Carnegie’s Principal shares her experience over the years

Sharmaine Marshall, the current principal of the Carnegie School of Home Economics, has dedicated and committed her life to moulding the life of the nation’s future educators and builders.
She began her teaching career at the Anna Regina Primary School on the Essequibo Coast in the Cinderella County of Essequibo as a pupil teacher.
“When I graduated from high school, I went straight into the teaching profession. I started as a pupil teacher at that time at Anna Regina Primary School in the year 1996. In the year 1997, I entered the Teachers’ Training College [the Cyril Potter College of Education], where I did my three pre-vocational studies in Home Economics. After that, I went to teach at Port Kaituma Secondary School for two years when I returned to the coastland, I began studies at the University of Guyana,” Marshall told Pepperpot during our interview.
The principal revealed that she took a break in service from the teaching profession and began her studies to become a pilot.
She also noted that during those times, she realised that her ultimate goal was to become a teacher, so she joined the staff at the Carnegie School of Home Economics as a part-time lecturer in 2007.

“I was appointed as a full-time staff at the Carnegie School of Home Economics on March 1, 2009, and here I am,” Marshall joyfully shared with the Pepperpot Magazine.
Challenges faced in the journey at Carnegie
Like many other teachers in the profession, Marshall faced many challenges in her career.
“There were many challenges that I faced since I came to Carnegie, one of them was the fact that I had to adapt to new teaching methods to stay relevant to this current generation, who wouldn’t understand the unorthodox method of teaching that was previously during my time when I was growing up as a student /pupil,” Marshall explained.
She alluded to the fact that it is the duty of teachers to meet the demands of the current student population while at the same time being so aware of the challenges that students themselves face in and out of the classroom.

“For me, my work ethic is what brought me to work every day. Days when I am not so well, I still find the courage to come to work and to deliver because, in my view, if I don’t show up, I will put a team member at a disadvantage,” the principal noted during her interview.
“I always compare to what my children would face in school if their teacher did not turn up, and as such, I model that if my children have teachers like me, teachers who have impacted their lives versus a teacher who is not there, how it will either help or hinder their lives?” Marshall noted during her interview.
Overall, however, her passion is what remains for the profession. “I love working in the hospitality industry. I love that Carnegie is aligning itself with what the Government’s mandate is for tourism and hospitality,” Marshall said.
A typical day at Carnegie is very busy and demanding, she explained and there is much that she has learnt and continues to learn.