Janice Howard

Janice's story

I have worked at City St George’s for the past 10 years, as a specialist teacher of students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). My role involves engaging students with SpLDs in 1:1 learning support to help them access their curriculum and succeed by building learning approaches that are tailored to their needs and preferences.

My journey has been quite a varied and exciting one to get to this point. I have worked in the private, development and education sectors, and also have a background in Political Science, Law and International Relations. Pursuing these, given that they examine social and economic development, confirmed to me that a career in education - specifically, in unlocking the gifts of students with difficulties, who are often misunderstood and left behind - is where I will be best placed to contribute to this development..

When I reflect on the challenges I’ve faced and the opportunities I’ve had, I think I may have been too happy enjoying the journey to fixate on them as challenges or opportunities at the time. Instead I dealt with everything as the vicissitudes of life, and embraced both the adversities and the victories.

In doing so I pursue the things that interest me, the things that put me in a position to help people. Once I identify those things I prepare for when the opportunity to take action presents itself.

I enjoy theatre, travel and reading to name a few. My interests are eclectic however the constant is excellence, once the play, musical, exhibition - you name it - has the hallmark of excellence, I am sure to enjoy it. This comes from my early exposure and sometimes participation in the arts in Jamaica, my beloved country.

I think the thing that motivates me most is my quest for knowledge and having the opportunity to help someone realise their dream. I find my joy with the students I support.

My role models are my parents, who by their lives instilled the values of honesty, integrity, excellence, justice and a love of God, and though I pale in comparison to them I continue to try.

If I could go back and give some advice to my younger self, well firstly I’m not sure if my younger self would listen to me ha-ha! But I know I would say enjoy the ride and choose what you love (which my younger self would have been doing anyway).

When I look back on my achievements at City St George’s, I am particularly proud and honoured to have been awarded Student Mentor of the year in 2016 by the Student’s Union.  When I reflect on that it makes me smile and reminds me how important my role is to student success.