Heroes of the school system

Leonora Bailey-Thomas is a retired Food and Nutrition teacher of the Palo Seco Government Secondary School.

She described her years of teaching at the school as a “fun, exciting and memorable time, which was also sometimes touching.”

Bailey-Thomas said the years at the school were “what I really called my teaching experience. I met lovely students who referred to me as their mother. And it was there I met some teachers who became friends.

“That really moulded me into the teacher I became.”

Bailey-Thomas recalled one of her more memorable moments at the school, with a Form Four class. She said the particular class had only six students, and “we were able to share our joys and sorrows.”

She said she and her students never conducted classes in a formal setting. Rather they sat in a circle sharing and speaking to each other.

“And every single student was successful in their exams and it was a high point in my teaching career.”

Described as a teacher who made great sacrifices for her students, Bailey-Thomas revealed her secret to having a good rapport with her charges.

“I gained the confidences of the students and I would make verbal contracts with them.

“They agreed to tell me things and we would leave it there. That was important, they trusted me and they told me any and everything.”

Bailey-Thomas who is currently relaxing at home with no real plans after her teaching life, advises other teachers to “appreciate and love your students. Let them know that they are loved and appreciated and above all, be fair to each and every one of them, and you will be a successful teacher.”

As she contemplates her future endeavours, Bailey-Thomas also expressed her gratitude to several persons whom she said played a part in her teaching career. They include Jeanette Smart “who led me on at the beginning of my career,” Julia Rose a former Chief Nutritionist at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, Errol Thompson, Oliver De Four, Ingrid Ryan and Brian Hall.