Latest update December 7th, 2024 1:49 AM
Jun 07, 2009 News
Wendy Litchmore is a Special Person
“No amount of money can compensate for what a teacher does, but I just love the profession”
By Latoya Giles
Teaching is one of the most challenging professions. It takes dedication, patience and most of all, love. Headmistress Wendy Litchmore, who has been a teacher for the past 36 years, has all these virtues, and more – fifteen schools can attest to this!
“Ms Litchmore” as she is fondly known by her staff and pupils of West Ruimveldt Primary, was born on June 26, 1958, at Chapman, Grove, a small village on the East Coast of Demerara.
Ms Litchmore spent her early childhood there and attended kindergarten at a private school, which was run by an elderly woman known to her charges as “Teacher Golding”.
When she was old enough, she began attending the Gibson Government School in the same village. She reminisced that in those days people were modest and were contented with what ever little they had.
But in 1964, her family was forced to move from their home at David Rose Housing Scheme, Grove, because of political disturbances, which saw friend turn against friend, and neighbour against neighbour.
At the time, her parents, now deceased, were putting the finishing touches on a new house.
She said that the family eventually moved to Bee Hive and stayed with her mother’s relatives.The intention was for the family to return to Grove after things calmed down.
But a few days later, the family got word that someone had burnt their newly-built house down.
“My parents were really devastated because they had pooled their life savings and to see everything go down in flames was really hard for them”.
Fortunately, there was a vacant lot at Bee Hive and her parents managed to purchase it, after acquiring a bank loan.
They sold the lot at Grove, and along with the loan, built their new home.
During construction, they stayed with her mother’s eldest brother and his family.
Wendy remembered the house being filled with love, noting that everyone was given advice once they needed it.
She said that she was made to teach her younger siblings because her mother and father worked very hard and that, she reflected, really pushed her to become a teacher.
“My mother placed me in charge of my siblings to ensure that all their school work was completed. She did not go far in school but she wanted us to have more than what she had, so education was the major thing for us.”
Wendy vividly remembers her mother saying, “After God comes education”.
And she (her mother) always ensured that they had all their textbooks and other educational needs.
Ms. Litchmore said, that her siblings often teased her and nicknamed her after one of the strict teachers at their school.
She jokingly said that they would do that behind her back because, “I would beat and share lashes just as the teachers would.”
Wendy related that her teaching experience began at the tender age of 14 as a “pupil teacher” at Cane Grove Primary. The date was February 1, 1973.
She quickly moved through the ranks and wrote the Pupil Teacher Exams, which she passed with honours.
“I was blessed to be taught by some of the really good headmasters, including the late Ovid Wilson, who really laid the foundation for me to become such a good teacher.
And I was also taught religious education, which helped me immensely, and I must say that it should be brought back into our schools.”
She said that during her earlier years as a teacher she was made to undergo further training even after she had graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
“Even though I had finished training college I had to do further training. I was not given a class of my own but I would assist the trained teachers.
“I attended classes at my head teacher’s home on Saturdays and had to make sure that children complete their tasks. The head teacher would also work along with the pupil teacher.”
Litchmore enrolled with the Cyril Potter College of Education as an in-service teacher, during the period 1978 to 1980. During that time, she lived with her great uncle in Georgetown.
After college she taught for a year at Central Primary School in Georgetown from 1980 to 1981, then returned to Cane Grove. She had sought a transfer because of transportation woes.
Wendy then began teaching at Ann’s Grove Government School, in 1981. That experience was inspiring.
“I felt so happy to teach at that school, because I was giving back to the community as a whole, because I received some of my schooling there.”
Her next move was to Grove Primary.
A death in the family prompted this move, as she had to go and live with a young cousin at Prospect.
Litchmore said, that a close friend had encouraged her to apply at the Grove Primary School, which was at the time, the largest of its kind on the East Bank.
She said, that her headmaster at the time, George Abensettes, placed her in a supervisory position.
She subsequently moved from Grove to Craig, which is also on the East Bank, in 1991. At that school she was promoted to Senior Mistress. Also in that year she met her husband who is Jamaican, a pastor with the Methodist church. She was a member of his congregation.
Her husband was sent to New Amsterdam, and she followed. It was Saint Theresa Primary first and when a vacancy arose in 1992 at New Amsterdam Primary she applied and was accepted.
She worked as deputy head teacher for that school. She said, that at the time of her appointment the school required much needed repairs.
Litchmore said that she became motivated and quickly thought of a plan, which could make the school a better learning place.
She said that she sought funding from various entities; she said that she found courage to complete that because of her strong faith in Christ.
“Many days I would remember the scripture you can do all things in Christ who strengthens us”.
“A friend who was working at Teachers’ Funding, an organization which could help in that regard, told me that I could be a part of it, but I needed to have a Parent-Teacher Association at my school.
I went back and spoke to the parents, and it helped that some of them I had dealt with were from St Theresa’s Primary.”
Lion’s Club contributions along with the money they received from the Teachers’ Funding enabled the renovation at the New Amsterdam Primary.
When the body realized that she would not be able to teach one day in the ‘new building’ they decided that they name the school’s library after her.
Ms. Litchmore revisited the school this year and has since committed to make a donation to the institution.
She reflected that her stay in New Amsterdam really made her into a “tough person”.
That was not the end. Her husband was again transferred, this time they were heading back to the village of Friendship / Buxton – the year was 1994. She remembers the experience as being very productive, both professionally and spiritually.
She spent one year there; it was a period in which the infamous “Baby Arthur” mayhem occurred. “It was another valuable bit of experience, I taught at Buxton Primary during that time.”
They then moved to the capital city in 1995 and she worked at the then St. Phillips Primary School, which is now St. Mary’s Secondary School.
From there she was promoted as a Deputy Headmistress at Freeburg Primary.
She said that the percentage of enrolled students dropped after she got there in 1996. In 1997, the Ministry had to find another school for her because of the enrollment problem.
They transferred her to the St. Winefride’s Primary and she stayed there from 1997 to 1999.
Ms, Litchmore who is a proud graduate of the University of Guyana, subsequently began teaching at the West Ruimveldt Primary in 2000, she is still there.
“It was not really easy because the school is very large with an enrollment of 1135 pupils. It was challenging but very rewarding at the same time.”
Ms Litchmore’s years as a teacher will soon be coming to end; she is migrating to Jamaica with her husband.
His tenure as head of the Methodist Church in Guyana will end in August.
She feels satisfied to have played a part in Guyana’s education system.
“We have to make our contributions; it has been a very rewarding time. I do feel saddened with having to leave, because this has been my longest stay at any school, so I feel quite attached.
Ms. Litchmore said that although she is moving to Jamaica she would love to continue her teaching career.
“I love this profession, it gives me great satisfaction to help a child who comes from Nursery school who can neither read nor write… to actually see that same child could read and write after a year, and I have helped, makes me feel privileged.”
“No amount of money can compensate for what a teacher does, but I just love the profession”
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