Guide to Being a New Teacher in Jamaica

Hi there ‘Teach’ ! Let me be the first of many to call you that! So, you have decided to take on a career in teaching uh? Brave one. This journey, like all the other milestones in your life so far is a big deal and you ought to feel more proud than you are feeling daunted. Especially since you have this guide to being a new teacher in Jamaica.

In this guide, you’ll find insights on teachers’ salaries in Jamaica, writing your Assumption Letter and tips to help you on your journey as a new teacher in Jamaica.

By now, your brain might be preoccupied with wonderings and worrying. Am I capable of writing lesson plans? How should I dress? Should I purchase tokens and stickers for the students? Wait, what will my salary look like? Will I have colleagues who are nurturing? Will the students despise me if I’m too firm? Will they turn the classroom upside-down if I’m not firm? How do I strike a balance? Should I even strike a balance? What classroom management strategies have I decided on so far?

All this thinking! Relax and read. All this and MORE, answered in this guide to being a new teacher in Jamaica!

You Got the Job to teach, Now what?

First thing’s first. Paper work.

(Not the students’ paper work just yet!) Yours!

This is absolutely important and I suggest you pay attention. Take out your notebook to make jottings. You’ll need it for the big test Monday morning!

In Jamaica, the Ministry of Education through the various public schools, stipulate certain documents that the senior management team via the bursary ought to ensure you sign, and you should too.

Let’s start with your “503” Forms. What exactly are these?

503 Forms For New Teachers in Jamaica

These forms are typically provided at the school, by the school. They are designed to capture your demographic information (name, gender, address etc.), your qualifications (diploma, degree etc.) and level of experience. It basically seeks to introduce you to the Ministry’s data system of teachers.

Prepare to be ‘punished’ so to speak by writing lines! Relax. All this means is that you will need to fill this form more than twice, so there are copies for the records. Seriously though, who likes filling forms!? Especially the same thing all over again. Certainly not me.

Tip: Double check to ensure information is on the correct lines and you have not overlooked required fields. This can seriously slow down the processing of your records… and salary too! Yikes.

Next… on the topic of forms: New teacher Assumption Letter

As a new teacher in Jamaica, you’ll need to write and submit your Assumption Letter. This is a simple letter addressed to the principal of the school, that you have assumed duties in your capacity of teacher – dated for the first official day of the school term you are beginning in.

Here’s an insight:

Some time ago in August, when I was handling these very paper work, I wrote my Assumption Letter and submitted same. Bear in mind the school term (September 1st) had not yet begun.

During an Orientation session put on by the school, personnel from the Ministry of Education visited to make a presentation. It was made abundantly clear, that Assumption Letters should be dated on the very day the school term starts.

As such, teachers who would have already written and dated that letter in August, had to redo and re-submit at the start of the term (September 1st). Oh, this is regardless of whether school resumed at a later date. The start of the school month is what is important.

FREE: Download my simple Assumption Letter template below.

Assumption-Letter-Rooting-For-Growth-with-FD Get Yours Now

Rounding up the paper work as a new teacher in Jamaica

Awesome! With your 503 forms and Assumption Letter out the way, be sure to complete your banking information forms and employment contract in a timely manner. These will be provided at the school, by the school. Ask for, and keep copies of these documents in a safe place at home.

Now, let’s get to the ‘teacher stuff’!

Preparing Lesson Plans as a new teacher in Jamaica

I know. I know. The often dreaded feature. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t worry too much. When it comes down to preparing lesson plans – keep it simple.

Let’s back things up a bit, especially for new teachers who didn’t go to teacher’s college. You might be wondering, what exactly is this thing called at lesson plan.

Just as how, in starting a business you will need a business plan- in starting a lesson you will need a lesson plan too! It gives you a roadmap of what the lesson is about and how you will go about delivering it to the students.

The good news is, each school/department usually has a template of their lesson plan that you can easily edit week after week with the required lesson objectives and materials. Once you have that template, use your course outline, textbooks and the subject syllabus to guide you on what the students should learn for that week.

Materials and Resources

If it ever crossed your mind that you do not have all the information nor resources to head into your classes feeling like a boss – remember this: You do not need all the content from memory. As a matter of fact, for some aspects of a topic, you may have to teach or re-teach yourself first!

However, to make this quest for content easier on your part, your Head of Department (H.O.D.) is supposed to share with you, files and drives, templates, course outlines and even department textbooks. Now, you are armored to conquer.

Be mindful though, that your head of departments are human being as well and they may be under a lot of pressure, and subsequently forget to forward or share materials with you. So then, be pro-active and also persistent in acquiring these resources that are certainly to be shared with you.

Tip: Your first few lesson plans might not be perfect. Go easy on yourself. Just like writing an essay, it takes time to master it.

What to wear to work as a new teacher in Jamaica

“You are as confident as you are comfortable in your clothes… and shoes!”.
Rooting For Growth with Fiona DaCosta

One thing is for sure, you are in a professional space as a teacher, whose manner of dress is observed by superiors, colleagues teachers and parents alike!

As such, you’ll want to be mindful of that each day. Nonetheless, for this guide, what I really want to get across is comfort.

Assess your timetable, class locations and even the topic you’ll bring across for the day and use these things as a guide. Sounds silly? Let me knock some sense in that line.

Let’s say, on a Monday you have classes back to back. Some are located all the way upstairs and others are all the way across the compound. Perhaps you’ll want to swap out your high heels for ballerina flats or loafers. Similarly, with that reality, you might choose to wear a longer shirt in your pants instead of the shorter one. Who wants to be pushing in shirt every time they ascend or descend the stairs – all day?

Makes sense right?

As such, dress intentionally. All this, while keeping this appropriate. Check your school’s guide for teachers as it pertains dress-code.

Speaking of clothes…let’s see what you can afford! Let’s talk salary.

Salary for new teachers in Jamaica

You may have googled 100 times and have already narrowed down which figure you’re most likely to believe.

Teaching in Jamaica doesn’t pay a fortune but fortunes don’t necessarily come every month – your salary should though.

The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (J.T.A.) in its recently concluded wage negotiations with the Ministry of Finance, eventually accepted the wage offer put forth. As such, a new memorandum of understanding, dated March 13, 2023 is what many teachers are using as their guide now, to understand what their salary should look like.

As for you, let me be a bit more basic. There is NO one pay for all. Your salary will be calculated based on numerous factors i.e. whether you have a teaching degree and thus considered a ‘trained graduate’. Whether you have a degree any at all that is NOT a teaching degree, thus considered ‘graduate pre-trained’. Or even if you have only your high school diploma and is considered ‘pre-trained’. Even years of experience and special posts of responsibilities are taken into consideration.

So you see, there is no one pay that fits all. To better guide you, download below, the copy of the March 13, 2023 Memorandum of Understanding concluded between The Government of Jamaica and the Jamaica’s Teachers’ Association (JTA). It includes the pay scale for the varying levels of teachers.

JTA-MOU-and-Pay-Scale-2023-1 Check Salary

Now that you have an idea of your salary… are you going to purchase tokens and stickers for your students?

Should I or Should I not? Gifting tokens as a new teacher in Jamaica

I get it. You want your first shot at teaching to be memorable and unique for yourself and your students too!

Whether you choose to or not, is totally up to you.

Let me just remind you, that gifting isn’t the only way to do this, as there are countless other approaches. Notwithstanding this, stickers and tokens are great for encouraging participation and excellence too.

If you decide to, try to stay consistent as the students will be looking forward to these tokens when they meet the requirements you’ve outlined.

Tip 1: Take into consideration students who might not be high achievers but are making improvements.

Tip 2: If you gift snacks, be careful that your students are not allergic to the ingredients. Take extra precaution with items like peanuts.

Remembering events and deadlines as a new teacher in Jamaica

As we say in Jamaica ‘as yuh quint’ the school term will be finished and the academic year too!

However, before that happens, there are numerous events and deadlines that you will need to remember.

For some, a physical planner might work as a good place to keep abreast of important dates – well, that’s if you update and check it consistently.

On the other hand, phone notifications may work best. That means you’d have to pre-set these dates and notices.

Whichever, whatever… avoid having deadlines sneak up on you and avoid missing them too. Check in with colleagues every now and again and stop by your Head of Department (H.O.D.) too. Who knows, maybe midway some small talk, a timely reminder may be passed on.

A good way to keep abreast of events and deadlines is to attend your scheduled meetings. For example, staff meetings, department meetings, year group meetings etc. Usually, information is reinforced in these spaces and sometimes you may get physical agendas and materials that you can keep.

Keep a portfolio as a new teacher in Jamaica

Teachers sometimes tell students “You are writing your reports.” What they mean, is that by the students’ very actions and inactions, they create the narrative the teachers will hold of them, and subsequently put on paper about them.

Similarly, teachers write their reports too. With the help of their portfolios! These can be physical or as a computer file or both! In your portfolio, keep copies of all the agendas you received at meetings you attended. Keep pictures which include you participating in extra-curricula activities or even teaching a lesson in class. Did you assist with an exhibition or even ran at Sports Day?

Like the students, you are writing your report too. Since you won’t remember it all, let your portfolio help you.

Being firm, yet Flexible as a new teacher in Jamaica

It is unfortunate of that many teachers are fearful about the level of discipline among students in the classroom.

This matter far exceeds your power in the classroom. It is largely a societal issue stemming from a myriad of problems.

Regardless, when it comes down to classroom management you are privy to using methods that works best for you. Although there are some common tips that you should consider too.

Don’t allow students to crowd your desk/table.
Dismiss students orderly. Row by row maybe?
Create a system for asking questions. The most common one being to raise hands.
Avoid shouting instructions. You are in control. Stare at them silently, with a stern face until they settle down.

This one works! >>> Give instructions part by part and allow students to carry out same part by part.

For example, instead of saying, please form two lines outside with your textbook, it would be better to say, please take your textbooks from your bags. Then allow them to do so. Next, ask row by row that they stand outside.

In the first instance, many students may carry out the instructions in different orders creating confusion in the class.

When you give the instructions part by part, you take control and stay in control.

Comment below if you have any classroom management tips you can share with other readers.

That’s a wrap! Or should I say…

Thanks for stopping by. I wish you all the best in your teaching endeavors. Be sure to read other articles here that may prove helpful to you.

Commendations on your new milestone Teach!

If this post was helpful, please like it and share with friend! Thanks!

Recommended Read: How to become a teacher in Jamaica

Rooting For Growth with Fiona DaCosta