Teaching beyond the classroom

DESPITE the negative publicity that has become synonymous with the school system, there are always those precious moments of pride and joy educators feel to be part of the system. As the excitement to Carnival builds, TTUTA congratulates all those students who have emerged victorious in the various pre-Carnival competitions.

Congratulations are also extended to the teachers and the schools these students attend, because without their vast input and support these celebratory moments would not be possible. A word of appreciation and gratitude is also extended to the various arms of the media for highlighting these outstanding achievements.

While these jubilant moments capture the national attention and rightly so, the average citizen may not appreciate the level of preparation that is necessary for these proud moments of glory to become possible.

Congratulations are also in order to the hard work and sacrifice parents inject to make these successes possible. These are the times when the school-parent partnership demonstrates its immense potential. When parents and teachers join forces and work together to promote the holistic development of the child, the results can be incredible.

Given the scarcity of resources, schools are challenged to prepare students to enter these competitions, being forced to engage in various forms of fundraising, with and without the support of parents.

This is not an easy proposition and takes a lot of effort, dedication and determination on the part of teachers. But the joy derived from seeing one’s "charges" even being able to participate in these pre-Carnival competitions is worth the effort.

It is also the result of the deep passion our teachers have to ensure that children are engaged with the culture and the immense fun they derive by simply participating. Emerging victorious is the topping on the cake.

TTUTA is acutely aware of the quantum of time teachers devote to preparing children for these co-curricular and extracurricular activities, most of which can only be done outside of regular school hours at great personal expense. Unfortunately, these noble roles are often under-recognised when the worth of teachers is being computed in the minds of many.

It is the role that is often taken for granted in the undervaluation of teachers. Anyone who has had the pleasure of walking this road in their career as a teacher would proudly declare the immense joy they derive from working with children in these informal settings. Being an unsung hero is integral to the teaching profession.

Being acutely aware that the greatest positive impact a teacher can make on the life of students is oftentimes outside the formal setting, they embrace these extracurricular responsibilities with pride and joy, notwithstanding the challenges. This is indeed the essence of teaching.

Unfortunately, given the high-stakes, examination-driven nature of our education model, these activities are given less priority in the scheme of things, despite their tremendous potential to educate the whole child and to make schooling fun and exciting. Many parents also unfortunately prevent their children from participating in many extracurricular activities and sadly so.

This term is also one where many schools will host their sports day; activities which once again call on teachers to go beyond duty; to teach well beyond the boundaries of the classroom. These activities are integral to the school calendar and are usually highly anticipated by the students. It is an opportunity for teachers and their charges to bond in an informal setting in a healthy atmosphere of friendly rivalry. Some of these activities may even include the surrounding community.

Once again TTUTA congratulates and salutes all teachers who wholeheartedly embrace these informal roles, and in particular those teachers of physical education who are required to take leading roles in the planning and execution of these mega school events. Pulling off a successful school sports day is no easy feat, yet still they do it for the love of their children.

Given the prevailing culture of violence that characterises many of our communities, such school activities hold the possibility of making many marginalised students feel a sense of pride and hope, for it provides them with an opportunity to excel in non-traditional ways with the attendant validation.

While these activities require tremendous resources, the learning outcomes are immeasurable and must never be underestimated by school communities. All teachers and parents are encouraged to give these activities their full support and co-operation because they mean a lot to the students.