BY ELGIN TAYLOR, STAR Writer
Eslyn Lawrence - CONTRIBUTED
IT GOES AGAINST the current trend of school administration for a principal to be a regular classroom teacher and perform administration duties as well. This is especially difficult, since a typical day for a principal is as unpredictable as the weather.
Well, this is what mainly defines the duties of Eslyn Lawrence, principal of Top Hill Primary School in St. Catherine.
CREDENTIALS
Ms. Lawrence, a 38-year veteran in the profession, landed her first job at Upper Rock Spring Primary in Hanover in 1967, after passing the Third Jamaica Local Examinations. Since then she has not looked back.
Born in Hanover, Ms. Lawrence got her first taste of public education at Kendal Primary in that parish in 1954. She received her professional training at Bethlehem Teachers' College where she obtained a teacher's certificate in 1972 and at Mico Teachers' College where she upgraded her qualification to a teacher's diploma in 1987.
A firm believer in continuing education, Ms. Lawrence went on to study for a bachelor's degree in administration in 1993 from the University of the West Indies, and, in 2004, she earned a principal's diploma from Mount Saint Vincent University in Canada.
Ms. Lawrence taught at six schools before becoming principal at Top Hill All-Age School, now Top Hill Primary. Her longest stint was at Mico Practising School in St. Andrew, where she spent 21 years. At that institution, she taught English language, mathematics, art, music and physical education to grades three, four, seven, eight, and nine students at varying times. She also served as grade coordinator, senior teacher and department head during her tenure.
READING SPECIALIST
Ms. Lawrence, who describes herself as a reading specialist, believes that getting a quality education is the key to success. She sees her goal as "educating the nation's children to the best of my ability."
At Top Hill, she taught grades seven to nine for four years. However, her institution has since been changed to a primary school, and she presently teaches a grade four class on a regular basis. When quizzed about how she manages to teach a class full time and deal with administrative matters, she told THE STAR that it is a "depressing, unfair and demanding task" but that she is committed to education and this is what provides the added impetus.
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