By Michel Outridge

BIBI Shanaz Shahid has been in the noble profession of teaching for the past 23 years and today, she is assisting students in home-schooling due to COVID-19.

This resident of Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara, is also a first-year student at the University of Guyana (UG) pursuing a Bachelor of Education- General.

She is the Senior Assistant Mistress at Windsor Forest Primary School, who grew up in Winiperu, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), where her father used to work but later moved to Uitvlugt Pasture when she passed to go to a secondary school on that corridor.

After getting married 19 years ago, she relocated to Fourth Street, Windsor Forest, and is the mother of two, who enjoys a calm, quiet country life.

“This village is a quiet, safe place to live and I feel secure here because the people are cooperative and we co-exist in harmony,” she said.

Just after High School, Shahid started teaching at the nursery school level after which she transferred to Windsor Forest Primary School, where she is teaching to date. In 2001, she enrolled at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

Home-schooling
Since the closure of schools as a result of the global pandemic, she is assisting students with their home-schooling via a WhatsApp parent/teacher group to aid in the learning process.

But on Mondays, she would go to the Windsor Forest Primary School where she would lend a hand via their shift system with the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) students.

Shahid reported that the shift system is in place for teachers to go to the classroom three days per week from 09:00hrs to 13:00hrs.

On other days they are home-schooling according to the scheme of work under the Ministry of Education’s curriculum.

She related that while they are doing their part as teachers to send the worksheet via the WhatsApp group, and parents have to ensure their children do the work at home.

Shahid has been a Grade One teacher for 18 years and she was mildly pleased about the cooperative attitude of parents, who quickly adapted to home-schooling due to the novel coronavirus.

“Since we can’t get back as normal to the classroom, the children are trying to cope with the home-schooling, but based on the feedback from parents, some of them face a lot of distractions; as such, they need that face-to-face interaction with teachers to enhance the learning process,” she said.

Shahid added that children in the age group of six and seven need the face-to-face interactions in a classroom.

She stated that these students find it difficult to cope with home-schooling and not being able to be in a classroom.

“I got into teaching because I genuinely love children and moulding them, so being a teacher is relatively easy for me to do since I like the job. It is much easier when you like what you do because me imparting knowledge in a way children can grasp brings me joy. It is also making a difference in their lives,” she said.

Shahid reported that she takes their motto seriously and she sees her job as a part of her life and it is fulfilling to be a teacher.

“The other day I was in the bank and a student, who I didn’t recognise, reminded me that I taught her in school and I was so proud of her achievement and years later these former students would approach me and it makes my heart melt with gladness, knowing I contributed to their education,” she said.

Shahid pointed out that even though some students are not fast learners, as a teacher she doesn’t give up on that student and gives him/her individual tutoring.

The teacher noted that some students aren’t book-smart, but are willing to learn and they would try to boost those pupils in the weak subject areas.

“Not all students become successful and work in high offices, but some do, while others can learn a skill to earn as well, since there is a place for everyone who may not be academically inclined,” she said.

Coping with UG online home-schooling
Shahid is also trying to cope with online home-schooling and it is at times difficult, given that with the unreliable internet service doing research and assignments for UG is taxing.

She confessed that her final paper is due this Friday, after which she will complete her first year of studies and it has been quite a challenging.

The most difficult thing was having to get on board fast with online schooling and she made it happen due to COVID-19.