SPLENDID: Roy Ebanks reminiscing on his teaching carerer. - Winston SillIT is not often that you'll find somebody in a profession for more than 52 years. However, for Roy Ebanks, teaching has and will only be the profession for him.
He has taught at four schools. "I started teaching at Brinkley Elementary in 1949. At that time I started out as a probationer (pre-trained teacher). That was after I had completed my Third Jamaica Local Examinations," he told THE STAR.
After five years at Brinkley, Mr Ebanks attended Mico Teachers' College and then in 1956, he moved to Ardenne High where he did a year before going abroad to Anderson College in Indiana to further his studies.
When he returned in 1961, he taught at Clarendon College until 1963 then returned to Ardenne where he was a principal for 17 years until his retirement in 1995. He is now Assistant Director at Mount View Academy where he has been from 1996.
Mr. Ebanks has never had a problem working with the women who dominate his beloved profession. "My first assignment as a teacher was working with a woman. When I went to Ardenne in 1956-57, I was the third of three male teachers on staff. I have always been comfortable working with them (women)," he told THE STAR.
"My relationship with my students was a mixed one," he said when asked to about his rapport with students. "Some found me austere, some resented that, but they tell me later on that it made the difference in their lives," he said.
"In my younger days I was stricter and my students used to call me 'Phantom' because I turned at the wrong place at the right time much to the displeasure of the students. The cartoon with Phantom was popular at the time so I earned the name."
He said male teachers are important in the classroom since young boys need role models. "Our boys don't have a lot of role models, and they sometimes cling to the wrong people. Also, a lot of young boys do not have the right focus. They need to have better values and motivation. The boys need to learn to do something for satisfaction rather than what they can accumulate," he said.
"Male teachers in being role models have to lead by example. The way you deport yourself, your speech and conduct should be above board. Male teachers let themselves down in the way how they operate."
The veteran teacher was willing to share some of the memorable moments in his career. "I feel accomplished when I see my students who have done well, especially when they put themselves in the position to make meaningful contributions in society. Ardenne's 1991 victory in the Manning Cup was also another achievement for me since it did a lot to lift the image of the school. Also, the transition of the school back to a single shift was another moment," he told THE STAR.
The veteran teacher enjoyed his career to the fullest and said; "If I could live my life all over again I would teach. The joy of it and seeing people who pass through your hands do well brings happiness in your soul. I wouldn't do it for the remuneration, but the joy in it would make me do it again."
His advice to teachers is that they should never 'write off' students. "If students are giving their best we should encourage it. We should not write off students. Not every student is academically inclined, but we have our niche and we can all succeed in our niche," he said.
