DO YOU KNOW?

From my long teaching career, the most unusual incident that stands out in my memory as demonstrating that fact occurred more than 40 years ago when I was reading for the Diploma in Education at Mona, Jamaica. I have written about this before.

I was asked to teach English to a Form IV C class, but I was told in advance that I need not bother my head too much about them because they could not learn and would not be allowed to return to school after the end of that term.

“What an awful introduction to a class!” I thought. Was there really any child who could not learn? And a whole group of them in one form? I was left completely on my own to deal with that special brand of “dunces.”

During what should have been the first “lesson,” they wanted to ask me questions about Trinidad and Tobago from which I had come, and to make matters more interesting for them, I could also tell them about Barbados. They had a field day asking questions, and I willingly answered them all.

For what should have been the second lesson, I turned the tables on them, the only difference being that I did not ask them any questions. I simply said, “I told you about Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados — Now you must tell me about Jamaica.”

Their eyes gleamed. Here was a teacher after their own hearts. No one to bother them about some stupid old English Language lesson. The information poured out thick and fast. My head was suffused with it, and they were happy. Poor dears! They had probably never heard the expression “Oral Composition.”

Next “lesson,” I said to them, “I would like to take back to my students some of the information you have given me about Jamaica, but there is no way I could remember all of that. You will have to write it down for me.”

“No problem!” as the saying goes. They elected Howard Campbell, who, they said, had a good handwriting, to record the various topics. Those recommended included the following: Places of Interest in Jamaica; Incidents in Jamaican History; The Political Situation in Jamaica; Industries in Jamaica; Sports in Jamaica; Jamaican Profiles (including Louise Bennett), My Neighbourhood, Our School Clubs, The Fudge Man.

All this, voluntarily, from a class “that could not learn.”

Eventually they decided that they would like to produce a magazine for me to take back to my students. “We have a Photography Club and we can take some pictures of our class and our school,” they offered.

“Wallace draws well. He can draw a picture of the Marcus Garvey Memorial.”

There were 27 students in the class, and they decided among themselves who would handle the various topics. Each student took part.

I must continue at some other time to tell you about this group of students who “could not learn,” and of the wonderful memento of Jamaica they sent to the students of St Augustine Girls’ High School.