Accompong, St Elizabeth

At 34, Nadeen Burton-Daley has already made her mark as an outstanding educator.

” She is a very good teacher, very pleasant co-operative and one who has a good grasp of what is happening,” says Veronica Smith-Harris, principal of the Accompong Primary and Junior High, where Daley has been moulding young minds for eight years.

A teacher of grade three, the young and energetic teacher also conducts the Home and Family classes for grades 7, 8 and nine students on a weekly basis.

Yesterday, when the Observer West visited the institution shortly before 10 am, her home and family class for grade eight students, comprising of boys and girls, was at an advanced stage.

“Today we are teaching them how to make cushions and tray cloths,” she tells this reporter, after a brief introduction to the class.

The students acknowledge the presence of the reporter and immediately get back to work.

“This is a good idea. To pin down the fabric like this in order to get the pleats right is very, very good,” Daley tells a student who is busy making a cushion.

“Thank you Miss,” the student replies, with a broad smile.

Daley then moves slowly across the small room to assist a boy who has much difficulty in getting one of the two sewing machines in the room to function properly.

Born in South Hampton, St Elizabeth, Daley attended the Mount Osbourne All-Age School before going on to Elim Agricultural School.

She later pursued a Diploma course in Home Economics at the Bethlehem Teachers’ College from which she graduated in 1999.

Finding it difficult to obtain employment, she applied to the Accompong Primary and Junior High and got a job as a grade three teacher.

It proved very challenging, as the young teacher was not trained to teach at the primary level.

“Teaching grade three was very challenging but I hung in there and with the assistance and encouragement of the school principal and teachers I managed to overcome the challenges,” she recalled.

After being at Accompong for a few years Daley was given the job of teaching Home and Family. She also co-ordinates the institution’s annual talent and awareness show, aimed at making the students more culturally aware.

And in her quest to improve her delivery of quality education, Daley recently completed a degree programme in Guidance and Counselling at the International University of the Caribbean (IUC).

“I saw the need for a guidance counsellor in the school and based on what is happening in the society the need for guidance counsellors are even more necessary,” Daley told the Observer West. “Some parents are trying, but there is the need for professionals to help them with the children,” she added.

Daley plans to begin her stint as a guidance counsellor at Accompong in January.

On the Register Grade 8 Home and Family

BOYS

Roneil Brown

Romario Dixon

Moshe Esson

Kerado Morris

Kirt Parchment

Davarn Simpson

Lumiere Thompson

Petroy Tomlinson

Horatio Vassell

GIRLS

Remeisha Brown

Analese Davis

Roshawn Green

Chevanie Jordon

Jody-HKay Hylton

Patrice Peddie

Shanique Rowe

Meisha-Gay Simpson

Shena Wallace