GISELLE DONALDSON YEATES is just "Miss" to her students. But she's not like any other "Miss": she's a larger-than-life character who assumes multiple personas to make learning fun and interesting.

A standard three teacher at Scarborough Methodist Primary School, Tobago, Donaldson Yeates uses culture, theatre and non-traditional methods to engage and inspire her students.

Over the years, she's tried to make sure her students don't just regurgitate information, but are critical thinkers.

The effects so far, she told WMN, have been immensely fulfilling.

“I nurture and equip them with the academic skills, confidence, critical thinking mindset and dramatic character traits necessary to perform holistically.

“The growth and improved performance in their academics, attitude and behaviour throughout the year when they are in my class is remarkable and most rewarding.”

Donaldson Yeates believes her background in culture enhances her work.

[caption id="attachment_1008953" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Giselle Donaldson Yeates with some of her students. -[/caption]

“My very multi-talented background fuels my creative, innovative and dramatic personality in my classroom, as every year I will transform the environment into an enriched theatrical movie set where I engage my students using songs, jingles, raps, spoken word, drama and even dancing.”

She has converted several subject concepts into fun jingles, raps and scenarios so the children can not just participate in them but internalise them.

As a young girl growing up in Les Coteaux, her involvement in the village’s cultural groups fuelled her passion.

“I would have taken part in the Tobago Heritage Festival, danced with the Les Coteaux cultural dance group and sung in school and church choirs.”

She even placed second in the 12 and Under talent competition, doing a bamboo dance.

Donaldson Yeates has captured several titles over the years since then. In 2005, she won the Miss Big and Beautiful competition, the Miss Plus Size Beauty in 2014 and the THA Inter- Department Personality competition in 2019.

She's also a writer, director and actor with the Les Coteaux Folk Performers.

But Donaldson Yeates, who has been teaching for 19 years, believes she was born to be an educator.

As a child, she said, she was often seen mimicking her primary schoolteachers.

“I pretended to teach the trees, dolls, teddy bears and chairs in my backyard.”

She also had some early mentors of her own. They included former school principal and national award recipient Dr Verleen Bobb-Lewis, who she said introduced her to dance and drama at the age of eight, as well as teachers Jacqueline Seales and Abeni Taylor.

“Each individual played an integral part in my vision, mission, growth and development as an educator and cultural participant.”

She said her late mother, Joy Donaldson, also was instrumental in her decision to be a teacher.

“I have her to thank for the birthing of my teaching career, as she would have often called my past primary school principal, Mc