Tamar Blair-Robinson will tell you she was born to teach.

As a child growing up in May Pen, Clarendon, she would gather rocks and stones, line them up, and pretend they were her students, asking them questions, delivering lessons, and imagining herself at the front of a classroom. 

Years later, that childhood instinct has become a distinguished career that has taken her from Clarendon to North Carolina, where she now teaches kindergarteners at Lillington Shawtown Elementary School through the Participate Learning Cultural Ambassador Teacher Programme, an initiative that has placed educators from over 35 countries, including 60 Jamaican teachers, in schools in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia since 1987.

Blair-Robinson spent more than fifteen years teaching in Jamaica, and was at Beulah All Age and Infant Department in New Longville, Clarendon, before joining Participate Learning. In Jamaica, she has distinguished herself as an educator of exceptional commitment, receiving multiple Teacher of the Year awards and other performance awards from the Jamaica Teaching Council, the Ministry of Education and schools where she has taught. She also served as a trained mentor for Region 7, facilitating professional development sessions and helping colleague teachers strengthen their instructional practice.

Blair-Robinson sees teaching as far more than a profession – it is her purpose. It was that sense of purpose that drew her to Participate Learning, which offers teachers with at least two years of full-time certified teaching experience an employment contract to teach in American schools for up to five consecutive years. Selected teachers receive a salary equivalent to their American counterparts, ranging from US$42,000 to US$70,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications, along with medical coverage, airfare, and the option to be accompanied by a spouse and children.

Now in her third year with the programme, Blair-Robinson describes its support system as one of its most distinctive features. “Participate Learning ensures that teachers are guided through every step of the process, from recruitment and visa processing through to arrival, onboarding, and ongoing classroom support,” she says. “This consistent support makes teachers feel valued, secure, and well taken care of.”

Teaching in the United States has opened her eyes to approaches she believes could strengthen Jamaica’s education system. Among these are the strong emphasis on literacy across all subjects, structured curricula, and the culture of professional learning communities where teachers collaborate and refine their practice throughout the school year. “I believe Jamaican educators can benefit from embracing continuous professional learning,” she says. “At the same time, while Jamaica has dedicated teachers, resilience, and strong relationships with students and families, there is much both education systems can learn from one another.”

Her impact at Lillington Shawtown has not gone unnoticed. She shares Jamaican stories, music, food, and traditions while absorbing the diversity of the American classroom environment. “It didn’t take long for our school community to love Mrs. Blair-Robinson. Her infectious positive energy and optimism filled everyone’s buckets. She maintains a smile and great attitude even when dealing with difficult situations,” said Tiffany Artis, Principal at Lillington Shawton Elementary. “By her second year, parents were requesting their children be in her classroom based on word of mouth from previous parents who spoke of the love, support, and trust she had built with their children.”

Blair-Robinson has already begun bringing what she has learned back to Jamaica, maintaining regular contact with colleagues at home and sharing literacy strategies, classroom management techniques, and data-driven approaches to instruction. When her time in the US concludes and she returns, she intends to take on a broader leadership role, mentoring teachers and supporting literacy and curriculum initiatives. “I see this experience not just as an opportunity for my own growth, but as an opportunity to give back.”

Tamar Blair-Robinson encourages Jamaican teachers to seek out the professional development opportunity offered by Participate Learning. “This is a career-defining experience. I would encourage any teacher who is ready for growth to apply.” Applications are free, accepted year-round, and open to currently employed teachers with a valid driver’s licence.