Features

Fulfilling a special wish

By WANDEKA GAYLE, Staff Reporter

Deloris Gordon - Wandeka Gayle

IT WAS THE words of an inspiring teacher that led Deloris Gordon of Mount James, St. Andrew, into an adventure of 27 years in the classroom.

"Mrs. Swapp, one of my first teachers at Oberlin High School, said to me when I was leaving high school that she hoped one day I would come back as a teacher," Deloris told THE STAR, "But she passed away before she could see me fulfill that."

After her training at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester between 1975 and 1978, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Teacher Education, and a few courses at Andrews University in Michigan and at the University of the West Indies, she taught in approximately seven schools. These include Buff Bay Academy, Port Maria High, Villa Road Primary and Junior High, Mandeville Primary and Junior High, Willowdene High, Campbell's Castle High and for the past two years, Stony Hill Primary and Junior High.

"At the high school level I taught computer science, geography and I just taught from the primary level curriculum at the Primary and Junior High," she said.

At the Stony Hill Primary and Junior High in rural St. Andrew, she serves as a guidance counsellor.

Teacher's aide

"I love my job, I love seeing continuous change," she explained, adding that in rural St. Andrew where she grew up, where a lot of vegetation was cultivated, she would often find herself teaching the animals and plants alike.

She recounted a story of a transformation in one of her students, a wayward 13-year-old boy whose poverty and lack of parental figures caused him to rebel.

"I told him I was going to work out a contract with him," she said, "Because I knew he had no lunch, I would, provide lunch for him and also just talk with him.

It was not long before she began to see change, "He started to visit my room quite often just to talk and then he began sitting in his class every day doing his work."

Her biggest obstacle as a teacher, she confided, was that parents not working along with the school caused an imbalance in the students' progress at school.

"Many of the students lack parental guidance," she said, "Many don't even pull their weight and see to their child's progress."

To stem this problem, Deloris uses her training in family life and planning, and the aid of the Parent-Teacher's Association (PTA) to give 'Parent Classes'

"This is where we teach them coping mechanisms on how to deal with their children, especially their teenagers," she explained.

She told THE STAR that several of her students conceded to not having any relationship at all with their parents.

"One student said to me, 'Miss, the only time I talk with my mother is to ask when we going to cook.'" she said.

She stated that several parents are more concerned with earning the "Almighty dollar" instead of spending quality time with their children.

Deloris is very active in the social aspects of school life. "I do a little cooking, baking and I also help out in the 4H club and the Environmental Club," she said. "Right now we are even preparing for achievement day in the 4H club."

She has been married to Pastor Anthony Gordon for the past 28 years and has two grown children, Deltonette and Deltony Gordon.