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Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Ronald Jones presents??Shawn Hoyte of Half Moon Fort Primary School with his certificate of completion. ??(G.Brewster/BGIS)??

Education Minister Ronald Jones has reminded teachers that students are their greatest observers in the classroom.????

Addressing the closing ceremony of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College Teachers’ Introductory Programme 2012, today, Minister Jones said: "The best people who gauge you are not adults; they are children. Children read adults better than adults read adults; they know because all of them have not yet learnt simply to employ the mind, but they also employ the feelings. And, sometimes, the feelings might be greater than the mind.??

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A large??turnout??for the closing ceremony of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College Teachers’ Introductory Programme 2012. (G.Brewster/BGIS)????

"And, because they are still relatively young and not necessarily exposed to all of the negative vagaries of life they will have a consciousness and a spirituality that is not as tainted as that of adults. Therefore, they are going to feel you in a deep and profound way. And, when they speak to you or when they avoid you, you will know it is as a result [of] what you portrayed to them and not necessarily what they perceive of you."

Stressing that teachers should be aware of their own humanity and self, Mr. Jones, who is also responsible for Human Resource Development, said: "First and foremost you must know yourself. That is what is going to be principally important.?? You must know yourself and what you stand for; what you will tolerate or don’t tolerate; how you will treat people; how people will treat you and in many instances it is how you treat people that people treat you.

"If you treat people badly; if you treat people harshly; if you are a hypocrite, that will be seen by others. Regardless of the fa??ade which you create, that will be seen, will be known and will spread."

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, Professor Pedro Welch, in addressing the over 80 teachers said: "You never stop learning and you should never come to a point where you think you know enough. There is always something more to be learnt; there is always some aspect of knowledge to be sidelined and another one to be taken up."

While contending that it was sometimes more important to listen than to speak, Professor Welch said: "The more you listen the more you learn…I trust that as you continue in the teaching profession that you will find joy in learning and in reflection, and you will find joy in taking up one of the noblest professions that you would ever find anywhere."

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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