Up Front

Caymanian male teacher a rolemodel

Johnathan Tibbetts

Johnathan Tibbetts says he was "calledto be a teacher". The pursuit of his dream has earned himthe distinction of being the only male Caymanian teacher currentlyin the school system at the Primary level.
Mr. Tibbetts teaches a Year Five class at East End Primary School.

Although the number of Caymanians in the teaching service growswith each fresh batch of returning graduates, invariably, thenew faces are female.

Explaining that it is important for children to have positiverole models of both genders, in and out of the home, East EndPrincipal. Mr. Raphael Daniel said that in the ten months sinceMr Tibbetts joined the school, he has already had a noticeableeffect on children's behaviour.

And, though it may seem that Mr Tibbetts has a lot to live upto, he appears to be taking the pressure in stride. GovernmentInformation Services (GIS) asked the young man to talk a little,in his own words, about his experiences and his motivation forbecoming an educator. This is what he had to say:

"In the past ten months, my life has changed dramatically.In December 1999, I graduated from the University of South Floridawith a Master's Degree in education, specialising in curriculumdesign. With a 4.0 overall, grade-point average (GPA), I was contentwith my performance in my tertiary education, and felt equippedto take the next step in life.

"Shortly afterwards, the Education Department informed methat I would be filling a post at East End Primary School. I knewonly a little about the school at that time and thought it bestto enquire more closely. Talking with numerous teachers, I heardmixed reviews.

"Arriving in January was a real surprise for my wife andme. Having grown up in the Islands, I thought there would be noproblem getting things organised. We were still not fully preparedfor everything we had to do to get started in our teaching careers.

"After the first few days, the children learned that I wasnot going to be pushed over, and that I would see to it that theyall were going to have the opportunity to learn. The childrenquickly respected my stance. This year, I have developed an incentiveprogramme for them. The system involves a class money scheme,which teaches the students responsibility as well as respect foreach other's rights.

"The children call it 'Tibbetts money' and it works wondersfor them; we are spreading the programme throughout the entireschool.

"Being a local gives me another advantage in working withthe students: I am able to understand what they are dealing with,and am more able to relate to them and their way of living.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to encourageother men, especially Caymanians, to go into the field of education.

"Children need a positive male figure to have as a role model.I quickly learned to love the school, students and people of EastEnd. My desire is to see all students learn and have an opportunityto be whatever they want to be in life, as I have done.
"I would like to teach here for a while longer to help thechildren as much as I can. I would like move up in the departmentand help other teachers.

"The years I spent growing up in Cayman Brac were some ofthe best of my life.
"I felt called to be a teacher at the age of 16. A high schoolwork experience programme placed me at Spot Bay Primary, whereI was encouraged and supported to pursue a career in education.Leaving the small island in 1994 was not an easy transition, butI learned to cope with the move. There were many differences thatI had to acquaint myself with but soon did. I studied hard inmy undergraduate programme and graduated with a Bachelor's Degreein Elementary Education.

"I earned membership to the Golden Key National Honour Societyand the Kappa Delta Pi Honour Society. Having gone from a lifeof simple, relaxing days to studying college textbooks and stayingup late for final exams, to a situation where lesson plans aredue every week and meetings are never-ending, my life has changeddrastically.

"But then again, I wouldn't want it any other way."

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