By Michel Outridge

SHAMKUMARIE Seodatt is a teacher at the Endeavour Secondary School, Canal Number Two Polder and she explained that it has been very challenging for her to be out of the classroom setting for months now.

Nevertheless, this educator is hoping to return to the classroom soon, once the pandemic is contained.

Extra lessons
“Even though we have a remedial programme for slow learners for one hour during school hours at lunch-break, I would like to become even better in my major which is Mathematics; as such, I will be pursuing [a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in the field of] Mathematics at the University of Guyana, which is a two-year course and maybe later I will provide extra lessons at my home,” she said.

Seodatt stated that she would like to give back to the community and a good way of doing that is to give extra lessons for those who are willing to learn.

“Teaching is fun once you like it, [it] can be fulfilling and takes you places and it broadens your scope and makes you into a better person overall,” she said.
Seodatt explained that with slow learners she would go down to basics, since some have mixed abilities in Mathematics.

“This group of students [consists of children] from different catchment areas and I am not ashamed to say we don’t have the ‘cream of the crop,’ but we try to give an hour’s extra lessons free of cost on school days for slow learners,” she said.

Even though she is originally from Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, Clay Brick Road has become her home.

She has been residing there for the past nine years after marriage and reported that life in that village is fair, once one is employed.

Seodatt previously taught at Kawall Primary School until that school was formed into the Endeavour Commons Secondary School and she managed to adjust in no time.

Online schooling
Unfortunately, teachers and students are not doing any online home-schooling because of some reluctance from the students to give their cellphone numbers to establish a WhatsApp group to promote home-schooling.

The mother of two explained that the students are not cooperating, as such, they cannot be forced to comply and they are receiving school work directly from the Ministry of Education through the headteacher.

She reported that students who are interested in their school work would access the coursework on the Ministry of Education’s website.

Endeavour is a CSEC centre
She is a Grade Nine teacher and she was, however, pleased to report that this year was the very first time they had students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) exams right out of their secondary school building.

Previously, they had to go to Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary to write CSEC exams so this new achievement is a plus for the school, she said.

Seodatt added that their school is now a CSEC centre and she is really happy about that achievement.

“I started teaching at the primary level and morphed into a secondary school teacher, because I attended a religious secondary school which is privately owned and adopted their teaching methods to hone my skills,” she said.

She disclosedthat it is a disciplined and controlled environment, but at Endeavour Secondary School they have a problem with the students in terms of discipline, but strategies are being implemented to reduce the wayward behaviour of some students.

“At that private school I attended the p;rincipal is a stern disciplinarian and I came out successful; as such, I tried to incorporate his method of teaching and it has proven to be a success,” she said.

Seodatt told the Pepperpot Magazine that she graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) in 2018 and the best part of teaching is the classroom sessions, where she can interact with students because she likes children and has their best interest at heart.

Repairs
The teacher disclosed that the Endeavour Secondary School building is in dire need of repairs and they do not have a proper washroom facility and they also need good furniture.

“The building is shaky and not conducive for learning; and then we don’t get a good supply of running water, but we try with what we have and recently some repairs were done, but it is not enough,” she said.

Seodatt disclosed that although they teach Home Economics, there is no classroom area for that session and practicals are done in an open classroom.