Making a difference in children’s lives: the story of Nancy, a novice early years teacher in a Jamaican primary school

Abstract

Good teachers and good teaching have been shown by numerous research studies to be the critical elements which make the difference in effective early years education programmes. Becoming a good teacher is a process that begins with initial teacher preparation and progresses through a series of stages from novice through to expert status. It is generally acknowledged in teacher education literature that beginning teachers have much to discover and learn, perhaps over several years, before achieving professional excellence. Therefore a novice teacher demonstrating the attributes and competencies of an expert is likely to be seen as an aberration within the profession. This article shares the story of such a Jamaican teacher, Nancy (pseudonym), newly qualified and teaching grade 1 in an inner‐city primary school. Nancy’s overall approach to teaching and building relationships with children and parents was exceptional in many respects. In analyzing Nancy’s performance as a first‐year teacher, the article draws on relevant literature and research on initial teacher preparation programmes, constructivist pedagogy and the benefits of effective pedagogy in preschool education programmes. The discussion of implications for teacher recruitment and initial teacher preparation practices in Jamaica suggests an urgent need for local colleges to ‘fast track’ their reform toward more constructivist philosophy and practice.