Hindsbury Primary teachers switch positions with students

In an innovative role-reversal initiative, pupils at Hindsbury Primary School stepped into their teachers’ shoes Wednesday, leading reading lessons as part of the school’s Reading Week celebrations.

The switch saw selected students, including head girl Sydney Bradshaw Earle and her deputy, Laila Alleyne, don professional attire and take command of classrooms, while their teachers – including Principal Stacey Drakes – sat attentively in school uniforms.

Language Coordinator Ena McCollin told Barbados TODAY: “The teachers will become children, and selected children will become teachers. They will go into a few classes and teach a lesson on reading.”

The enthusiastic young teachers arrived prepared with self-created teaching materials, including worksheets, stories, pictures and pencils to engage their peers.

“They were really excited to dress up as teachers…they went home and did all of their work on their own, preparing for the classes,” McCollin said.

The initiative forms part of a week-long programme designed to foster a love of reading. Activities began on Monday with visiting authors reading their works to pupils, followed by Tuesday’s ‘Drop Everything and Read’ session, where the entire school community read materials brought from home.

The National Library Service also contributed to the week’s activities with a puppet show, featuring a reenactment of Daniel in the Lion’s Den, which captivated the young audience.

McCollin emphasised that the programme served dual purposes.

“The aim of the activity is to let the children be aware of the importance of reading,” she said, adding that it also helped build pupils’ self-confidence. 

(SM)