Kimoni Harris, Staff Reporter

Lawrence lovingly surrounded by some of her students. - kimoni harris

Sitting in a grade three class for nearly two hours would have been tedious for someone not prepared for such an experience.

But, for Lesa Lawrence who has been teaching at that level for eight years, it is a task she has come to adore.

Lawrence who attended Excelsior and Bridgeport High schools, never practised teaching or even dreamed of doing it. After completing her high school education, she went on to University of Technology (UTech) where she studied marketing.

Job hopping

After leaving UTech, she hopped from jobs, none of which included teaching.

"I am not a primary school teacher, it was never something I trained for. It really came as a calling and I love the children. The only time I can remember teaching was in Sunday School. God must have ordained it from that time," she said.

Embraces all subjects

Of the 13 subjects that Lawrence teaches, she has no favourite. She loves the job so much that she embraces all the subjects and makes sure that her students fully understand. "I work tirelessly at nights preparing my lessons, I come here (school) as early as 6:30 to help my students with reading and I stay back most evenings to assist with their reading again. My philosophy is that every child can become literate as long as they have the Lord, Jesus Christ. Our motto in this class is 'I can do all things through Christ," she said.

Lawrence, who has been teaching at the Allman Town Primary school for the past eight years, said she has had students who came back to tell her thanks for giving them that drive to go on. "I make my students feel like individuals. I commend them with a high five, a star sticker or any other praise word when they do well and this builds self-esteem and when they don't do so well, I encourage them to do better next time," she said.

Lawrence explained that she knows where to draw the line between being strict and when to show care. "I do not believe in flogging, my philosophy is to control behaviour and controlling behaviour sets the students the way you want them," she said.

Lawrence cannot see herself doing anything except teaching in the future. "I have learnt a lot from my students. This classroom is where I ought to be. Even if I should run, I would end up here because teaching is my calling. I have something to do in Jamaica, I believe it is possible for them (the students) to be great individuals," she said.