Health and physical education teacher Rhonda Rawlins was awarded the teacher of the year award at the Bermuda Union of Teachers (BUT) 20th Annual Conference yesterday.

The Berkeley Institute teacher, who some students and ex-students refer to as either mama Rawlins or aunt Rhonda, was surprised to receive the award, although she had learned that she had to appear as one of the finalists.

?I don?t know who nominated me for the award ? I was contacted by the committee and went through the process,? said Ms Rawlins, who is head of the S1 students.

?Part of the process was writing an essay on why you felt that you deserved the award and I couldn?t think of a reason why, but I said, these are the things that I and my team do well.?

Although not a mother herself, Ms Rawlins, believes that teachers hold the responsibility of not only teaching, but in a sense to mother the children while they have them.

She said: ?Students spend a good portion of their lives with us and it is our responsibility to listen and to discipline them. Sometimes we are there to show them that what they have been getting away with is not always acceptable.

?I have problems when they have problems, so my office always has an open door, so if they want to come in and talk they do.?

She said they know if they are acting out, on the field or on the court, she will think nothing of pulling them off.

?No matter what, they have to learn how to get on in life, and just because they had a bad night, they cannot come in and shout at everyone,? said Ms Rawlins, who was also awarded the Ministry of Education?s and the Somerset Rotary Club?s teacher of the year award.?It won?t be accepted when they grow up in the office and it is not accepted here.

?I tell them it is better to say, I had a bad night and to learn to deal with situations better.?

Ms Rawlins, who taught at Sandy?s Middle School for 15 years and has been at Berkeley for the last six years, said she tries to arm the students with lessons for life.