Kemeila Ewers was born for teaching

When it comes to teaching, Denbigh Primary School acting vice-principal and grade-six teacher Kemeila Ewers will tell you she was born for it. From primary to tertiary-level education, she has not once wavered from the path as, she told The Gleaner, her conviction and passion to empower minds has never changed.

“Teaching is a passion ... it’s my passion; something that was groomed in me from I was a grade-six student attending Race Course Primary School. I was always sent to the lower grade to keep the children in line,” she shared.

Ewers said that her leadership role continued during her years as head girl of Garvey Maceo High School. For her, just as leadership comes naturally, so, too, does teaching.

Ewers believes that teaching is far more than just expecting a pay cheque at the end of the month. It is getting to know her students, studying them and structuring her lesson plans to fit them.

With a smile, she said that she has a practice she started years ago as a young teacher, and it is one she doesn’t plan on stopping.

“I love to encourage my students. Every morning or afternoon, depending on the shift, I reason with them and find out what is happening with them,” she shared.

Ewers said that it is rewarding when years later, students who keep in touch with her, tell her that they used to enjoy those sessions and it made them feel better for the day.

With a strong emphasis on her students excelling, Ewers said that she is always looking for new ways to make maths and other subjects more enjoyable.

“Sometimes I am walking and something happens that triggers a concept to present to the students which will bring the subject more alive to them. I switch my techniques on a regular basis, as I aim for maximum results,” she said.

Ewers has no doubt her strategy has been working as throughout the years, her students enjoy placements at some of the best high schools in and out of the parish.

Students excelling

Last year, four of her students were among those who received national awards for top performance in the Grade Six Achievement Test.

She also had another reason to feel proud as one of her students, Twyla Bent, passed the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate in English.

Ewers, who describes herself as a “community person”, said that she adopts students wherever she goes. Whether she comes across them through the Kiwanis Club, of which she is a dedicated member, or her citizens’ association involvement, she counts herself always on “active duty”.

When Ewers is not in the classroom, she spends time with her boys playing cricket, reading, or just passing the time browsing the Internet.