May 30, 2023 • 28 mins
Bethlene Ferdinand is known for her work in the areas of educational leadership and health and wellness. Ms. Ferdinand is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, an island west of Barbados. She holds a BA in Linguistics, a Postgraduate Diploma in the Teaching of English and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. Bethlene has worked for eight years as a secondary school Educator and was the Head of the Modern Languages Department of a secondary school in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for six of those years before joining the team at the Caribbean Educational Research Centre. Bethlene aspires to complete a PhD in the field of Education Policy and the characteristics surrounding teaching and learning in St. Vincent, the Grenadines, and the Caribbean. Bethlene is a Research Assistant in the Caribbean Educational Research Centre at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.
To cite this episode:
Persohn, L. (Host). (2023, May. 30). A conversation with Bethlene Ferdinand: RISE Caribbean Special Series (Season 3, No. 27) [Audio podcast episode]. In Classroom Caffeine Podcast series. https://www.classroomcaffeine.com/guests. DOI: 10.5240/6A29-4A11-11B9-8236-7938-D
Connect with Classroom Caffeine at www.classroomcaffeine.com or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lindsay Persohn (00:02):
Hello classroom caffeine listeners, we are
hosting a special series ofepisodes to share with you some
of the work involving pastclassroom caffeine guest, my
colleague and friend Dr.
Patriann Smith. This specialseries is intended to share work
associated with an upcomingconference. Specifically, these
episodes shine light on researchtaking place in the Caribbean
(00:23):
islands with both specificcontextual nuance and universal
applicability. Dr. Smith, withmany others is involved in the
Caribbean Educational ResearchInitiative officially referred
to as the Research Initiativefor Supporting Education in the
Caribbean or RISE Caribbean.
(00:44):
This initiative is a partnershipbetween the United States Agency
for International Development,the University of the West
Indies, Cave Hill campus, theUniversity of South Florida and
the eastern Caribbean JointBoard of Teacher Education. The
Caribbean Educational ResearchCenter launched as a part of the
initiative in 2021 is designedto serve the Eastern Caribbean
(01:06):
Islands, which consists of sixindependent countries Antigua
and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica,Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent andthe Grenadines and also three
British Overseas Territories,The Virgin Islands, Montserrat
and Anguilla. This center ishoused at the University of West
(01:29):
Indies Cave Hill campus inBarbados with the capability to
generate and utilize robust datafor improved decision making and
basic education throughout theregion. The Caribbean
Educational Research Centerdraws on research expertise from
the University of West IndiesSchool of Education, UW eyes,
other campuses the University ofSouth Florida ministries of
(01:51):
education and the teachereducation divisions of the
national Colleges of the EasternCaribbean and the teachers
college in Barbados in harmonywith the aim of building
research capacity in the region.
The center providesassistantships and internships
for graduate students pursuingresearch degrees in education
and related fields and stafffrom the ministries of education
and the National colleges whowork with classroom teachers to
(02:14):
investigate classroom phenomena.
The RISE Caribbean initiative isexpected to ultimately establish
a repository for education datafor the countries in the East
Caribbean and Barbados. Conductdemand driven research and
analysis to inform policy andplanning for ministries of
education and other stakeholdersin education. Build a capacity
(02:36):
for research and training withstudents and education
stakeholders conduct and supportcomparative and collaborative
research with higher educationinstitutions in and outside of
the region and strengthenresearch culture through
publications, public lectures,and other means of sharing
research findings. One of themajor activities of the RISE
Caribbean initiative is anannual conference designed to
(02:57):
support the Center's researchfellows and research assistants
to this end, the RISE Caribbean2023 conference, building
solidarity across educationalcommunities, cultivating spaces
where students thrive, aims toharness the power of community,
interconnectedness, andinclusivity and our collective
efforts to create and sustaineducational spaces for students
(03:19):
to succeed. The RISE Caribbeanconference includes sessions
that imagine possibilitiesaround which we can plan
collectively to improve theexperience as well being an
educational outcomes for allchildren, especially those for
whom achievement, equity andjustice have long been withheld.
This classroom caffeine specialseries highlights scholars who
(03:39):
are integral to the work of theRISE Caribbean Initiative and
the RISE Caribbean conferencehosted at the University of
South Florida Tampa, May 30Through June 1 2023.
In this episode bethleneFerdinand to talks to us about
teacher and student wellbeing.
Bethlene is known for her workin the areas of the impacts of
well being on education andeducational leadership. Bethlene
(04:02):
is involved in planning andpresentations at the 2023 RISE
Caribbean conference hosted atthe University of South Florida
in Tampa, Florida. Ms. BethleneFerdinand is a research
assistant in the CaribbeanEducational Research Center at
the University of the WestIndies Cave Hill. For more
information about our guest,stay tuned to the end of this
(04:23):
episode methylene thank you forjoining me, welcome to the show.
Bethlene Ferdinand (04:29):
Thank you, Lindsey for having me. It's a
pleasure to be here. Thank you.
Lindsay Persohn (04:33):
So from your own experiences and education,
will you share with us one ortwo moments that inform your
thinking now?
Bethlene Ferdinand (04:41):
Okay, well, today I'm here to talk about
well being and as a teacher wellbeing is not something that you
consciously are aware of, or youconsciously think about. And I
think what brought me to thisplace was being able to be the
best that I can be for studentswith without demonstrating what
(05:01):
I'm going through. And I thinkthat is typically something that
teachers struggle with. How dowe, as educators come into the
classroom neutral withoutbringing any problems, or any
situations that we may havegoing on at home. And what
brought me to this place isthere was this time when I was
(05:22):
not in the best mental health.
But I was still turning up towork every day, I was aware that
I was not in the best place. ButI knew that I couldn't stay home
that I had a responsibility toeducate my country's my nation's
children. And so I would get upand go everyday, but it was
tumultuous, it was verydifficult. And I think that it
(05:44):
affected my practice. Itaffected my practice in a large
way. And that's why I'm heretoday.
Lindsay Persohn (05:53):
I think you're right, Bethlene. And I think
that so many teachers can relateto this feeling of not really
being, whether it's whole orready, or in a calm and focused
state of mind. And I thinkthere's so many factors that can
contribute to that, whether it'schallenges, you know, within
ourselves or family challenges,I even think now, sometimes
(06:16):
political pressures can reallyget in the way of showing up
right, and really being thereevery day, because you've been
in a classroom, you know, justhow much energy it takes to be
there and to really be in thegame. So I think this is such an
important topic.
Bethlene Ferdinand (06:32):
Definitely.
And we are also humans, withsituations that we can control.
And I think the perception isthat teachers are a superheroes.
And because we make it look soeasy, you know, yes, wellbeing
is very important on behalf ofstudents as well. As educators,
(06:53):
you know, we go into theclassroom, and we have to be so
much more than just the teacher.
We play so many roles as aneducator. And I just want to
raise the point that it'sequally important for us to
recognize the challenges that weface in classrooms, I've had
(07:13):
challenges where students havebroken down in tears, for
whatever reason, in theclassroom, I've had students who
are reserved in a corner, notspeaking because of whatever
they're going through. I've hadstudents without books, because
they don't know how they alsodeal with their frustrations.
But the issue there is that,from my experience, I was not
(07:36):
trained or equipped to deal withthe pressures that comes from
students in the classroom. So Ijust wanted to share that as
well. So it goes both ways. It'snot just about teachers. It's
not just about students, butit's about both of us and how we
can enhance and improve ourexperiences in the classroom.
Lindsay Persohn (07:57):
Absolutely creating that positive and
supportive culture for everyonein the room. Yeah. So I hope
you'll tell us a bit more aboutwhat you've been learning about
wellbeing in the classroom forteachers and students in
response to this next question,what do you want listeners to
know about your work?
Unknown (08:13):
Okay, well, first, I have to say that I am an intern
at Sur, which is the CaribbeanEducational Research Center here
in Barbados at the UWI TheUniversity of the West Indies.
And to be honest, wellbeing isnot something that I would have
delved into if I was notinterning here. But since I am
(08:34):
interning here I was exposed tohealth and well being and
wellness. And what I must say isthat conducting research in the
Caribbean, you realize itslimitations. In the Caribbean,
we don't have many publicationson well being relationship with
(08:55):
education on well being and thefactors that can influence well
being in the classroom, we don'thave a lot of literature on
wellbeing. So what we're doingnow is trying, we're trying to
establish that to publish thisliterature in the Caribbean, so
that we can have richer contentsin Caribbean education is that
(09:19):
so one role that served is toproduce a lot of research that
is Caribbean based becausethat's where the limitation is.
So what I've learned about wellbeing is what we go through as
educators in the classroom, wedon't have a lot of official
labels attached to them. We gothrough situations every day in
(09:44):
the classroom, but we're notconscious about it being labeled
or having a name or there'sactually literature or theory
based on what we wereexperiencing. You know, we talk
about well being talk about thehappiness of the student. What
makes that Happiness on thatsubjective well being. It could
be societal, it could besociological. But we're labeling
(10:08):
it now. And we're trying toexplore the things. And we're
trying to find, or to legitimizewhy it's so important to talk
about wellbeing and itsrelationship to education. I
hope I answered that question.
Lindsay Persohn (10:24):
Absolutely. And I'm, I'm hoping that you might
share a bit with us about thecontent of that work that you're
publishing, what are youlearning through your research,
I'm sure that while you areworking to fill a need in a
particular context, the end ofthe day, we're all humans,
right? And we all have thesehuman emotions. And so I'm
hopeful that she'll share someideas with us that you're
(10:45):
learning through the work thatyou're doing about wellness.
Bethlene Ferdinand (10:48):
Definitely, a lot of the research I'm
finding is based on studentsnaturally, you know, but the
research is telling us about therelationship between how
students learn, and their wellbeing. And that's very
important, because we need tounderstand what's best as
(11:08):
educators, what is best for ourstudents? How do we reach
students who are not performingas we think they can? How do we
increase that happiness or thatwell being within a student's
life? How do we combat what'shappening at home? In our
(11:30):
classroom? How do we how do weincrease that happiness, and
while researching on wellbeing,it was found that we focus a lot
on the pedagogy in theclassroom. And it is not
enhancing the well being ofstudents when we're just
pedagogically structuring ourlessons. So in other words, we
(11:56):
need to find holistic measuresthat can increase or maintain
that well being of the students.
That's on one hand, on the otherhand, a lot of educators are not
trained, or equipped withfacilitating that well being in
the classroom. And that'sanother challenge that we have.
(12:16):
So for example, I've been aneducator for about eight years.
But I've never been equippedformally, with strategies to
deal with well being or the lackthereof in classrooms. And that
is something that we need to payattention to the well being of
the facilitator of the educatorand the well being of the
(12:40):
students. And how can we makethis relationship work between
both of us?
Lindsay Persohn (12:46):
I would venture to say there are many educators
worldwide who don't feelequipped to support a student
who may be going through awhether it's a mental health
crisis or struggles at home,because sometimes I think that
part of the challenge is, well,so many challenges, right? We,
we don't always feel we have thetime to attend to that. We also
(13:08):
sometimes don't know how to dealwith delicate situations, or
sometimes don't feel we know thefull story. And quite often I
think that young people who arestill developing, even adults
have a hard time articulatingwhat is going on. So it
definitely is a challenge. Doyou have any tips for us that
have come out of your researchas to how we can support
(13:29):
students?
Bethlene Ferdinand (13:30):
Well, a lot of the research does not bring
out perspectives from theteachers view. But personally,
while reading I did, I was ableto relate the literature to my
experiences. So for example, myadvice will be to take care of
yourself first. You cannot pourfrom an empty cup. You know,
(13:53):
when we go on the airplane, theyalways tell us if we had to put
oxygen masks on that we must putit on ourselves first before we
can help the other person. Andthat's so that we are able to
help the other person that wedon't face from a lack of oxygen
before we get to help someoneelse. And that's always my first
tip is that as educators wecannot enhance or make better
(14:17):
unless we take care of ourselvesfor so I know that a lot usually
happens in our lives. And it'sextremely difficult for us to
leave work and leave work at thework door. Most teachers we
carry a lot of extra pressureand load with us it's almost
inevitable you know, but theremust be a point where we say
(14:41):
okay, I have to leave this and Ihave to take care of myself. If
you have problems you have to gospeak to someone do it if you
have to take a doctor day takeit if you have to take a mental
health day. Take it if you haveto call someone and cry on the
phone for hours do it. If youhave to travel somewhere
Fortunately, I'm in theCaribbean, we have beaches
(15:02):
everywhere, if you need to go tothe beach before or after work,
do it. If you need to drink aglass of wine before bed, do it,
if you need to get that favoritenovel of yours that you've been
itching to read, read it.
Because we cannot help studentsif we ourselves are not in that
place, and well being talksabout happiness and contentment.
And it's very important that wefirst are content and happy with
(15:25):
ourselves, or the place that weare in before we try to share
that with our students. Sothat's my first advice. Um,
secondly, we're not magicians,and we can possibly fix every
situation, it's impossible. Iknow, we try to save them all.
And it's heartbreaking, but wemay not be able to save them
(15:48):
all. And so we have to chooseour battles wisely. Because in
the end, that battle, that meansa lot to us, we may not have the
energy to fight for. And so it'svery important that we choose
what we take upon ourselves. Andthirdly, do not be afraid to ask
for help. I know, as educators,we are very independent,
(16:11):
extremely, we try to fixeveryone else's problems. But
when it's time for us to seekhelp, we're adamant that we
could get it done on our own.
And I think that that adds a lotof unnecessary pressure on
ourselves. So we're a network ofteachers, we have each other's
(16:33):
backs, you know, we should reachout, ask for help, you know,
YouTube, and tick tock, theyhave a lot of interesting ideas.
And they have a lot ofinteresting different ways and
methods and strategies and soforth. So use the social media,
it's available, don't be afraidto use it. And don't be afraid
to ask for help.
Lindsay Persohn (16:54):
Is there such great tips Bethlene, You know, I
can identify a lot with that,that third point, you know,
thinking that I'll do it myself,right, I'll manage it myself.
You're right, it sort of isn'tthe nature of a teacher, you
just do it. You know, it kind ofreminds me of whenever I'm
carrying three different bags,and a stack of books and a bunch
(17:15):
of papers, and a mug of coffeeand a cup of water. And somebody
says, Can I help you with that,like I'm used to. I always say
that as an educator, you kind ofbecome a bit like a pack mule?
Because you do end up carryingeverything. And you do think,
yeah, I'll just I can just do itall myself. I'm used to doing
this all myself. But that's sucha great reminder that when we
(17:37):
need help, we've got to ask forit.
Bethlene Ferdinand (17:39):
Very important. It's very.
Lindsay Persohn (17:43):
What else do you want listeners to know about
your work,
Bethlene Ferdinand (17:45):
I also want everyone else to realize that
when it comes to well being andstudents, students are met with
a lot of challenges as well,maybe even more than adults
have. And so we need to be awareof this period of time that we
are going through that is filledwith technologies, a
technological era. And thesestudents are so okay with using
(18:09):
the technology, we know thatthey're taken up with the social
media, and the social media hasa role to play with well being
or the lack thereof, becausesocial media produces false
narratives to the students. Andthey feel that they must live up
to these expectations. Forexample, the student may see on
(18:30):
Instagram or Tiktok a reel,about handbags about Birkins and
Chanel's. And they're taking upwith what life should look like.
But except that's not what lifereally is. And so as educators,
we have to be aware of that bybeing on social media as well to
(18:50):
see what students are exposedto, so that we can combat these
false narratives andexpectations that they may have
in the classroom. Becausethey're depressed, they feel
like they're not good enough.
You know, some students haveasked why were they born into
this family that they can affordthese particular luxuries in
life, when social media onlyportrays that aspects of life it
(19:14):
doesn't, it doesn't show youperhaps people have really nice
things that are fake, they maynot be real, they may be given
to them to advertise for free.
And they don't show you whatthese people are eating before
they go to bed. You know, andthis is something that I want
listeners to be aware of. Aseducators, we're so overwhelmed
(19:36):
that it's hard to grow socialmedia, or even be competent with
the different platforms that areout there. But I think that that
is one important aspects aswell, that we be aware of what
the students are looking andlistening to so that we can help
them in the long run.
Lindsay Persohn (19:53):
Yeah, there are so many young people who are on
social media and you'reabsolutely right there are full
story use false narratives, somany unrealistic portrayals of
what in air quotes, real lifelooks like, not acknowledging
that most people's real liveslook like driving to school
(20:15):
during the day, eating a lunchfrom a plastic tray, you know,
picking up, going home, makingdinner, doing dishes, picking
up, you know, and life reallyisn't as glamorous as it is
often portrayed to be online.
And I think that sometimes, youknow, young people can feel like
they're missing out on somethingwhen, when really, that's not
(20:36):
what most of us are doing withour time. That's not how most of
us look, that's not how most ofus act. So it does set a really
unrealistic expectation that canlead to all kinds of negative
repercussions for young people.
So I really appreciate youmentioning that.
Bethlene Ferdinand (20:51):
Yes, definitely. So that's something
I know that we need to be awareof. Yeah, definitely.
Lindsay Persohn (20:56):
So definitely, given the challenges of today's
educational climate, whatmessage do you want teachers to
Bethlene Ferdinand (21:01):
I would also want teachers to hear that hear
you're doing a great job,despite the many negative
feedbacks that we receive, welay the foundation for so many
occupations. So please don'tever underestimate what you're
doing. I think that it'sfabulous that we've chosen this
role. And it's this career,it's, it's a beautiful, it comes
(21:26):
with many challenges, I know howhard it is, I know how under
appreciated, we feel I know I'mhere, I've been there. So that's
just my first encouragement toyou. And also, don't be afraid
to improve what you're doing.
Now keep reading, I know thatyour time is limited. Keep
reading. Don't forget to findtime for yourself. And when you
(21:48):
find time for yourself, you findthat you're more productive in
doing what you must. So ifyou're bombarded or you're
burdened with work, if you findtime to take a break, that break
actually puts you in the frameof mind to keep going to do
better. And try to be asorganized as you can. I know as
(22:10):
teachers, we get everythingdone. It may not be in a
structured way, most times we doget things done, we have a lot
of lesson planning to do. A lotof the weekends are taken over
with with with work from school.
But I find that if you're ableto start planning that that
(22:33):
helps. So I was not fromexperience a planning girl. And
eventually I started withwriting things down and then
that got messy. And then Igraduated to a diary. And then
it went from a diary. So aplanner, and then I started
buying stickers and making itpretty and colorful. And then
(22:54):
that that helps. Oh, and also Iwant teachers to remember that
they can't pour from empty cups.
And so you have to remember thatyou first must take care of
yourself before you're able totake care of someone else. And
we have to remember that that isthe basis of well being that's
that's the whole point is thatwe become conscious and aware of
(23:17):
the state, the mental states,the psychological state that
we're in, in that current momentin that current space, so that
we can deal with it and takecare of it so that we're able to
help our students through theirdifficulties and challenges or
even if it's to underscore theircontentment and their happiness
(23:40):
in that specific time.
Lindsay Persohn (23:45):
That's really great advice. Thank you so much
for that. I feel like we canwalk away with some really
tangible examples of how we canbegin to take care of ourselves,
particularly for teachers whoare feeling drained, who are
feeling like they've given allthey can give and they're about
to give up. I think it's just soimportant that we take a step
back. And like you said, Readthat novel, take that walk with
(24:08):
a friend, you know, have a goodconversation on the phone, eat
something you enjoy, drink,something you enjoy. You know,
sometimes I think it's thosesmall moments that can help us
to reframe, and I know one thingthat we didn't talk about that
has really been helpful for mewhen it comes to well being is
yoga and meditation. So I thinkthat exercise is also a really
important part.
Bethlene Ferdinand (24:29):
Very important. Yeah.
Lindsay Persohn (24:30):
Yep. And I know meditation for me has you were
talking about how sometimestaking that break is what helps
us to move forward. And that'swhat I find is that if I can
focus on the present moment, I'mthen much more ready to deal
with what's coming next. If Ican take a minute to kind of
clear my mind.
Bethlene Ferdinand (24:46):
So yeah, I agree with you I think is
important. When I was growingup. My mom is a teacher, and I
have several of her siblings. Myaunts were also who are also
teachers and then I have severalcousins. We're also teachers. So
it's safe to say that I comefrom a teaching family. So I
have had a lot of experiences,teaching experiences without
(25:08):
formally being a teacher beforeI was. And I've seen my mother
gave up time spending time withus so that she can help others.
But in the end, she sort ofsuffered, because you hear her
saying things like, I helpeveryone else's, but not mine.
And, you know, she's questioningthe value of that, and the
(25:28):
decisions that she made were therights. Could I have had more
balance? You know, so it's veryimportant that we have to put
ourselves first at some point. Iknow, as teachers, it's very
difficult for us to be selfishor to want to put ourselves
first, but I've learned from mymom, that there are instances
(25:49):
where I have to put me first,and that's the only way I can be
the best for my students.
Lindsay Persohn (25:56):
That's such a powerful message. Thank you,
Bethlene. And I want to thankyou for your time today and
thank you for your contributionsto the field of education.
Bethlene Ferdinand (26:05):
It was a pleasure being here
Lindsay Persohn (26:08):
Bethlene Ferdinand is known for her work
in the areas of EducationalLeadership and health and
wellness. Ms. Ferdinand is fromSt. Vincent and the Grenadines
and island west of Barbados. Sheholds a BA in linguistics a
postgraduate diploma in teachingof English and a master's of
education in educationalleadership from the University
(26:29):
of the West Indies. Cavehill.
Bethlene has worked for eightyears as a secondary school
educator, and was the head ofthe Modern Languages Department
of a secondary school in SaintVincent and the Grenadines for
six of those years beforejoining the team at the
Caribbean Educational ResearchCenter. Bethlene aspires to
complete a PhD in the field ofeducation policy, and the
(26:50):
characteristics surroundingteaching and learning in St.
Vincent, the Grenadines and theCaribbean. Bethlene is a
research assistant and theCaribbean Educational Research
Center at the University of theWest Indies Cave Hill. For the
good of all students classroomcaffeine aims to energize
education research and practice.
(27:14):
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(27:35):
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(27:57):
teachers. Thanks for joining me
Hello classroom caffeine listeners, we are
hosting a special series ofepisodes to share with you some
of the work involving pastclassroom caffeine guest, my
colleague and friend Dr.
Patriann Smith. This specialseries is intended to share work
associated with an upcomingconference. Specifically, these
episodes shine light on researchtaking place in the Caribbean
(00:23):
islands with both specificcontextual nuance and universal
applicability. Dr. Smith, withmany others is involved in the
Caribbean Educational ResearchInitiative officially referred
to as the Research Initiativefor Supporting Education in the
Caribbean or RISE Caribbean.
(00:44):
This initiative is a partnershipbetween the United States Agency
for International Development,the University of the West
Indies, Cave Hill campus, theUniversity of South Florida and
the eastern Caribbean JointBoard of Teacher Education. The
Caribbean Educational ResearchCenter launched as a part of the
initiative in 2021 is designedto serve the Eastern Caribbean
(01:06):
Islands, which consists of sixindependent countries Antigua
and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica,Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent andthe Grenadines and also three
British Overseas Territories,The Virgin Islands, Montserrat
and Anguilla. This center ishoused at the University of West
(01:29):
Indies Cave Hill campus inBarbados with the capability to
generate and utilize robust datafor improved decision making and
basic education throughout theregion. The Caribbean
Educational Research Centerdraws on research expertise from
the University of West IndiesSchool of Education, UW eyes,
other campuses the University ofSouth Florida ministries of
(01:51):
education and the teachereducation divisions of the
national Colleges of the EasternCaribbean and the teachers
college in Barbados in harmonywith the aim of building
research capacity in the region.
The center providesassistantships and internships
for graduate students pursuingresearch degrees in education
and related fields and stafffrom the ministries of education
and the National colleges whowork with classroom teachers to
(02:14):
investigate classroom phenomena.
The RISE Caribbean initiative isexpected to ultimately establish
a repository for education datafor the countries in the East
Caribbean and Barbados. Conductdemand driven research and
analysis to inform policy andplanning for ministries of
education and other stakeholdersin education. Build a capacity
(02:36):
for research and training withstudents and education
stakeholders conduct and supportcomparative and collaborative
research with higher educationinstitutions in and outside of
the region and strengthenresearch culture through
publications, public lectures,and other means of sharing
research findings. One of themajor activities of the RISE
Caribbean initiative is anannual conference designed to
(02:57):
support the Center's researchfellows and research assistants
to this end, the RISE Caribbean2023 conference, building
solidarity across educationalcommunities, cultivating spaces
where students thrive, aims toharness the power of community,
interconnectedness, andinclusivity and our collective
efforts to create and sustaineducational spaces for students
(03:19):
to succeed. The RISE Caribbeanconference includes sessions
that imagine possibilitiesaround which we can plan
collectively to improve theexperience as well being an
educational outcomes for allchildren, especially those for
whom achievement, equity andjustice have long been withheld.
This classroom caffeine specialseries highlights scholars who
(03:39):
are integral to the work of theRISE Caribbean Initiative and
the RISE Caribbean conferencehosted at the University of
South Florida Tampa, May 30Through June 1 2023.
In this episode bethleneFerdinand to talks to us about
teacher and student wellbeing.
Bethlene is known for her workin the areas of the impacts of
well being on education andeducational leadership. Bethlene
(04:02):
is involved in planning andpresentations at the 2023 RISE
Caribbean conference hosted atthe University of South Florida
in Tampa, Florida. Ms. BethleneFerdinand is a research
assistant in the CaribbeanEducational Research Center at
the University of the WestIndies Cave Hill. For more
information about our guest,stay tuned to the end of this
(04:23):
episode methylene thank you forjoining me, welcome to the show.
Bethlene Ferdinand (04:29):
Thank you, Lindsey for having me. It's a
pleasure to be here. Thank you.
Lindsay Persohn (04:33):
So from your own experiences and education,
will you share with us one ortwo moments that inform your
thinking now?
Bethlene Ferdinand (04:41):
Okay, well, today I'm here to talk about
well being and as a teacher wellbeing is not something that you
consciously are aware of, or youconsciously think about. And I
think what brought me to thisplace was being able to be the
best that I can be for studentswith without demonstrating what
(05:01):
I'm going through. And I thinkthat is typically something that
teachers struggle with. How dowe, as educators come into the
classroom neutral withoutbringing any problems, or any
situations that we may havegoing on at home. And what
brought me to this place isthere was this time when I was
(05:22):
not in the best mental health.
But I was still turning up towork every day, I was aware that
I was not in the best place. ButI knew that I couldn't stay home
that I had a responsibility toeducate my country's my nation's
children. And so I would get upand go everyday, but it was
tumultuous, it was verydifficult. And I think that it
(05:44):
affected my practice. Itaffected my practice in a large
way. And that's why I'm heretoday.
Lindsay Persohn (05:53):
I think you're right, Bethlene. And I think
that so many teachers can relateto this feeling of not really
being, whether it's whole orready, or in a calm and focused
state of mind. And I thinkthere's so many factors that can
contribute to that, whether it'schallenges, you know, within
ourselves or family challenges,I even think now, sometimes
(06:16):
political pressures can reallyget in the way of showing up
right, and really being thereevery day, because you've been
in a classroom, you know, justhow much energy it takes to be
there and to really be in thegame. So I think this is such an
important topic.
Bethlene Ferdinand (06:32):
Definitely.
And we are also humans, withsituations that we can control.
And I think the perception isthat teachers are a superheroes.
And because we make it look soeasy, you know, yes, wellbeing
is very important on behalf ofstudents as well. As educators,
(06:53):
you know, we go into theclassroom, and we have to be so
much more than just the teacher.
We play so many roles as aneducator. And I just want to
raise the point that it'sequally important for us to
recognize the challenges that weface in classrooms, I've had
(07:13):
challenges where students havebroken down in tears, for
whatever reason, in theclassroom, I've had students who
are reserved in a corner, notspeaking because of whatever
they're going through. I've hadstudents without books, because
they don't know how they alsodeal with their frustrations.
But the issue there is that,from my experience, I was not
(07:36):
trained or equipped to deal withthe pressures that comes from
students in the classroom. So Ijust wanted to share that as
well. So it goes both ways. It'snot just about teachers. It's
not just about students, butit's about both of us and how we
can enhance and improve ourexperiences in the classroom.
Lindsay Persohn (07:57):
Absolutely creating that positive and
supportive culture for everyonein the room. Yeah. So I hope
you'll tell us a bit more aboutwhat you've been learning about
wellbeing in the classroom forteachers and students in
response to this next question,what do you want listeners to
know about your work?
Unknown (08:13):
Okay, well, first, I have to say that I am an intern
at Sur, which is the CaribbeanEducational Research Center here
in Barbados at the UWI TheUniversity of the West Indies.
And to be honest, wellbeing isnot something that I would have
delved into if I was notinterning here. But since I am
(08:34):
interning here I was exposed tohealth and well being and
wellness. And what I must say isthat conducting research in the
Caribbean, you realize itslimitations. In the Caribbean,
we don't have many publicationson well being relationship with
(08:55):
education on well being and thefactors that can influence well
being in the classroom, we don'thave a lot of literature on
wellbeing. So what we're doingnow is trying, we're trying to
establish that to publish thisliterature in the Caribbean, so
that we can have richer contentsin Caribbean education is that
(09:19):
so one role that served is toproduce a lot of research that
is Caribbean based becausethat's where the limitation is.
So what I've learned about wellbeing is what we go through as
educators in the classroom, wedon't have a lot of official
labels attached to them. We gothrough situations every day in
(09:44):
the classroom, but we're notconscious about it being labeled
or having a name or there'sactually literature or theory
based on what we wereexperiencing. You know, we talk
about well being talk about thehappiness of the student. What
makes that Happiness on thatsubjective well being. It could
be societal, it could besociological. But we're labeling
(10:08):
it now. And we're trying toexplore the things. And we're
trying to find, or to legitimizewhy it's so important to talk
about wellbeing and itsrelationship to education. I
hope I answered that question.
Lindsay Persohn (10:24):
Absolutely. And I'm, I'm hoping that you might
share a bit with us about thecontent of that work that you're
publishing, what are youlearning through your research,
I'm sure that while you areworking to fill a need in a
particular context, the end ofthe day, we're all humans,
right? And we all have thesehuman emotions. And so I'm
hopeful that she'll share someideas with us that you're
(10:45):
learning through the work thatyou're doing about wellness.
Bethlene Ferdinand (10:48):
Definitely, a lot of the research I'm
finding is based on studentsnaturally, you know, but the
research is telling us about therelationship between how
students learn, and their wellbeing. And that's very
important, because we need tounderstand what's best as
(11:08):
educators, what is best for ourstudents? How do we reach
students who are not performingas we think they can? How do we
increase that happiness or thatwell being within a student's
life? How do we combat what'shappening at home? In our
(11:30):
classroom? How do we how do weincrease that happiness, and
while researching on wellbeing,it was found that we focus a lot
on the pedagogy in theclassroom. And it is not
enhancing the well being ofstudents when we're just
pedagogically structuring ourlessons. So in other words, we
(11:56):
need to find holistic measuresthat can increase or maintain
that well being of the students.
That's on one hand, on the otherhand, a lot of educators are not
trained, or equipped withfacilitating that well being in
the classroom. And that'sanother challenge that we have.
(12:16):
So for example, I've been aneducator for about eight years.
But I've never been equippedformally, with strategies to
deal with well being or the lackthereof in classrooms. And that
is something that we need to payattention to the well being of
the facilitator of the educatorand the well being of the
(12:40):
students. And how can we makethis relationship work between
both of us?
Lindsay Persohn (12:46):
I would venture to say there are many educators
worldwide who don't feelequipped to support a student
who may be going through awhether it's a mental health
crisis or struggles at home,because sometimes I think that
part of the challenge is, well,so many challenges, right? We,
we don't always feel we have thetime to attend to that. We also
(13:08):
sometimes don't know how to dealwith delicate situations, or
sometimes don't feel we know thefull story. And quite often I
think that young people who arestill developing, even adults
have a hard time articulatingwhat is going on. So it
definitely is a challenge. Doyou have any tips for us that
have come out of your researchas to how we can support
(13:29):
students?
Bethlene Ferdinand (13:30):
Well, a lot of the research does not bring
out perspectives from theteachers view. But personally,
while reading I did, I was ableto relate the literature to my
experiences. So for example, myadvice will be to take care of
yourself first. You cannot pourfrom an empty cup. You know,
(13:53):
when we go on the airplane, theyalways tell us if we had to put
oxygen masks on that we must putit on ourselves first before we
can help the other person. Andthat's so that we are able to
help the other person that wedon't face from a lack of oxygen
before we get to help someoneelse. And that's always my first
tip is that as educators wecannot enhance or make better
(14:17):
unless we take care of ourselvesfor so I know that a lot usually
happens in our lives. And it'sextremely difficult for us to
leave work and leave work at thework door. Most teachers we
carry a lot of extra pressureand load with us it's almost
inevitable you know, but theremust be a point where we say
(14:41):
okay, I have to leave this and Ihave to take care of myself. If
you have problems you have to gospeak to someone do it if you
have to take a doctor day takeit if you have to take a mental
health day. Take it if you haveto call someone and cry on the
phone for hours do it. If youhave to travel somewhere
Fortunately, I'm in theCaribbean, we have beaches
(15:02):
everywhere, if you need to go tothe beach before or after work,
do it. If you need to drink aglass of wine before bed, do it,
if you need to get that favoritenovel of yours that you've been
itching to read, read it.
Because we cannot help studentsif we ourselves are not in that
place, and well being talksabout happiness and contentment.
And it's very important that wefirst are content and happy with
(15:25):
ourselves, or the place that weare in before we try to share
that with our students. Sothat's my first advice. Um,
secondly, we're not magicians,and we can possibly fix every
situation, it's impossible. Iknow, we try to save them all.
And it's heartbreaking, but wemay not be able to save them
(15:48):
all. And so we have to chooseour battles wisely. Because in
the end, that battle, that meansa lot to us, we may not have the
energy to fight for. And so it'svery important that we choose
what we take upon ourselves. Andthirdly, do not be afraid to ask
for help. I know, as educators,we are very independent,
(16:11):
extremely, we try to fixeveryone else's problems. But
when it's time for us to seekhelp, we're adamant that we
could get it done on our own.
And I think that that adds a lotof unnecessary pressure on
ourselves. So we're a network ofteachers, we have each other's
(16:33):
backs, you know, we should reachout, ask for help, you know,
YouTube, and tick tock, theyhave a lot of interesting ideas.
And they have a lot ofinteresting different ways and
methods and strategies and soforth. So use the social media,
it's available, don't be afraidto use it. And don't be afraid
to ask for help.
Lindsay Persohn (16:54):
Is there such great tips Bethlene, You know, I
can identify a lot with that,that third point, you know,
thinking that I'll do it myself,right, I'll manage it myself.
You're right, it sort of isn'tthe nature of a teacher, you
just do it. You know, it kind ofreminds me of whenever I'm
carrying three different bags,and a stack of books and a bunch
(17:15):
of papers, and a mug of coffeeand a cup of water. And somebody
says, Can I help you with that,like I'm used to. I always say
that as an educator, you kind ofbecome a bit like a pack mule?
Because you do end up carryingeverything. And you do think,
yeah, I'll just I can just do itall myself. I'm used to doing
this all myself. But that's sucha great reminder that when we
(17:37):
need help, we've got to ask forit.
Bethlene Ferdinand (17:39):
Very important. It's very.
Lindsay Persohn (17:43):
What else do you want listeners to know about
your work,
Bethlene Ferdinand (17:45):
I also want everyone else to realize that
when it comes to well being andstudents, students are met with
a lot of challenges as well,maybe even more than adults
have. And so we need to be awareof this period of time that we
are going through that is filledwith technologies, a
technological era. And thesestudents are so okay with using
(18:09):
the technology, we know thatthey're taken up with the social
media, and the social media hasa role to play with well being
or the lack thereof, becausesocial media produces false
narratives to the students. Andthey feel that they must live up
to these expectations. Forexample, the student may see on
(18:30):
Instagram or Tiktok a reel,about handbags about Birkins and
Chanel's. And they're taking upwith what life should look like.
But except that's not what lifereally is. And so as educators,
we have to be aware of that bybeing on social media as well to
(18:50):
see what students are exposedto, so that we can combat these
false narratives andexpectations that they may have
in the classroom. Becausethey're depressed, they feel
like they're not good enough.
You know, some students haveasked why were they born into
this family that they can affordthese particular luxuries in
life, when social media onlyportrays that aspects of life it
(19:14):
doesn't, it doesn't show youperhaps people have really nice
things that are fake, they maynot be real, they may be given
to them to advertise for free.
And they don't show you whatthese people are eating before
they go to bed. You know, andthis is something that I want
listeners to be aware of. Aseducators, we're so overwhelmed
(19:36):
that it's hard to grow socialmedia, or even be competent with
the different platforms that areout there. But I think that that
is one important aspects aswell, that we be aware of what
the students are looking andlistening to so that we can help
them in the long run.
Lindsay Persohn (19:53):
Yeah, there are so many young people who are on
social media and you'reabsolutely right there are full
story use false narratives, somany unrealistic portrayals of
what in air quotes, real lifelooks like, not acknowledging
that most people's real liveslook like driving to school
(20:15):
during the day, eating a lunchfrom a plastic tray, you know,
picking up, going home, makingdinner, doing dishes, picking
up, you know, and life reallyisn't as glamorous as it is
often portrayed to be online.
And I think that sometimes, youknow, young people can feel like
they're missing out on somethingwhen, when really, that's not
(20:36):
what most of us are doing withour time. That's not how most of
us look, that's not how most ofus act. So it does set a really
unrealistic expectation that canlead to all kinds of negative
repercussions for young people.
So I really appreciate youmentioning that.
Bethlene Ferdinand (20:51):
Yes, definitely. So that's something
I know that we need to be awareof. Yeah, definitely.
Lindsay Persohn (20:56):
So definitely, given the challenges of today's
educational climate, whatmessage do you want teachers to
Bethlene Ferdinand (21:01):
I would also want teachers to hear that hear
you're doing a great job,despite the many negative
feedbacks that we receive, welay the foundation for so many
occupations. So please don'tever underestimate what you're
doing. I think that it'sfabulous that we've chosen this
role. And it's this career,it's, it's a beautiful, it comes
(21:26):
with many challenges, I know howhard it is, I know how under
appreciated, we feel I know I'mhere, I've been there. So that's
just my first encouragement toyou. And also, don't be afraid
to improve what you're doing.
Now keep reading, I know thatyour time is limited. Keep
reading. Don't forget to findtime for yourself. And when you
(21:48):
find time for yourself, you findthat you're more productive in
doing what you must. So ifyou're bombarded or you're
burdened with work, if you findtime to take a break, that break
actually puts you in the frameof mind to keep going to do
better. And try to be asorganized as you can. I know as
(22:10):
teachers, we get everythingdone. It may not be in a
structured way, most times we doget things done, we have a lot
of lesson planning to do. A lotof the weekends are taken over
with with with work from school.
But I find that if you're ableto start planning that that
(22:33):
helps. So I was not fromexperience a planning girl. And
eventually I started withwriting things down and then
that got messy. And then Igraduated to a diary. And then
it went from a diary. So aplanner, and then I started
buying stickers and making itpretty and colorful. And then
(22:54):
that that helps. Oh, and also Iwant teachers to remember that
they can't pour from empty cups.
And so you have to remember thatyou first must take care of
yourself before you're able totake care of someone else. And
we have to remember that that isthe basis of well being that's
that's the whole point is thatwe become conscious and aware of
(23:17):
the state, the mental states,the psychological state that
we're in, in that current momentin that current space, so that
we can deal with it and takecare of it so that we're able to
help our students through theirdifficulties and challenges or
even if it's to underscore theircontentment and their happiness
(23:40):
in that specific time.
Lindsay Persohn (23:45):
That's really great advice. Thank you so much
for that. I feel like we canwalk away with some really
tangible examples of how we canbegin to take care of ourselves,
particularly for teachers whoare feeling drained, who are
feeling like they've given allthey can give and they're about
to give up. I think it's just soimportant that we take a step
back. And like you said, Readthat novel, take that walk with
(24:08):
a friend, you know, have a goodconversation on the phone, eat
something you enjoy, drink,something you enjoy. You know,
sometimes I think it's thosesmall moments that can help us
to reframe, and I know one thingthat we didn't talk about that
has really been helpful for mewhen it comes to well being is
yoga and meditation. So I thinkthat exercise is also a really
important part.
Bethlene Ferdinand (24:29):
Very important. Yeah.
Lindsay Persohn (24:30):
Yep. And I know meditation for me has you were
talking about how sometimestaking that break is what helps
us to move forward. And that'swhat I find is that if I can
focus on the present moment, I'mthen much more ready to deal
with what's coming next. If Ican take a minute to kind of
clear my mind.
Bethlene Ferdinand (24:46):
So yeah, I agree with you I think is
important. When I was growingup. My mom is a teacher, and I
have several of her siblings. Myaunts were also who are also
teachers and then I have severalcousins. We're also teachers. So
it's safe to say that I comefrom a teaching family. So I
have had a lot of experiences,teaching experiences without
(25:08):
formally being a teacher beforeI was. And I've seen my mother
gave up time spending time withus so that she can help others.
But in the end, she sort ofsuffered, because you hear her
saying things like, I helpeveryone else's, but not mine.
And, you know, she's questioningthe value of that, and the
(25:28):
decisions that she made were therights. Could I have had more
balance? You know, so it's veryimportant that we have to put
ourselves first at some point. Iknow, as teachers, it's very
difficult for us to be selfishor to want to put ourselves
first, but I've learned from mymom, that there are instances
(25:49):
where I have to put me first,and that's the only way I can be
the best for my students.
Lindsay Persohn (25:56):
That's such a powerful message. Thank you,
Bethlene. And I want to thankyou for your time today and
thank you for your contributionsto the field of education.
Bethlene Ferdinand (26:05):
It was a pleasure being here
Lindsay Persohn (26:08):
Bethlene Ferdinand is known for her work
in the areas of EducationalLeadership and health and
wellness. Ms. Ferdinand is fromSt. Vincent and the Grenadines
and island west of Barbados. Sheholds a BA in linguistics a
postgraduate diploma in teachingof English and a master's of
education in educationalleadership from the University
(26:29):
of the West Indies. Cavehill.
Bethlene has worked for eightyears as a secondary school
educator, and was the head ofthe Modern Languages Department
of a secondary school in SaintVincent and the Grenadines for
six of those years beforejoining the team at the
Caribbean Educational ResearchCenter. Bethlene aspires to
complete a PhD in the field ofeducation policy, and the
(26:50):
characteristics surroundingteaching and learning in St.
Vincent, the Grenadines and theCaribbean. Bethlene is a
research assistant and theCaribbean Educational Research
Center at the University of theWest Indies Cave Hill. For the
good of all students classroomcaffeine aims to energize
education research and practice.
(27:14):
If this show provides you withthings to think about, don't
keep it a secret. Subscribe,like and review this podcast
through your preferred podcastprovider. I also invite you to
connect with the show throughour website at WWW dot classroom
caffeine.com where you can learnmore about each guest. Find
(27:35):
transcripts for many episodes,explore episode topics using our
tagging feature, supportpodcast, research through our
survey, request an episode topicor a potential guest or share
your own questions that we mightrespond to through the show. We
would love to hear from you. Asalways, I raised my mug to you
(27:57):
teachers. Thanks for joining me
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