cognisant of the fact that their impact on students is great and they must be careful of what they do or say to a student.

"What you do, can make or break a student for life," she said.

She noted that persons seeking to enter the profession ought to have a sense of fairness, love for the job, flexibility and must be creative, among other things, as these are attributes that will help them to succeed.