RUDOLPH BROWN, Chief Photographer -
Spelling Bee coach Rev. Glen Archer.
THE NAME Glen Archer has become synonymous with success in Jamaica's Spelling Bee competitions.
Since his first champion in 1986, the Rev. Glen Archer has had 17 national champions; 15 from Ardenne High, one from Ardenne Prep and last year, Portmore Missionary Prep. His love for spelling comes from being St. Andrew champion in 1965.
But he may not have become the coach he is now.
"I felt that I would become either an accountant or a pilot, because I adore planes. But a United Church pastor heard me speaking at a youth fellowship meeting and felt that God wanted me in the speaking ministry," he explained.
So he went to the Jamaica Theological Seminary and graduated as a trained pastor. Instead of the pulpit, he went into the classroom and taught religious education. He taught for 23 years before leaving Ardenne in 2001. He keeps his ties with the school by coaching the Schools' Challenge Quiz team and the spellers.
BRING THE BEST
"I've always felt that the classroom was where I should be to facilitate learning, both for the children and myself as well. I want to help bring the best out of children," Rev. Archer said.
This philosophy comes from the words of St. John Chrysostom, a preacher of the early church (circa 300 A.D.), who said, "What greater work is there than training the mind and forming the habits of the young?" Rev. Archer has lived by that tenet and continues to use it as motivation.
When Alicia Forrest, then of Portmore Missionary Prep., won the St. Catherine title in 2001, her mother asked him to work with her and not limit his coaching to Ardenne students. Ever since, children from other schools in the Corporate Area have come under his stewardship.
For the second consecutive year, he has three spellers in the national final. Some may criticise, but he merely feels he is helping to raise the bar; a must if Jamaicans are to perform well internationally.
"I see each child as a protégé and it's not just academic; I see it as mentoring. I am teaching them to study hard to achieve. Each child has God-given
ability, so I just try help them unlock all their hidden abilities," he reasoned.
He won't coach forever and is already thinking about writing a book that offers training to spellers and teachers on how to be successful in the Spelling Bee.
