Albena Jack wins Exemplary Teacher Award in Jamaica

by Orde Ballantyne 30.APR.09

on behalf of the Questelles Government School

In recent times, our nation has been poised in making choices about national heroes. We have become so enrapt in this process that we have overlooked the excellent achievement in others.{{more}}

In 2005, Grade 1 Teacher at the Questelles Government School, Albena Jack, who is the wife of Sergeant Jimmy Jack and mother of 3 sons was selected by CCETT (Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training) and bestowed the Exemplary Teacher Award at an awards ceremony in Jamaica. This was again repeated in 2008. In 2006-07 she was also awarded by CCETT for her outstanding performance in Literacy Instruction. This as a consequence of the consistent, outstanding academic performance of her five grade one cohorts.

In 2008, Mrs. Jack was again rewarded for her teaching excellence and awarded the Caribbean Teacher of the Year by the Scholastic International, CCETT and the Book Merchants Company. As a result of this award, she has received a prize trip to the International Reading Association Conference in Minnesota USA, which comes off from May 2nd – 8th, 2009.

Jack is not a politician, and with all these awards she continues to be humble and unassuming and performs at the best of her ability, teaching and inspiring her students and her community.

Albena Jack possesses a unique personality and constantly seeks to find and reinforce the positive qualities in each of her students. Her colleagues describe this Grade one teacher as loud, but insightful, aggressive but caring, and above all, a motivating role model.

Albena’s classroom is a stimulating, open and cozy environment with an abundance of books, most of which she has personally acquired, locally and in her travels. She has high expectations of her students and works well with exceptional learners, as well as the slow ones. She understands the learning needs of all of her students and plans her instruction using intentional, purposeful and focused differentiated strategies. She scaffolds her instructional delivery so that all students experience success at their optimal level. She teaches in a “conversational style” in which the skill of seeking the most appropriate questions is often more important than the answers. She believes in adding value to each student’s learning whom she has the pleasure of teaching.

Albena is constantly thinking and pursuing new ways of assisting her students with learning. She is the group leader in the Literacy Department at the school and provides training for her colleagues and others.

Albena provides a safe and caring classroom environment that positively reinforces each student’s unique perspective. Albena fosters the development of the “whole” student by promoting the importance of a healthy lifestyle and emphasizing social characteristics such as responsibility and respect. We at Questelles Government School applaud “Bena” for her outstanding achievement.