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Education Graduates Commissioned to Teach
Taking the Teachers Oath, graduates vowed to promote equity in education, strongly support students and promote sustainable education with integrity, honesty and professionalism. For years they were students, benefitting from quality instruction at The College of The Bahamas and learning the best methods to unlock the fullest potential in eager, impressionable learners. But on Wednesday, May 25th, more than 100 School of Education graduates moved closer to their professional endeavours of becoming teachers, destined to join one of the noblest professions in the world. For the second consecutive year, The College held a Teachers' Commissioning Ceremony as part of graduation activities. With immense pride and a profound sense of accomplishment, the graduates vowed to renew their devotion to duty, service and leadership. The ceremony was also a public platform to celebrate and honour the graduates' achievements. It was also an opportunity to assess the role of education in national development. "All over the globe, nations are assessing and analyzing their educational systems cognizant that education transforms nations. They are seeking to modify their educational systems to produce more and better nation builders," said College President Dr. Betsy V. Boze. "The Bahamas is no different… Education is and must be a major issue because it impacts all citizens and teachers are integral to the learning and integration process. The College of The Bahamas continues to transform the nation through education, teaching, research, innovation and service. We promote and value excellence in all things, especially teaching and learning." Every year, The College graduates dozens of aspiring teachers who go on to inspire, nurture and mentor students ripe with promise and potential. Many of them, trained in general and specialized areas of education, are among the best teachers in the public and private education system. For decades, as a classroom teacher, Mrs. Delores Ingraham has acquired a range of experiences that allowed her to successfully navigate her career in education. Principal of the C.C. Sweeting Senior High School and wife of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, Mrs. Ingraham shared those lessons with the graduates in her keynote address. She challenged them to be knowledgeable about their area of study; master the art of classroom management; listen and connect with their students. "Today, you have discovered a new sense of self. With you is the pride and expectation of a community and society, a society that holds teachers up to be exemplary role models. It knows them to be hardworking and dedicated men and women," she said. I defend the teaching profession at every opportunity. I am appalled at people who do not respect and appreciate our profession. I challenge them to rethink their ideas and answer the simple question: where would I be without teachers?" Mrs. Ingraham is also the President of the New Providence Association of Public High School Principals and Patron of the Let's Read Bahamas Programme. She declared that great teaching matters to the students in the classroom, to the wider society and the world. "The hand you extend to all of your students will leave its mark on all of society. It will be for the betterment of the world long after we are gone. Whatever you teach or wherever you go always remember the career you have chosen has given you this chance for immortality. Make sure the legacy you leave is a worthy one," she said. Every year, The College graduates dozens of aspiring teachers who go on to inspire, nurture and mentor students ripe with promise and potential. "It is an exciting and significant time for you to be stepping into the teaching profession as learners. Educators, your potential influence moving forward could span decades as you touch and influence hundreds of learners and help to develop lives, communities and nations," said Margo Blackwell, Associate Professor in the School of Education. "It seems appropriate then that we pause and recognize, refocus and celebrate the remarkable nature of the profession you have chosen to join and qualified yourselves to become a part of." Members of the 2011 Commencement Class of The College of The Bahamas, commissioned at the Teachers' Commissioning Ceremony completed programmes in Summer and Fall 2010 and Spring semesters at The College Oakes Field and Northern Bahamas campuses.
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