Teachers without honour

Cynthia Allen Pearson, GUEST COLUMNIST

I took a group of students to visit Cuba in the early 1990s and one day, an old man approached me hesitantly to ask for my help. He nervously said that someone told him that I was a teacher from Jamaica who could help him pass his test in conversational English that evening.

I was a little taken aback because, first, though I spoke English, I was not a teacher of English. My teacher training is in foreign languages. I was on my way to a nearby grocery store but he kept on speaking to me about his desperate need to pass his exam.

We entered the store together and on seeing his desperation I told him that I would help him. He wanted to practise questions and responses frequently heard in English-speaking contexts, such as in a store or restaurant. Since he was not allowed in my hotel, I told him that the store was a good place to practise. I took him through a series of activities of modelling pronunciation, vocabulary skills and role plays, repeating the questions and answers in English as we walked up and down the aisles.

After an hour, the old man thanked me profusely and said he needed to get ready for his test and I wished him all the best. But, unbeknown to me, the shopkeeper had locked us inside the store for the practice. When I turned around to leave, I was shocked to see a crowd of Cubans peering in and watching us through the glass door. They might have been watching for the entire time.

The community must have come to watch in support of the old man. As I stepped through the open door, I saw a sea of smiling faces then a loud cheering from the crowd "Profe, Profe, Profe!" over and over again. It was my hosanna moment. I had never had such an experience of professional honour in my life!

However, 10 years later, I was sitting in a neighbour's living room and a discussion started among guests. One of the learned guests asked why I was of that particular opinion and I said, "Well, as a teacher, I think ... ." I was immediately cut off as he exclaimed disdainfully, "Teacher, my ass ... !"

contempt for teachers

I was taken aback by his blatant contempt for me and my profession. I was embarrassed and shocked into silence as he ranted. He continued to quarrel that if his children ever dared to waste his money to become teachers, what damage he would do. Just then, I was reminded of the statement about the prophet without honour in his own country.

I get the impression based on such disrespectful behaviour that practitioners in our nation's schools should be silent, a voiceless set of people that are not worthy of respect. And while I would agree that there are some bad teachers in education (as in other professions), there are some very good ones as well.

It is common knowledge that teaching is not highly favoured because of its inability to offer lucrative wage packages and attract the brightest minds. Regardless, teachers should not be seen as imbeciles. Many are degreed professionals with years of experience and training earned from the same university and colleges at which other professionals have studied. But some have chosen to teach, despite its low status.

A lot of our dedicated teachers working in a less-than-perfect educational system have made valuable contributions to society in helping to shape young minds. Our teachers continue to work quietly behind the scenes doing their best to help students achieve.

Teachers have sacrificed much for their charges, who sometimes ironically display arrogance and patronising attitudes when later they parade in their coats and suits.

Even if our professional counterparts have no regard for our intellectual dexterity, our importance to our society is undeniable. Many students have testified how they might have starved or resorted to stealing without the intervention of a caring teacher. Hopefully, among them are not the ones who wish to silence us, to dismiss us with contempt, but are those who would desire to affirm our place in the nation. These are the few who continue to pay homage to teachers, just as our Cuban friends have demonstrated. Without us, many would have been left in the dark.

Cynthia Allen Pearson is a public-school teacher. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and cynthpear@gmail.com.