From Jamaica to Canada, Alvin Waite has carried with him the life lessons that brought him to Adventist education and made him such a great educator.

But he’s not alone in his efforts to share his knowledge with the next generation. Of the 11 surviving siblings in his immediate family, eight—including Alvin—are teachers. “Teaching is my calling,” he says. “I believe that I can change my community by impacting the life of one student at a time. Igniting the passion to learn in students is the rich legacy that I wish to leave behind.”

He started his career teaching in the Jamaican public school system, but, after a decade, he accepted a position in the Adventist system because he recognized that it was the place where he could meet his full potential and help his students do the same.

“I believe that true education should prepare students for life in Heaven and on Earth,” he shares. “The Adventist school system provides the opportunity for students receive this two-fold education. Teaching is a very powerful ministry, and I can be fully effective in this ministry if I am able to facilitate academic learning while leading students to Christ through the process of discipling.”

While it’s far from where he started his educational and educator journeys, he loves how his current school, Prairie Central Adventist Academy in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, lets him do just that.

Growing up, Alvin attended public schools, with the exception of two-and-a-half years at Harrison Memorial High School, an Adventist school in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from grade 7 through part of grade 9. However, during the last half of his freshman year, he had to transition back to public school when he was unable to afford the tuition fee. Still, those five semesters in Christian classrooms changed his life.

“My short experience as a student in an SDA institution affected me in a positive way,” he says. “I am the only member of my family who had the chance to attend an SDA school, and I am the only teacher in my family who has ever taught at an SDA school.” He credits his first-hand experience in Christian school with giving him the drive to return to that environment as a teacher. “The values and morals that I learnt while being at Harrison Memorial High School stuck with me while I navigated my way through the public school system,” he shares. “My teachers exemplified true Christianity, and this is where I developed a deep love for Adventist education.”

Alvin wishes he could tell every parent that Adventist classrooms are one of the safest places for their children. “The morals, values, and influences imported by SDA educators will help your children navigate through this difficult world,” he says. “They will get the wonderful opportunity to lift up Christ daily in a Christ-centered learning environment.”

As an educator, he feels fortunate to pass along that experience to the young souls in his classroom. 

“My favourite part of being a teacher is to experience the little ‘lightbulb moments’ with my students,” he shares. “When my students finally understand a difficult concept and they start to beam with pride, it’s rewarding.”

However, the classroom isn’t the only place educators can reach students, and Alvin knows his guidance and influence stretch far outside his carefully cultivated lesson plans. “I also enjoy the fact that I get to play with my students,” he explains. “They are able to learn from observing how I react in different situations, how I display sportsmanship, how I show kindness through play and how I can display Christ's character in every situation.”

Every day, Alvin feels the great rewards that teaching brings. “I can personally say that the rewards are greater than the sacrifices,” he shares. “Teaching is one of the few careers that will allow you to contribute directly to upliftment and development of your community. You will end each day feeling like an unsung hero, knowing that you were able to make the life of at least one child a little better, the smile of a child a little brighter and the mind of a child a little smarter. As a teacher, you are literally helping to shape the future of this world.”

It may be impossible for educators to know all the ways they’ve shaped the lives and futures of their students. But sometimes they can get a glimpse of the results of their hard work. “I feel great fulfillment when my past students excel in their careers, and they return to visit me to express their gratitude for playing a part in their development,” he says. “I also feel a sense of pride when my students make the decision to give their lives to God. it reignites the fire that burns within me to do my best in this very important ministry. Knowing that what I do matters, and that students’ lives are changed in a positive way because of my influence brings me joy.”