By Lakhram Bhagirat
Teachers have, perhaps, the most important job in this world. They have the ability to shape the view of the world through their teachings and quite often they do just that. The power teachers have, over their subjects, is unmatched because they are the ones who teach us to think critically and how to analyse situations.
Teachers are the ones who inspire us or they beat our spirits down. But most of the time, they inspire us to achieve the greatest things because, for them, their students are the best. Every achievement of a student is quite often dubbed as a reflection of the teacher and it is a responsibility they take seriously.
Naheem Mohamed has been taking that responsibility seriously for a number of years as he continues to mould the impressionable minds of the younger generation. Though still young, the 28-year-old has been teaching for over a decade now.
Mohamed’s journey as a teacher has been one that was shaped by past experiences which he shared with the Sunday Times Magazine during a recent interview.
Going back to his formative years, the English teacher at the Johanna Cecilia Secondary School said he grew up on the Essequibo Coast with his very large family. Back then, for him, those were simple days as his rice farmer father ensured he was equipped with the relevant tools needed for him to get a proper education.
“During the early days of school, we hadn’t electricity nor portable water in our yard. Because of this, we used to find the littlest of chore to be exciting. We bathed whilst fetching water from a standpipe and did homework in front of a battery-powered television where only one channel showed.
“At the earliest of age, I admired the respect a teacher was given and wanted to gain that same respect. During my school days, I was very fortunate to be moulded by some of the best names in this profession. But special tribute must be made to my now deceased mother. She was and still serves as my driving power to achieve great things. She was a housewife, who, in her days, was not allowed to go throughout secondary because of her family constraints and who made taking care of her husband and children her priority. Every single homework and assignment she was there checking and making sure that whatever is done is completed with neatness and accuracy. Whatever I am today I owe every single bit of it to her,” he remembered.
For Mohamed, education was integral to getting himself developed and he never lapsed in making sure that his homework was completed and time was dedicated to reading. He recalled that growing up, he was never an avid reader but because of his shyness in class, he was forced to read in order to keep up.
When he sat the then Common Entrance Examinations, he was awarded a place at President’s College but because of the distance coupled with the fact that he could not be apart from his family, Mohamed eventually attended Anna Regina Multilateral School (ARMS).
“At ARMS, I was encouraged by all of the teachers and my peers to pursue and achieve. In Fourth Form, I lost a best friend to suicide. This was life-changing but with the support of my family, teachers and peers I was able to graduate with 11 subjects at the CSEC examinations. At this stage, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to become or what direction to go. My mom advised me to give back to my community and from there I will decide to my next step.”
By giving back, he became a teacher at a private institution. During his stay at the Islamic School, he crossed paths with students from all backgrounds and knew that it was in that field he belonged. However, one of the shocking things he discovered was that there were children who could not read.
It was from that point that he decided to become an advocate for his students. He began to advocate for better learning situations for them as well as basic resources. He also knew that he would have been of more help to them if he became qualified so he set out on the path to the Cyril Potter College of Education.
However, life had other plans and he was forced to drop out of CPCE after a period of illness. This also forced him to reconsider his career path and he eventually went into the accounting field.
“I realised being confined to an office space was not my calling. I left and restarted my training at college. At CPCE I was very lucky to receive training from the best of lecturers. I was a resident student and took part in most of the activities. I graduated the college and moved to Wakapao Secondary then to 8th of May Secondary then North Georgetown Secondary where I was attached to whilst studying at the University of Guyana.
“Attending the University, I was teaching and engaged in part-time jobs to ensure that my rent was paid and I was comfortable. Battling with a second job and studies, mentally, I had to adjust. There were many times I wanted to give up and return home but my mom always encouraged me to go on and keep fighting. My mom passed away just a few days before I completed my studies at the University. Coming home has always been difficult since the day I lost her. Eventually, I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education, majoring in English. I returned to 8th of May Secondary and was later promoted to Johanna Cecilia Secondary,” Mohamed noted.
Though there is a heightened level of violence against teachers, Mohamed said he is not deterred. He is in the profession to stay and will continue moulding the minds of future generations. He noted that it is not just a job for him now rather it is part of who he is.
“We as teachers learn so much as each day passes by. We make differences to kids every day. We are in charge of what our country will become because we get to guide and motivate the future generations. All profession has its challenges but in this line of duty, we only gain. No matter the situation at our school we always tend to activate our creative side and come up with a solution. We gain every day because at the end of the day at least one child would’ve learnt something new. We would’ve made an impact on someone’s future for the better. To those of you out there who are wondering whether to join this profession, I would like to say joining this profession would never bring about regrets,” he advised.
“I have been in this profession from the age of 16 up until now and have grown day by day to love the profession I am in. I am an educator who moulds the future minds of our country. I am a parent figure to most kids who don’t have anyone to look up to. I am an advocate for those kids who needs a voice to stand up for themselves.”
