Mr. Leighton is an unusual man. He is a male primary school teacher—a job traditionally held by women—in a small, rural primary school in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica.  In fact, Mr. Leighton jokes that, upon first meeting him, many of his students call him "Miss Leighton."  But it doesn't bother him, because he knows that he is doing critically-needed work.  Indeed, Jamaica could use more male primary school teachers to serve as role models.  An astounding number of the boys on this tiny island nation cannot read, and many simply drop out of primary school.  In Jamaican schools, boys are lagging behind girls in learning, and the gap is alarming.

The Center of Excellence for Teacher Training (CETT) in Jamaica actually played a key role in Mr. Leighton becoming a teacher.  He had planned originally to study business administration; but, during his studies at a local college, he met Mrs. Wint, a CETT Reading Specialist who encouraged him to become a teacher.  After two years as a CETT teacher, Mr. Leighton was sure that teaching was his calling.  Not only did his participation in the CETT program strengthen his teaching skills, it helped him transform his classroom into a more fun and productive place.

By showing him effective teaching practices, Mrs. Wint helped Mr. Leighton handle difficult classroom situations.  And, her efforts have yielded fantastic results.  She worked with him to develop teaching strategies that resulted in all of Mr. Leighton’s students passing the 3rd grade reading standards test—for two consecutive years!  Mr. Leighton proudly boasts that "none of my children, including the boys, have been left behind." This includes Rogari, one of Mr. Leighton's more troubled boy students who wasn't very interested in learning in general and who especially didn't like learning how to read.  With the help of CETT, Mr. Leighton discovered how to make learning fun and got Rogari interested after all.  This made a tremendous difference in Rogari's life.  He now reads at a 1st grade level.  Learning to read has opened a world of opportunities for Rogari, who otherwise would have lagged behind and been unable to learn other subjects in school.  Most likely, he would have been one of the boys who dropped out of school.  "CETT taught me to know how to break it [learning to read and write] down for the student.  Rogari was willing to listen to me and he changed," Mr. Leighton says. 

"In CETT, you are taught to be open with your students," Mr. Leighton explains.  He also says that the CETT program has set him apart from the other teachers because he has been given the tools, training, and resources necessary to become a better teacher. Mr. Leighton's classroom performed so well last year that he qualified to attend a three-day CETT Workshop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, along with other exemplary CETT teachers from across the Caribbean.  He was the only male teacher at the workshop but, with the help of CETT, he may not be the only one next year.