Mrs. Audrey Howser's 1st grade class had a special visitor on Thursday, August 11 when a teacher visiting from Jamaica spent the morning with the class.

Danele Duffus, a 3rd grade teacher from the foreign country of Jamaica arrived in the United States on July 28. She began her visit in Brooklyn, NY and ventured south to Macon County to visit with the Howsers.

The Howsers met Danele while on a missionary trip to her home town of Claredon, Jamaica where they had the opportunity to visit the schools there.

Danele said classes in Jamaica are very different than in the US.

"One of the challenges we face is coping with large groups of children. In my group we have up to 35 students to one teacher. Although my preference is to work with small groups of children, if I adhere to my preference the opportunity for all the children to get involved is limited. Four classes are housed in one classroom." Danele said in her unique Jamaican accent.

"Modern supplies are also scarce. An entire school may have only one computer

Parents pay for everything for their children's education including the mandatory school uniforms.

Space is extremely limited. Three classrooms with almost 90 children are separated in a space equivalent to a large kindergarten room in the US. As a result, the noise level is quite high making it challenging to read a story or sing songs."

Overall, she said she learned a lot during her visit about different teaching strategies, group size, teaching resources and the physical environment influence the possibilities for the teacher's role and for planning and implementation of curriculum.

Students in Mrs. Howser's class also learned alot from Danele. They now know Jamaican students have religion taught as part of their every day curriculum, they memorize bible verses, and they learn to read and write. Jamaican students walk to school and attend in shifts, morning or afternoon. They also learned Jamaican students "talk funny" compared to the southern drawl they are accustomed to hearing here at home.

On August 16 Danele returned home to Jamaica to get ready for her 3rd grade class. They will begin school on September 5 and she will have much to share with them about her visit to the United States.