Maxine Stewart-Morgan - Elgin Taylor

The transition from the infant and basic schools to the primary schools should, for all intents and purposes, be one which is seamless and hassle-free. This, however, is often not the case and the hapless students, become listless and disoriented and their teachers tentative and apprehensive.

To avoid the pitfalls of such a transition, The Star sought answers from Maxine Stewart-Morgan, a grade-one teacher at Bridgeport Primary School in Portmore, St Catherine. It must quickly be pointed out that she is also an educator who has had experience at the lower level, having taught at Newlands and Sabina basic schools.

"First, you have to realise that they are coming from a print-rich environment filled with bright colours. This has to be maintained. Also, at the basic level, they play a lot, for example, with building blocks and beanbags for throwing and catching. Play is continued at the grade- one level in the form of indoor and outdoor games," she submitted.

Stewart-Morgan, who joined the staff at Bridgeport Primary on September 1, 2007, believes that it is essential for the teacher to be armed with different teaching strategies which she can employ to get the best out of the students entering a grade-one class. However, she cautioned that, before strategies are put in place, it is of fundamental importance for the teacher to equip him or herself with the results of the Grade One Individual Learning Profile (GOILP).

The GOILP is a diagnostic instrument which is administered to prospective students before they are formally taught from the official curriculum.

"In my class of 35 students, 19 were proficient in the different areas of competence required by the test," she noted.

She said that such information was shared with the parents and the schools that the students previously attended. She stressed that, as a teacher, she used this information to plan and to make preparations for the students.

Stewart-Morgan also placed emphasis on motivation as a factor to get the students settled down and ready for their grade-one experience. With this in mind, she has set up a motivation chart in her classroom where the students are given golden stars for academic performance and for good behaviour. They are also rewarded with tokens and praise whenever they have performed a worthy task. The astute teacher said she was mindful of the fact that this gave them a good feeling, a sense of being appreciated and being important.

In addition to the motivation chart, there are several corners in her classroom, including those for reading and language arts, math, music and nature. She informed that, because of space limitation, the corners have to be rotated.

The very organised and performance-oriented teacher was happy to report that her students were responding well to her instructions. She also disclosed that a number of them are currently reading at the grade-three level.

She also shared that teaching was an integral part of her growing up as a youngster, in that she usually assisted her grandmother with Sunday school.

Stewart-Morgan was educated at Shortwood Teachers' College where she obtained a diploma in early- childhood education, and at the International University of the Caribbean, from which she obtained a bachelor's degree in primary education.

The young educator is harbouring no fears for the future of her students. In fact, she is expecting them to do well at the Grade 3 Diagnostic Test, the Grade 4 Literacy and Numeracy Test, and the Grade Six Achievement Test.