St. Thomas, JAMAICA: Georgian Walker helping her students create items from everyday materials.... "The creative side comes out in the children because I get them to do a lot of things," Walker said.

BY INGRID BROWN Associate Editor -- Special Assignment browni@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, November 10, 2014    

STUDENTS at Logwood Basic, a small early childhood school tucked away in St Thomas, have been finding their creative sides, thanks to the exceptional talent of their teacher and principal Georgian Walker.

These students use fudge sticks to create letters

"The creative side comes out in the children because I get them to do a lot of things," Walker said. "I think it is very important that you start them doing things like this at an early age because I see where it helps them with their learning."

Walker, who has been head of the school since 2012, is known for assisting the four- and five-year-olds to create items from everyday materials found around the home.

"I utilise a lot of the everyday things such as rice, peas, macaroni and so on," she said, while displaying a wide variety of items created from these products.

Walker's talent is evident from the minute one enters the classroom, as the charts and other art work decorating the walls all around make it a most inviting place.

The students pose with Principal Georgian Walker (left),
 teacher Lavern Daley (centre) and volunteer
Sasha-Gaye Bailey.

Also of note are the many beautiful teaching aids which Walker has personally made to assist the children with things such as telling the time to learning Spanish words.

"I really don't like the ready-made charts, so I tend to make a lot of the learning aids, that way I can put whatever I want on it," she told the Jamaica Observer North East.

Walker, who has been working with children for the last 14 years, said her most creative moments are before dawn as she is up by 3:00 every morning to prepare new teaching materials.

"I know this is a gift," she said of her varied talents. more