GoodHeart | Retired teacher still championing education

Carol Fleet has over 30 years of experience as an educator in Jamaica. The St Elizabeth native has continued to give back to the education sector, even in her retirement through volunteering during and post COVID-19 pandemic in schools across the island.

Her teaching career began in south east St Elizabeth. After graduating from the then West Indies College, now Northern Caribbean University (NCU), she served as principal at a private high school in the parish. However, yearning to explore and expand her teaching career, Fleet decided to take on the reins of the big city.

Her first stint came at the Hope Valley Experimental School in St Andrew, where she was instrumental in assisting many of the students improve their academic standing. She then taught at Half-Way Tree Primary School, Naggo Head Primary School and the School of Hope. Prior to her retirement in 2002, she spent over 20 years at Dunrobin Primary School.

While at Dunrobin Primary, she participated in a course at The University of the West Indies to assist students who were not reading at the required grade level. “There are many students in our school system that are unable to read. The methodology that is currently being taught is ineffective especially for slow learners, and those that have other issues with their cognitive skills. Mental age is critical; many of the material being taught is being done by the student’s chronological age,” Fleet said.

“The methodology that we are using is confusing. Word recognition is the problem, as we use association and recognition which is not effective for most students,” she added

After assisting several students during her sojourn at the Dunrobin Primary School, Fleet still concerned about the reading levels of students in the islands schools, decided to pen three books, that are now being used by several educational institutions to improve the literacy level of many of their students.

“I decided to write books to help the students that are struggling. I have written for the students mental age, not chronological age. This initiative to write educational books has filled the gap for students learning to read, and has positively impacted numerous children islandwide,” Fleet said.

The unique magic she has created through her books has has improved attainment levels over a very short period of time which is nothing short of remarkable. These three self-published books have proven to be great tools for children struggling with reading and those reading at the non-premier, pre-premier and grades 1, 2 reading levels.

“I had the experience of interacting with a nine-year-old, that could not read. The student was functioning at the level of a two-year-old. After my intervention and utilising these books, the parents reported that her reading had improved tremendously,” Fleet said.

Currently she is completing her fourth book which caters for children at the grade-three level. She has tirelessly continued to contribute to her lifelong calling of being a teacher who cares about Jamaica’s future generation’s education long after her retirement.

“I do not earn a profit from the sales of these books. Whatever is earned from the sales is used to pay the printers and those that assisted me in working on them. I just want the children to learn how to read. These books can be used up to the high school level by teachers to go along with their regular teaching methods,” Fleet said.

“These books are also packed with activities to keep the children engaged. There isn’t a boring moment for the students once they are fully engrossed in the activities,” she said.

Fleet also volunteers with community outreach work and regularly assists and provides for individuals in need from her own teacher’s pension salary.

To learn more or assist Fleet in her reading and literacy initiative, email carfleet55@yahoo.com.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com