By Lakhram Bhagirat
At the end of the day, the feeling of achieving our goals is one that becomes indescribable. The feeling of mere satisfaction every time we are confronted with the results of our hard work and sacrifices is one which becomes incomparable.
For the past four plus years, Keanu Thomas has been living his dreams every day that he steps into his classroom. The question of a person’s intended career is one that comes up every so often, even after one has settled into a particular field.
For Thomas, the question was never what he wanted to do, rather it was when he would begin doing it. The dream for him has always been to enter the teaching profession not because it is a lucrative field, but because he believes his purpose is better served there.
So when he finished school, it was only right that he take up a job as a teacher.
“I always wanted to be a teacher. I could remember my childhood days looking up to my primary school teachers and saying in my mind ‘I wanna be like them.’ I believe in giving back to society and what better way I could’ve find by doing something I love and giving back service to my community,” the 21-year-old said.
Service to others was instilled in his upbringing from a tender age while growing up with his grandparents in the village of Tapakuma on the Essequibo Coast. He remembers his childhood as a quiet one which he spent mostly engrossed in books.
“I grew up in a peaceful community named Tapakuma in the care of my grandparents. It’s about 18 kilometres from the town of Anna Regina. In this paradise, nature is at its best and connecting with nature has taught me to try my best to live a peaceful life and to be grateful for everything,” he said.
Because of his dedication to achieving the best possible education he could have, Thomas made it his prerogative to always maintain a high performance. He was the top student of the Tapakuma Lake Primary School when he sat the National Grade Six Assessment Examination. This earned him a place at President’s College on the East Coast of Demerara but he had no desire of moving away from his village, so he took up residence at the Anna Regina Multilateral School where he completed his secondary education.
“Now I didn’t want to stay at the dormitory so I had to wake at, I’d say about 6 o’clock every morning for 5 years, to go with the one bus that used to transport passengers from home to Anna Regina. I had a wonderful secondary school experience. Challenging, but I overcame obstacles with support from family.
“I started teaching in October 2015 and started college (Cyril Potter College of Education) in 2016. I remember saying that I would like to finish college by 19 (years old). However, I failed a course in the second year. This came as a surprise since I was doing exceptionally well. Maybe I misinterpreted the questions and it still puzzles me today but I graduated in 2019,” he said.
He said attending CPCE and teaching was no walk in the park for him but he made it work. He persevered and when morale was low, he would remind himself of why he joined the profession. Ever since he joined the teaching profession, he has been placed at Tapakuma Lake Primary School, where he remains.
“I love every bit of teaching. Not just being in the class with your wonderful pupils but also involving in different co-curricular activities. Our school is the reigning Road March Champion for the Primary Division, three years now and secured second for a dance last year at the National Schools’ Mashramani Competition,” Thomas boasted.
“Always remember that the pupils are like your children. Not all pupils learn at the same rate. Be patient and kind. Keep reminding the pupils that they have value and teach to the best of your ability so that we can have a brighter future. Teach pupils to be grateful for what they have while working for what they want,” he advised.
