A Teacher’s Truth, Spoken Aloud

When Samantha Julien stepped onto the NIFCA stage to share her spoken word piece 1260, she carried with her far more than a poem. She carried the collective exhaustion, pride, frustration, and deep, unshakable calling of hundreds of Barbadian teachers whose daily realities often go unseen. 

A Spanish teacher at Parkinson Memorial School for over a decade, Julien has long been devoted to both the academic and social development of her students. But 1260—the number of instructional hours teachers spend shaping young minds each academic year—was born out of a moment of profound hurt. 

It began with a news story. A teacher struck by a stone. 
She didn’t know the teacher personally, but she remembered the sinking feeling as she drove home after a difficult school day of her own. Later that evening, something else struck her: the comment section under the news story. 

Scrolling through post after post, she saw not outrage or empathy, but criticism, people blaming teachers, questioning their efforts, and diminishing their sacrifices. “It offended me,” she recalled. “I no longer felt defeated but encouraged to highlight the sacrifices I see my colleagues make daily.” So she opened her notebook. Within an hour, 1260 flowed onto the page. 

Julien’s classroom journey is textured by respect, rapport and, like most educators’ days, unexpected challenges. “I am widely respected,” she acknowledged, “but that does not stop the random student one day from exhibiting rudeness or acts of aggression.” Alongside that come the familiar hurdles: limited resources, heavy clerical loads, and the emotional stamina required to remain steady for students who are sometimes uninterested, overwhelmed or simply having a hard day. 

Flowers and a warm embrace onstage during Samantha Julien’s performance.

These lived realities shaped 1260, not as an indictment, but as a reveal. A look into a profession often misunderstood by those outside it. 

“One of my mentors once shared, ‘Teaching is NOT a profession but rather a calling,’” Julien said. For her, that calling is sacred. It demands empathy, patience, humour, discipline, and the strength to meet dozens of personalities in dozens of moments every single day. “It is not easy,” she added, “and I think that this is what the public least understands.” 

Calculating those 1,260 hours was a turning point. “In that initial moment I was quite teary-eyed,” she admitted. “It magnified my truth that we are more than enough who do more than enough.” Teaching extends far beyond school gates, through marking, mentoring, counselling, planning, worrying, hoping. It is a round-the-clock commitment made from a place of deep care. 

And while the work can be thankless, it also gives back in profound ways. A simple “thank you,” a smile, a hug from a student can transform an entire day. These small reminders, she says, anchor teachers to their purpose. 

When Julien performed 1260, she carried the emotional range of the profession onto the NIFCA stage: the humour that keeps staffrooms sane, the anxiety that accompanies rising aggression in schools, the frustration of being misunderstood, and the empowerment of speaking truth out loud. 

Her debut earned her a NIFCA Silver in Theatre and the award for Most Promising Performance by an Individual. For a first-time entrant, the recognition was overwhelming. “Making it to the finals had already felt like Gold,” she said. “I simply had a message to share.” 

Professionally, it opened the door to deeper connections with her colleagues across Barbados. Teachers who felt seen, affirmed, and less alone because someone articulated what they had been living quietly. 

A moment from Samantha Julien’s presentation, highlighting the meaning behind the number “1260.”

Creativity threads through Julien’s teaching. Her involvement in school committees and her openness with students help build trust. “They see you are now on the same team… their team,” she explained. 

But balance matters. To avoid burnout, she is intentional about “me time.” Gym sessions, sports-day sidelines, and handwritten letters exchanged with students form her rhythm of connection and self-preservation. Outside school, she finds grounding in travel, family, and the healing stillness of the ocean. “From a creative perspective,” she shared, “I enjoy journaling or writing poetry in new spaces, particularly by large bodies of water.” 

For new and younger educators stepping into the profession, her advice is simple but resonant: some days will be rough, but some will be rewarding. “Always look for the moments which remind you why you became a teacher in the first place.” 

And to the wider public, she offers a gentle but firm reminder of the weight carried in those 1,260 hours: “We don’t demand your honour and praise but we do demand your respect. After all, without teachers… no profession is made possible.” 

In 1260, Samantha Julien did more than perform a spoken word piece; she held up a mirror to Barbados, inviting the island to see its teachers fully. Their challenges. Their sacrifices. Their humanity. And most importantly, their unwavering commitment to shaping the next generation, one hour at a time. (PR)