Sherry Gordon McLean - Elgin Taylor

Lately, the problem of reading has been exercising the minds of our educators and scholars. The solutions put forward have been many and varied, and among them is the need to have adequately trained teachers in the school system.

Sherry Gordon-McLean of Freeport Primary School in Clarendon is one of those specially trained teachers who has been making a difference in the lives of these students.

Trained in the area of advanced reading at St Joseph's Teacher Training College between 2003 and 2006, Gordon-Mclean revealed that she harboured thoughts of becoming a teacher even while she was attending Calabar Primary School in St Andrew. She later attended two high schools, Vere Technical in Clarendon and José Marti Technical in St Catherine.

She listed two teachers, her aunt Estina Thompson, and Beverlyn Cushnie, as the persons who motivated and guided her along the path of her chosen profession. This was while she was a student at Calabar Primary.

Important

"Literacy is very important," she said in her interview with The Star.

"Once the students can read, they stand to go a far way, because everything flows from it," she explained.

She stated that advanced reading involves the ability to diagnose and effectively treat reading difficulties. In this regard, she not only works with her grade-three students, but other classes in the school as well.

This young teacher admits that there are challenges in the system, chief among which are the poor attitude of some of the children and the lack of adequate resources. She contends that her job would have been immensely easier if she had the use of a Science laboratory, for example.

Another thing which occupies her thoughts is the attitude of some of her colleagues.

"Sometimes we (teachers) put aside some students and say they cannot learn. However, we must realise that there are aptitudes that they have and we are to do all we can to facilitate them."

Gordon-Mclean is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in primary education at Knox Community College.

- Elgin Taylor