Shelley Boyce, the first winner of the CLICO/NATION Barbados Teachers' Award in 2003, with all her trophies

by TRACY MOORE

IT'S NOT HARD to see why Shelley Boyce won the first CLICO/NATION Barbados Teachers' Award in 2003.

An educator from the age of 18, Boyce has done nothing else but be part of her students' lives in some shape or form, even if that meant standing in front of the classroom teaching or sitting behind her desk as principal of St Stephen Nursery and administering her school.

"Outside of being a teacher I am a member of the Early Childhood Education Association of Barbados. That is a big part of my career. I am founding member of that organisation and have been president since 1991.

"I always believed that teachers should belong to the professional organisation for their fraternity or their specialisation," said Boyce.

She believes that such an affiliation strengthens the professional development of any teacher. She insists that it is essential.

Boyce has already been recognised for her dedicated services as president of the Early Childhood Education Association of Barbados during 1991 to 1993, 1994 to 1997, and 2000 to 2001.

But the trophies don't say it all.

Boyce's enthusiasm speaks volumes about how much she, as a teacher and principal, believes in her kids.

"I have seen the changes over the years. The children are different, not worse. They are more verbal and that's a societal thing. They've brought a lot of aids to education. They have got the television, the cable networks, computers; they are many more activities to which they can attend, than we had in the 70s or 80s," she explained.

Boyce continued, "and we as teachers encourage them to speak more. We don't just want them to sit back and be spoon-fed."

And her encouragement comes outside the school setting as well.

"Teaching as we know it traditionally in the classroom is always a high point. Everyday you see the changes, the gains made in the children. Outside I've always been involved in the performing arts. I've always done NIFCA, so I teach through art and performing arts like dance, drama and music.

"They help to refine children because it helps to keep them sharp in their intellect, observation skills are keen, visual and oratory discrimination, so that they can think and focus," said the principal.

Boyce has spearheaded the Village of Hope at the Barbados Community College, where schools came together and display projects. In 1981 she took her school, who won at NIFCA that same year, to represent Barbados and perform at Radio City Hall in New York.

So as this proud teacher sits in front of her largest award that she refers to as the highlight of her career, this is the advice to the next winner of the CLICO/NATION Barbados Teachers' Award: "Don't let school be a nine to three activity if you are going to be excellent. You need to go beyond the call of duty. You have to pull along the other teachers with you and that makes you a cut above the rest.

"Getting the 2003 award would have been the result of many, many years of hard work. I started teaching in 1976 and because I love what I do and I always wanted to teach I really put my best foot forward from the very beginning. It's an excellent feeling and I am gratified, and I would have to say thank you to CLICO, THE NATION as well as the Ministry of Education for having developed this initiative," Boyce told the WEEKEND NATION.

The CLICO/NATION Barbados Teachers' Award will be held on Sunday at the Barbados Hilton and is sponsored by CLICO International Life, The Nation and the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports.