Shaneka Collins

Background

About Shaneka Collins

They called me “Teach” when I was just nine years old. I would stand in my little community with a book in my hand, showing neighbours how to read. I did not know it then, but I was already walking in my calling. Fast forward to today. I am a Jamaican teacher, literacy advocate, and the author of See My Child: A Teacher’s Cry for Truth, Compassion, and Action. My heartbeat is simple: I believe if you cannot read, you cannot see. Reading is life. In my classroom, I have met children who were labelled, overlooked, or told they “can’t.” Many of them have special needs. All of them have potential. I get to resuscitate reading one child at a time, celebrate every small victory, and remind them that they matter. Parents, too, are part of my mission. I believe in listening to children - not just the words they say, but the ones they struggle to find. Silence, a glance, even a pause can speak volumes if we care enough to hear it. For me, literacy is more than ABCs. It is freedom. It is dignity. It is hope. If you believe that too, then we already have something in common. Let us connect.