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Inspiring Bold Female Teachers: Women Who Changed the Face of Education
Words Hannah George
A city is built through education, and the world of education is heavily reliant on excellent teachers; more than just teachers of subjects, but encouragers and lifegivers. They allow kids to dream and be the best at whatever they want to do.
The job of a teacher is more than just a desire to teach a subject, but is also centered around the passion to display and instil leadership and values to all the students. Great teachers take on the student as a whole; it’s not just about imparting knowledge of one subject in their minds.
That being said, it's those with the gift of providing pastoral care to students that will be more effective, ensuring the physical and emotional welfare of pupils. Pastoral care extends to every aspect of school life, enhancing the students’ personal development to the same degree as their academic progress.
Education can be defined as an enlightening experience. Here are some teachers who have provided solutions in the education world, providing students with a brighter future:
Emma Willard
Willard was at the forefront of the women's rights movement and used education as a way to express her desire for change. She opened the Troy Female Seminary in 1821, which was the first school for women's higher education.
Solution: Permitted female students to higher education, which enabled them to know more and do more with the skills and knowledge they had acquired.
Gabriela Mistral
Mistral was a teacher and Nobel Prize-winning poet who fought for Chilean citizens of all social classes to have the right to a great education. Before being named as the director of a girls’ school in Santiago, she traveled around the country teaching in various districts. Mistral went on to travel the world as a diplomat sharing her humanitarian message.
Solution: Provided a good standard of education for children of all classes, where there may not have been the opportunity or privilege to such.
Kakenya Ntaiya
Kenyan-born Ntaiya founded the Kakenya Center for Excellence; a boarding school for girls that requires all parents to refuse the subjection of their children to genital mutilation or forced marriage as part of the child’s enrolment. Ntaiya has received many awards as a result of her outstanding achievements and has been recognised for her efforts and success as an educator and social activist.
Solution: Found a solution to stop young girls being subjected to genital mutilation and forced marriages through her Center for Excellence.
Maria Montessori
Montessori was an Italian physician and educator who developed a teaching philosophy, which is still used today. The method had a focus on 6 key principles, namely independence, observation, following the child, correcting the child, prepared environment and absorbent minds.
Solution: Offered an alternative teaching method that was out of the box but helped many children.
Marva Collins
Collins started off as a full-time substitute at the inner-city Chicago public school. She later went on to open a private school in the building she lived in, offering low-cost education to low income students in her community. Collins was passionate about helping kids overcome behavioral issues and other obstacles through her own unique method of teaching.
Solution: Gave students - who struggled with learning, behavioural issues and the high costs of education - a real chance to learn in a great environment with a patient teacher.