THE EDITOR, Sir:
I RECENTLY attended a meeting for teachers who were preparing to receive their students for the new school year. Among the many things that were being planned were strategies to deal with students in these challenging times. Strategies were also being devised to help students cope as it is all too clear that some of them are facing serious problems in the home environment and in the community at large.
The following points were some of the ideas that came out of the meeting and which I think will be beneficial to the nation's teachers, especially those who are just taking up the baton:
Approach your task as a ministry.
Tend to the spirit of your students because there is where genuine growth happens.
Help students to believe in themselves and put a value on their lives.
Help the children to grow emotionally, spiritually, physically and otherwise.
Tend to the sensibilities inside each student whether they like you or not.
Make children feel that they are important.
Play positive roles in the lives of students.
Be careful of how you teach and what you teach.
Let the students do the work after you have done the preparation.
Be excited about the subject you teach.
Let the children feel that you genuinely love and care for them.
Students sum you up and know who you are, you must try to know them also.
Grow, learn and understand with your students.
Let your students believe in and trust you because if they sense that you really care and you make them feel good about themselves, they will want to learn.
Be firm when you discipline them and in disciplining go more for correction than harsh punishment.
Direct students towards self actualisation.
Make teaching a heart to heart thing not a head to head exercise.
Constantly encourage your students. Let them know that they can achieve by not dwelling on their failure but commending them on their success.
Do not pass on only book knowledge, also teach them life's skills.
Teachers are the hope for the future. Have a wonderful academic year.
I am, etc.,
VIVIENNE PITTER
viviennepitter@hotmail.com
Cooreville Gardens
Kingston
Via Go-Jamaica
