Some info ‘the graduate’ gave about math teachers was ‘false’

Tue, Feb 5, 2013

Editor: After reading the latest issue of the newspaper, dated the 1st of February 2013, I wish to express my opinion about an article that was done by Mr Kenton Chance.{{more}}

First of all, I must say that I have no problem with him writing the article. In fact, Mr Chance is one of the few journalists whose work I enjoy reading from time to time. However, concerning the article on the back page of the paper, I must say that some of the information that was relayed to him by “the graduate” concerning the group of mathematics teachers who were enrolled in the B.Ed program at the Teachers’ College, is false.

Contrary to what was said, teachers did not fail because they were too reliant on their lecturers, neither was it that they were not studious enough. From my understanding, the teachers worked very hard to understand the content, which, at times, was way over their heads. In fact, even the secondary school teachers who had studied math at the A’level had a difficult time.

Despite what was said, it is a fact that many primary school teachers who struggled with the content courses performed even better that their counterparts in the mathematics methodology courses. It is interesting that nothing was mentioned to this effect.

Teachers did not fail because they could not do mathematics. They worked very hard, but were not successful for many reasons that at times, were entirely beyond their control.

It is interesting that “the graduate” failed to mention that during the second semester of Year 2, an exam was interrupted as a result of students’ query about a particular statistical table with which they were unfamiliar. As a result of some students openly voicing their concerns, all answer booklets were collected way ahead of the scheduled time to finish , preventing students from completing the exam. As a result, most students were given failing grades.

During the same semester, teachers were given failing grades in a content based math exam. In fact, students who had been performing well in their other courses were given scores as low as 1/50 and 2/50 for this particular exam. As a teacher myself, I cannot see how an individual can get 1/50 at this level for a math exam. Is it that UWI no longer marks students for applying correct procedures, but only for correct answers? Or is it that UWI (all of a sudden) used a very strict marking rubric so as to ensure that most persons fail the exam? No one knows…not even the lecturers were allowed to question it.

In conclusion, I realize that there is still quite a bit of relevant information that may have been “conveniently omitted” in the graduate’s interview with Mr Chance. Nevertheless, I do know that, without a doubt, most of the teachers who were not successful at the first try, do love teaching mathematics. In fact, they are passionate about helping to improve the mathematics performance of our nation’s children. I wish them all success as they resit their courses.

Janelle Cockburn