LAURA Newman has stood at the front of Bellefield High School’s classrooms for over three decades with one simple mission: to turn ordinary young people into confident, capable global citizens. As an educator, she has weathered changing curricula and social shifts, remaining a steady force of guidance with quiet consistency, deep knowledge, and a strong belief in every child’s potential.

Just recently, she was honoured at Bellefield High School’s Teacher’s Day celebration, sponsored by RA Williams Distributors Limited, where 25 long-serving and seven retired teachers were recognised. Newman received special acknowledgement for her 34 years of dedicated service as a teacher, mentor, and department head, reflecting her lasting impact on generations of students.

Newman’s path to education took its first steps in New Broughton Basic School, a small school her sister operated, where she stepped in whenever needed.

“I was the substitute teacher,” she recalled with a warm laugh. “Back then, I didn’t know it, but those early moments of guiding little ones planted something in me.”

With three siblings in the profession, the path to teaching seemed destined, but what Newman built was uniquely her own.

After university, Bellefield High School became her first employer, where she was hired as a trained teacher. She quickly earned a promotion to senior teacher when a former principal saw her potential, then spent 10 years as a grade coordinator for grade nine before being appointed head of department for music and visual arts.

Through crowded classrooms, scarce resources, and the constraints of a shift system, Newman’s commitment to her students remained steadfast. She has always gone the extra mile to ensure they had the support needed to succeed.

“I believe education is the pillar to upward mobility,” she shared. “That is why I’ve mentored students from low socio-economic backgrounds. I’ve taken students into my home, helped their parents financially, and, on several occasions, paid both school and exam fees.”

Her deep dedication is rooted in the values of honesty, humility, kindness, and a strong faith in God, instilled in her by her late parents. From them, she learned to give, even from the little she had.

The true reward for Newman comes in seeing her students flourish academically and personally. When they pass their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams, move on to university, or blossom from a lower stream to reach their fullest potential, these moments bring her immense joy. One stand-out moment was when a student of hers was named among the Caribbean Examination Council’s top 100 candidates in 2021, surpassing many from local prestigious schools. It reaffirmed her belief that with love, guidance, and hard work, youth can overcome any challenge and achieve greatness.

A lifelong learner herself, Newman earned her master’s degree midway through her career, and in 2022, was shortlisted for the Lasco Teacher of the Year award. But teaching, for Newman, is as much about what she learns from her students as what she imparts to them.

“Students have taught me patience, tolerance, and how to listen,” she reflected. “Sometimes you have to solve whatever problems students present for them to overcome and give them a sense of belonging and stability.”

Addressing her most recent award from Bellefield High, she said, “Words are inadequate to express how I feel. I am humbled, yet grateful. I have seen many who began this journey and became frustrated, some left for ‘greener pastures’, others succumbed to the pressures of the classroom, but God has been faithful and truly good to me.”

As she considers the future of education, she hopes for greater recognition of teachers’ role in nation building and a more inclusive system where educators help shape the very policies that affect their classrooms.

For anyone entering the profession, Newman offers the advice: “Teaching is a vocation and a calling, you must have the passion and love for the children, regardless of their background. The profit in teaching is not monetary, but in their achievements.”