Top math teacher Tanya Dawkins makes subject fun

As Jamaicans prepare to observe Education Week, from May 7 to 13, educators like Tanya Dawkins continue to ensure that the passion for learning is ignited among the student population.

Recently, Dawkins was named the 2023 National Mathematics Teacher of the Year, during Maths Week celebrations, hosted by the Ministry of Education and Youth. A teacher at the Port Antonio High School in Portland, she told JIS News that "I always love doing maths".

"When I was going to school it was a subject that I could relate to and see the real-life application. It helps me to be able to reason out things; it develops my critical-thinking skills. When I am presented with a problem I am able to see the how and why," Dawkins said.

"I thought about teaching because it creates an avenue to positively impact the lives of others. I love children, so what better way to impact lives? So here I am teaching maths," she added. Dawkins told JIS News that she utilises various methods and approaches in the classroom.

"When teaching a particular topic, I try to allow my students to see the importance of learning maths through real-life situations. For example, if the topic is about sales and we are focusing on discount, I would set up a store scenario with items such as clothing. When I do this, my students can relate because when they go inside a store and discount is applied to a purchase, they know what is happening," she said. Dawkins also varies her approach to teaching, as there are different types of learners, and the aim is to cater for everybody. Dawkins has been teaching for more than 21 years.

Mathematics Coordinator for Region Two, Ministry of Education and Youth, Shauna-Gay Young-Henry, described Dawkins as an excellent math teacher, who stood out when the nominees were being observed and assessed.

"When you talk about students' engagement, when you talk about guiding questions in order to have students discover what it is that they should learn in a particular session, and how she makes maths come alive, her lesson plans were on point, and she was consistent in her delivery," she said. She added that Dawkins was in control of her class, and even the most fidgety child is able to sit and be engaged.

Principal of the Port Antonio High School, Basil Graham, said he is proud and feels justified that one of the best math teachers to grace the halls of his school has received this coveted award.

"Ms Dawkins, who has been at the Port Antonio High for only four years, has immersed herself fully in the activities of the math department," he told JIS News. He described Dawkins as an affable person who enjoys the respect of her colleagues and students.

"In her classroom, she engenders a spirit of cooperation and learning, because the environment in her classes is geared towards the students," he said.

Dawkins is a graduate of the College of Agriculture, Science and Education, where she completed a diploma in secondary education, majoring in mathematics and computer science. She also pursued a bachelor of education degree at The University of West Indies, and a bachelor of science degree in counselling from the International University of the Caribbean.

The National Mathematics Teacher of the Year competition was launched in 2013 and is designed to select from a pool of teachers at the primary and secondary levels. Dawkins received an all expense paid trip to the US, sponsored by Jamaica National (JN), to participate in the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. She also received a tablet and a trophy.

JN has been sponsoring the National Mathematics Teacher of the Year competition since its inception 10 years ago.