JERMAINE Howell, a Jamaican teacher at Cedar Fork Elementary School in Morrisville, North Carolina, has been named Teacher of the Year 2021-2022. He teaches maths, English language arts, science, and social studies, having gone there four years ago as part of the Participate Learning programme.

Howell was teaching grade five at Golden Spring Primary School in St Andrew when he learned about an opportunity to be a cultural education ambassador teaching students at an elementary school in the United States.

“When I was introduced [to] Participate Learning by a colleague I was reluctant to apply because I had just started my teaching career in Jamaica and wanted to gain my permanency as a primary school teacher. However, I researched it and realised the variety of opportunities available to teachers that go on the programme. Two things that pushed me to apply were the ability to learn and become a better teacher and the opportunity to share my Jamaican culture as a global educator,” Howell recalled.

Participate Learning implements global education in K-12 schools in the US to fulfil its mission of uniting the world through global learning. The programme empowers educators from around the world to strengthen student outcomes and promote cultural understanding to realise its vision to develop global citizenship among students in American schools.

Inspired by Nelson Mandela, who said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” Howell explained that his instructional and leadership practices are deeply rooted in this quote.

“My goal as an educator is to ensure I can create opportunities to grow and develop students and teachers who are critical thinkers, culturally and linguistically diverse, and catalysts of change,” he said.

He said students, teachers and parents at Cedar Fork are excited to learn about Jamaican culture. He has staged a Jamaican cultural concert at the school with his students presenting the culture in the form of dances, songs and poems.

“My students and parents are always excited about it each year. I even have students from other grade levels ask if they can perform next year if they are in my classroom.”

Howell’s work in the US has also included helping with reviewing and editing the North Carolina K-12 computer science curriculum for all the schools in the state of North Carolina. He hopes to be able to leverage that experience to identify curriculum reform practices with the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) and share ideas of the different teaching strategies that can be integrated into the NSC in Jamaica.

His aim is to be able to use the invaluable experience gained from the Participate Learning programme to support different schools in Jamaica with professional development sessions.

“I would love to partner with the Ministry of Education on ways to enhance the teaching and learning of students and also teacher training and development,” he said,

Howell is already sharing the knowledge and techniques gained from his Participate Learning experience by providing professional development sessions in-person and online with various schools and teachers here in Jamaica.

As he comes to the end of his time as a cultural education ambassador on the Participate Learning programme, he is preparing to enter Michigan State University to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in curriculum, instruction, and teacher education in fall 2022. His dissertation focus will be ‘The benefits of integrating culturally responsive pedagogy in maths education’.

Participate Learning is a complete programme that offers teachers the opportunity to gain professional teaching experience in the US. Teachers selected for the programme do not have to worry about aspects such as obtaining a work visa on their own, arranging housing and transportation and finding employment at a school where they will enjoy working conditions where they are well supported. Arrangements can also be made for the teacher’s family if they decide to have their family accompany them overseas.

Participate Learning is now accepting applications from teachers interested in the professional development opportunity to teach in the United States. Educators who have two years’ experience as a full-time, certified teacher and are interested in elementary education positions to teach social studies, maths or science can get more information at www.participatelearning.com/.