‘Dynamic’ science teacher making strides at Clan Carthy High School

SHANIQUE GRAHAM has been a science teacher for two years. While attending primary school, she envisioned herself as a teacher, but that dream became a distant reality, as she set her sights on choosing between a career in nursing or becoming a doctor. However, as her immediate reality set in, she chose the sciences.

“I never thought of myself as being a teacher past primary school but here I am as a science teacher. I chose science because it is our way of life every day, from the breathing of air in the morning to closing our eyes at night,” she said.

Graham was born in Kingston, but moved to Maggotty, in St Elizabeth for her primary and high school years. “Two words to describe growing up in the country – peaceful and innovative. I choose these two words because in the country, there isn’t much night life, so it was easy to reset. We had to come up with innovative ideas to enjoy ourselves, whether it was telling Anancy stories, bird shooting or teacher role-playing,” she said.

Graham said her eyes for science were opened when she was in grade eight. “At that point, we were doing integrated science, and the enthusiasm that I felt in each session of class led me to realise even more that science is our life. For example, we are all made up of a ball of cells that develop further into tissues, organs and organ systems, to which most persons are not aware of,” she said.

Graham is currently teaching integrated science and human and social biology at Clan Carthy High School in Kingston. At first, she wanted to teach biology, but there was no vacancy for that subject area at that time.

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“I am a dynamic person, so I accepted the interview for an integrated science teacher where I am basically teaching a little bit of each science area and mathematics. I was upgraded to being a human and social biology teacher last year September, based on my performance. I would say these subjects chose me but I am always aiming to put my best foot forward,” Graham said.

For the last two years, Graham has improved her professional standing, and reaped several rewards for her hard work. She was awarded the Clan Carthy High School Science Teacher of the Quarter for September to December 2022 and 2023, respectively; the Digicel Foundation International Women’s Day Teacher for March 2023 and she received a special award from NCB at a BOOST/STEM networking session in March 2024 for her performances as a science teacher.

Graham became involved in the BOOST Programme after receiving a pitch proposal from one of the team members while she was completing her studies at The University of the West Indies, Mona.

“At first, I was not thrilled about going into the classroom as that aspiration I left it in primary school. However, there is a saying, ‘when someone is planning, God is wiping’. I was planning on going straight into my field after university but God had other plans for me where he led me to a profession that allowed me to propel my growth both professionally and personally,” Graham said.

Her experience with the BOOST programme, she said, has been somewhat of a roller coaster, but she continues to learn and grow.

“It is not an easy feat getting students involved, and also passionate about the subject areas of integrated science and human and social biology. I have different learners as well as students who like the subject and those who do not. Each time I step into a science class, I have a goal and that is to reach out to at least five students on whichever topic that we are doing. I also like to tap into their world to get their feedback,” Graham said.

“I do not want to leave any students behind, so one of my rules is that participation is a must. We are all here to learn from each other in any way possible. Additionally, I try my best to reach out to the different types of learners that I have in my class, so whether it is I am going to have to do a song, skit, quizzes, spellings, experiments or panel discussions, I will do it to get the job done,” she added.

As a science teacher, however, Graham said her goal is to ultimately transcend from being inside of a classroom to full time into the field of an occupational and environmental specialist. “I still plan on assisting students through tutoring science programmes. However, I do not need a classroom to still pursue science, I just need the people,” she said.