Don’t let schoolbags hold drugs, guns

Teachers must never give up on students no matter the challenges the face on the job.

This was the advice from Dr Joanne Spence, guest speaker at a professional development seminar on Friday hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association ((TTUTA) as part of activities for the 78th Tobago Teachers’ Get-Together.

The theme of the Get-Together was ‘Teaching and leadership in Challenging Times’ and the seminar was held at the Tobago Nutrition and Cooperative Society Building in Canaan.

Spence, a motivational coach and behaviour change therapist, told teachers gathered at the event:

“Those young men and young women who are being impacted by us, if we don’t address them now, if we don’t work with them now and we decide to leave them alone, what would happen?

“Walk out of the school, ignore them now, don’t take any care and just ignore them now, then you would see challenging times! Remember those are the leaders of tomorrow, as we sit we are getting older but listen to me, we have to deal with them… the next prime minister, the next leader of the ppposition, what are we doing?

“In spite of how challenging it may be, we have to stand up as teachers. We have to understand the importance we play in these children’s life and we have to start doing something about it.

Spence advised teachers to understand the role they play in students’ lives and that they, teachers, were special and admired, that there were children depending on them.

“You really don’t know whose life you are touching but I want you to know that as teachers, you are special. While some persons may not appreciate you, we have to appreciate each other because there are students out there who are depending on you and it doesn’t matter the circumstance that they face, they are depending on you,” she said.

“Sometimes what we don’t recognise is that we don’t have to interface with the person one on one to be mentors, they don’t always have to be in your class, they watch you from afar and admire you, you as teachers have a serious role in society, I don’t know if you understand your role,” Spence said.

Referencing the theme of the event, and noting that “we are indeed in challenging times,” she said that while this may be about money and resources, the real challenge will be when bookbags hold drugs or guns instead of books.

“Some of us think that challenging times concerns money and getting the resources you need, while that is important, it isn’t challenging times. Challenging times is when students come into school and the bookbag is no longer a bookbag, but a drug bag or a gun bag, that is challenging time.

“Challenging time is when a student attacks a teacher because they didn’t like what the teacher said. Challenging times is when we look at the school system and recognise that there is no respect for teachers anymore, parents disrespecting teachers, students disrespecting teachers.

“There are teachers who attack children sexually, molest children, that is challenging times. Verbal abuse, that is the challenging times that we are dealing with today. So, it is not just about the money, yes, the money is important, yes, we need to be rewarded in terms of we work hard, and we want to be rewarded but that is not challenging times,” she said.

Spence stressed that teachers to hold firm to their responsibilities and never give up on students, even when parents give up.

“Sometimes, we have to hold on to the end of the rope because you must think of the future of the children. It is challenging, the parents curse you, the children are cursing you but sometimes you have to hold on. If you give up what will happen?

“A father recently told me that his 8-year-old daughter was uncontrollable, and he was ready to give up, so when parents give up, we cannot afford to give up as teachers.

“In spite of whatever the situation we face, we cannot give up on them. That young man who you fail to address today coming home to get married to your daughter. Any child placed in front of you, you have a responsibility for,” she said.