Statement by the President – Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT)

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption to education, all over the world and here in Dominica is no exception.  During this time, teachers have gone to incredible lengths to help their students keep learning. To every teacher here in Dominica we have two words for you:

Thank you!

One of the biggest challenges of the distance learning during the COVID-19 crisis is to keep learners engaged. The lack of person-to-person contacts, the difficulties of communication on digital devices and the need to self-organise can become additional challenges for the learners to absorb new information and keep track of the learning process. Hence, the teachers’ role becomes crucial in making sure that the learners stay engaged and do not lose their motivation.

If this pandemic has done nothing else, it has glaringly shown the disparities that urban and rural schools, in particular, have been dealing with for years. The lack of technology/up-to-date technology, lack of teacher experience with technology, limited digital resources, and the lack of financial resources has hindered the ability for many schools to quickly springboard into a digital teaching model, thus placing our teachers in a very precarious situation.

 Teachers, many of you have spent your free time working with students so that they can simply access the digital classrooms. This additional help occurs after you have spent copious amounts of time planning lessons to keep students engaged and spending boundless energy to motivate students who are highly distracted.

 Additionally, you have worked hard to fill the learning gaps and at the same time addressing the social-emotional needs and safety concerns for students as schools are the ultimate checks and balances, though all of these factors are taking an emotional toll on you.

 I urge you; teachers continue to adapt to and move on from COVID-19.  The Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) is of the opinion that our teachers can be more adequately supported.  The irony of this whole situation is while there was a concerted effort by the Government to ensure that students have devices, little or nothing was done to ensure that those who are to impact the knowledge had proper devices.  Everything was left squarely on the shoulders of teachers. And I know that many of you struggled. 

 Working under increased demands and with limited resources during the pandemic has taken a toll on our teachers.  Moreover, many teachers reported being physically and emotionally exhausted, which are well-known symptoms of burnout. Burnout is a consequence of prolonged experience of stress, and can have negative consequences for teachers, students, and educational systems as a whole, such as greater ‘intention to quit the profession’ and ‘poorer student outcomes’.

The teaching profession is inherently a social one, involving interacting with students and their families. However, the pandemic has caused communication barriers, especially with some students from disadvantaged backgrounds who may have limited access to technology and broadband.

That said, teachers have shown themselves to be resilient and adaptive. To ensure students’ immediate learning is addressed, some teachers had to resort to using their personal cell phones with data purchased by themselves to ensure that learning takes place. They also had to call parents when children did not show up for classes to ascertain the reason for their absence.  Teachers want to connect and want to be there for the students they teach. And they want to keep those relationships going even when that’s really tricky.

The world has changed a lot, but one thing has not – the teacher’s commitment to education remains strong.  Teachers, I know it is challenging to work by yourself; you miss your colleagues and you miss your students, but remember you are not alone. We are here for you every step of the way. The DAT is seeking feverishly to find ways and means of alleviating some of the problems faced by teachers especially in terms of providing proper devices for teaching.  You are smarter than you know, braver than you imagine and more determined than you realize. Every day, try to do a little bit better than you did yesterday.  Tough times never last, but tough people do. It takes courage to keep trying. Every step you take, every day will move you closer to your goal. Believing you can, is half the battle. The more you learn, the more confident you will become.  Your biggest challenge will be staying focused and staying diligent about your teaching and learning. In the meantime, while you are concerned about your students, please look after yourselves, and ensure that you remain healthy and energized.

I would also like to take this opportunity to again call upon our teachers to follow the science of the Covid-19 and please get yourself vaccinated.  Remember if there is a face-to-face classroom teaching for the second term, even on a limited basis, your exposure to the virus is increased.  Please do not resist. Think of the consequences if you get infected and what it can do to your family.

Additionally, the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT), as part of the observance of its 30^th Anniversary, is bringing some cheer to some of its retired members who have remained loyal to the Association for a number of years.  The initial plan was for a social gathering with these retirees but due to the Covid-19 pandemic the decision was taken to present these 90 retirees with gift certificates.  We thank Fine Foods Inc and NAGICO Insurance for partnering with us in this venture.

To this end on behalf of the National Executive, I say Merry Christmas to all our members and look forward to a better 2022.