Meet the Teacher behind Cardi B’s remix with F.E Pollard students

By Devina Samaroo

A young teacher attached to the F.E. Pollard Primary School has transformed her classroom into a recording studio, and with the help of international singer, Cardi B, her students delivered a powerful message to the nation.

“Ignorance is expensive, education is what we choose”, is what her batch of sixth graders want the nation to know.

Ms Charis Joseph composed a remix to Cardi B’s hit song ‘Bodak Yellow – Money Moves’ for three of her students to perform at a Voice of the Children forum recently but when the activity was over, she said her students were saddened that there was nothing tangible to remember the great performance they did.

As such, she decided to create something more long-lasting.

The video has since gone viral on social media and the students are hopeful that it grabs the attention of TV’s popular talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres. The students are also hoping that the can one day meet Cardi B.

Ms Charis said she used her phone to capture the video and with the help of her producer friends, they managed to put together the production.

Ms Charis has been teaching for over 15 years and she believes that the profession involves more than just standing in front of a blackboard and disseminating facts from a textbook. She does this through a variety of activities, including music.

“Traditionally, persons would just write on the board and that way you don’t get maximum participation and that is very important to ensure kids learn,” she told News Room.

The young teacher says she has a pool of songs she has taught her children, including a remix to Cardi B and Bruno Mars’ ‘Finesse’ which talks about Guyana’s Administrative Regions.

This vibrant teacher promised that more music videos of educational material will be made and released soon.

DOCTOR DREAMS

A younger Charis had dreams of becoming a doctor one day. She attended President’s College and as a result, was away from her home in Linden for a long time.

“After staying away from home for so long, for six years, when I finally returned, I had to readjust and like you find yourself not really knowing [your family] as well as you did six years ago,” she explained.

As such, Ms Charis said she took some time to reconnect with her family and it was during that period she began teaching.

She explained that her Godfather had advised that, while she figures out her next step, she should occupy her time meaningfully.

“So I started teaching and I must confess that for the first two years it wasn’t really my love but it was something to. Then you met the children and it was the children who win you over,” Ms Charis expressed.