Jamaican student teachers assigned to Janesville schools
Released: September 25, 2002
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the Janesville school district are playing host to a team of four student teachers and a teacher educator from Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Jamaica. Janesville elementary schools welcomed the Jamaican teachers to their classrooms on Sept. 16. The teachers are assigned to the schools through Oct. 11.
“This exchange program is important because it provides a wonderful opportunity for students and teachers alike to learn something that they couldn’t learn in any other setting,” stated Tom Ganser, director of the Office of Field Experiences.
Jermaine Burrows, a native of Bermuda, will be teaching fifth-graders at Wilson Elementary School both in the classroom and on the soccer field. He will also be spending part of his time working with the school guidance counselors, which is one of his career goals.
Delthonette Gordon, a native of Jamaica, will be teaching English to sixth-graders at Janesville’s Marshall Middle School.
Niva Mercier, a native of Haiti, will be teaching biology and chemistry to seventh- and eighth-graders at Edison Middle School.
Trudean Scott, also a native of Jamaica, will be teaching history and literature to seventh grade students at Franklin Middle School. “I came to Whitewater to gain valuable lessons in teaching and to experience firsthand the diversity that is characteristic of a First World country like the United States,” Scott said.
“The cultural exchange that takes place between Jamaica and Whitewater is an enriching experience that builds good relations and good understanding between people of different cultures,” added Tom Kolda, director of advancement for the College of Education. “This program promotes multiculturalism in education.”
For more information, contact Ganser at (262) 472-1123 or gansert@uww.edu.
- Melissa DiMotto,dimottom@uww.edu
