Stressful! Teachers need someone else in classroom to offer support
Director of H Lavity Stoutt Community College’s (HLSCC) Education Institute, Sandy Harrigan-Underhill has said she believes it is unfair for a single teacher to be fully responsible for categorising and identifying the various learning styles of each student in his/her classroom.
Appearing on the Umoja radio programme recently, Harrigan-Underhill said persons must be mindful that the amount of responsibility placed on a lone classroom teacher can take a toll.
“It is really a stress on the teacher who doesn’t have a support mechanism … We have to be fair about that. There should be someone in the room who supports that teacher on a daily basis ensuring that those persons aren’t left behind. While the teacher will do his or her best to teach the general classroom and specifically those that we identify, it is not always feasible. It is not always feasible with other pressures and factors to consider,” said Harrigan-Underhill, who has nearly three decades of experience as an educator.
The former Elmore Stoutt High School principal noted that a teacher already has to take command of a large classroom of students that learn at different paces and different styles.
Matching needs with resources
She also said the observation and requirements of teachers must be matched with adequate resources to help formulate the best opportunity for the territory’s students.
“So, let us say we put all of that in place and we now have a nice structured training programme where we are teaching teachers how to identify various styles and to categorise students according to their learning styles. We also have to match those observations and determination with the requisite resources,” the Education Institute Director stated
Harrigan-Underhill said in her fair assessment is that it is easy from the outside to say the teachers should do several things to accommodate the students and complete the school’s curriculum. However, she reiterated that all these requirements must be married with the requisite resources to help accommodate both teachers and students.
The HLSCC Education Institute Director said she will continue to be an advocate for educators in the territory even in her current role. She noted that she intends to see the Virgin Islands become the best in every area, but her passion is in education and improving the education sector.
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Wow…what a disgrace. ITs 2022 and we are now starting to address the fact that all children learn differently and at a different pace. For decades we been forcing this exam/ testing BS on generations with no great improvement at all.
Came back from being overseas for several years…I wont even get into the major different in the educational focus of 1st world countries…BVI is just educating children to pass exams. My son couldnt go into grade 5 where he should be based on his age because the subjects needed to pass grade 6 are taught in grade 4 and 5 then revised in grade 6 for the exam to go to high school (them: we dont want him to struggle). What a waste of our children’s best times of their lives….and the worst part, the curriculum is the same as when I was in primary school in the 90’s. A disgusting disgrace! All of you educators should be totally ashamed.
You made some excellent points Mrs. Underhill. If the minister for education saw things the way you do our education system will not be as it is now. It doesn’t even have enough teachers in the system. Many times high school children are left without a teacher or a teacher has to be running from one class to act as a substitute for another class.
My initial observation is that when the current minister said this same thing approx 2 yrs ago, there was outrage. But now someone else says it and it’s ‘some excellent points’. So now let’s make some progress in the matter.
If Honourble (?!?) SoWhatsGoingOn? ever said that he certainly has had enough time to do something about it, and he has done nothing. Not even finished repairing the high school. Now he up and down the island telling the opposition what they should be embarrassed about? Well sah, pot calling the kettle black.
Unless it comes from the lips of selected Spwakers, it bore no bearings.
If she means each class should have a teachers assistant, where is the money to come from?
Schools in the UK have at least one teachers assistant in Primary – Most have a team of 6 that will rotate between three classrooms and can spend 1-1 time with pupils who need extra sessions in reading/writing/math.
The whole BVI system is terrible for a country that has as much money as this. All the public schools should be as good as Cedar or better. The population is letting itself get dumb down and those who care and have the money go to private schools or overseas.
Sss, whole you was ESHS, where the college students originated from and much more of that assistance was in dire need, you NEVER lobby for that. Why now as the horse is out the gate you see a need for it. Some people just interested in power and money. Scam!!
She’s just blabbering now to impress somebody.
She talking about the college but Anegada has been left behind. In fact, the Sister Islands.
Educ ministry not minister needs shaking up. Same people in position year after year. Tola! You crying? Try putting on our shoes for a bit. Bet you would really be confused
Yes we the people in Anegada are fed up. You all left our children out to dry and parents are scared as hell to call the Ministry as every time we do you all try punish us and the children more with your poor decision-making, absence and neglect. You all took a bogus Principal outta here and let her mess up another school now she in another one with no consequences to her actions. Now we have one here on leave and class teachers gotta stress themselves out because nobody in her place? Really? A school running itself? Wow! You all have got to be kidding me? You want 2 teachers in a classroom and we have no principal no grade 6 teacher no high school business teacher and you know what? Parents where is the PTA? Enough is enough.News people want news? Well here it is
TEACHERS DO NOT MAKE THE CURRICULUM THEY TAKE DIRECTIVES FROM THE MINISTRY & DEPARTMENT. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOUR CHILD IS LEARNING CALL THE MINISTRY & DEPARTMENT.
Nah
Instead of finding fault, why don’t we all (bloggers), suggest a great solution. Two heads are better than one. It’s our children, parents. We have to take responsibility too. Some of us need to start home schooling since we can’t deal with the system and the administration. The first teacher your child meets is you the parent. If all you do is spew criticism, that’s all or most of what your child will do.
Tell us about our home school options. Oh and we are taxpayers lest u forgot so if something is not right with social services we have a right to say
No discipline.. bout learning styles..its college..relax and learn..and stop pursuing what you think you should and ñot wanting to put in the,work.,stop follow fashion.Not everyone gets a gold star.Put your big boy pants,on a let go of mummy guys/girls.Lack of maturity always gets in the way.Make sure your grown in your head..later.
Dangerous minds..lol