My personal story is what motivates me to give students the tools that they need for academic success. If I was aware of these tools earlier in my high school journey, I would have had a much smoother road to academic success – which eventually became my reality.
At the end of 9th grade the teachers at my high school had a meeting to discuss my academic future. They said my math was deplorable and therefore I should not be allowed to do physics in 10th grade. However, there was one member of staff who believed in my academic potential and she pulled some strings that allowed me to do physics.
I was now motivated to show my teachers that they were wrong about my mathematical ability. I got private help from an excellent math teacher at the time who laid a solid foundation for me to build on. As I worked with my private teacher, I began to understand some key underlying mathematical concepts. I practiced regularly and found that I was getting the questions in my textbook correct. As my confidence grew, I willingly sought out more challenging questions. I found that I was able to successfully answer these questions, which only served to further strengthen my confidence.
When the time came for me to do my CSEC exam in grade 11, I was more than ready to take on whatever the examination brought. I sat the exam and got a distinction in mathematics (the teachers at my high school were totally surprised). Since then, I went on to pursue a first degree in math education (obtaining first class honours) and later completed a masters in mathematics (in which I graduated with the highest disctinction).
My teachers possibly would never believe that I would be able to accomplish such feats. However, I am a living example of the fact that if you put your mind to the work at hand and incorporate the right tools and strategies, academic success can become a reality for anyone.
In this blog I will share the tools and strategies that I have learnt from both experience and study, that have served me well. If you take heed to this advice and have the self-belief that academic success can be your reality, then the sky will be the limit to what you can achieve in academia.
Unleashing your true academic potential 