KINGSTON, Jamaica – For actuarial scientist Donwayne Morgan, a quest to give back to society evolved into a profound passion for teaching. His unwavering dedication, particularly in mentoring students at his alma mater Wolmer’s Boys’ School, significantly contributed to the institution’s success in this year’s CSEC mathematics examinations.

Morgan, 25, told Observer Online that his teaching journey started at a young age when he began assisting children in Unity District, Papine in St Andrew, with his favourite subject. This initial involvement transformed into a genuine enthusiasm for educating.

“I’ve been teaching from a very tender age, probably from about primary school. I would always be helping my cousins and persons in my community with basically any subjects, but particularly mathematics… I remember one summer I had summer school at my home and students came for about six weeks or so. That was in grade seven going to grade eight…In high school, I was always around my teachers. I would normally help them out with like marking papers, writing on the board etc,” Morgan said.

Morgan attended Oberlin High in rural St Andrew from grades seven to 11 before joining Wolmer’s in sixth form, spending three years at the Heroes Circle, Kingston-based school.

He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science at The University of the West Indies, Mona, three years ago. However, steering from the path of becoming an actuarial scientist, he immediately transitioned to the classroom to pursue a career in teaching at age 22.

In his three-year tenure as a teacher at Wolmer’s, Morgan was appointed coordinator for the school’s Third Form Accelerated Programme. He also founded the Just Math Tutorial Services in the heart of the COVID-10 pandemic in 2020.

He said that it was not long before he started seeing progress in the students’ approach to mathematics, with one success story being a third former ranking 20th in Jamaica following regional examinations.

“My first year of teaching, four of the students made the Merit List. So for this programme, 42 students were selected to be a part and I was in charge. So I was in charge of coordinating the programme, developing the course outline,” Morgan told Observer Online.

Morgan also had to find innovative ways to help the boys grasp the complex subject.

“My classes aren’t all about teaching, teaching, teaching. So, we normally break. We normally go on trips, we go on various trips, restaurants. We play games in class. And, so, you have to really find a way to strike the balance between work and play,” he said. “So, you have to also bring the parents on board…With the parents, they [students] know they’re going to be so afraid to the point where they say, okay, I’m going to stop misbehaving and I’m going to pay attention.”

He added that his triumph in the classroom can also be attributed to oftentimes being a “father figure” to some of the students.

“You have students going through a lot, and you have to really talk to them and encourage them. And most times, after having those conversations, it really helps. I had a student that was like ‘sir I don’t think I can manage, I’m going to fail’ and we had a discussion and, after the discussion, he broke down. I told him ‘you got this, you can do it’. And then after that conversation, he was a totally different student. He paid attention, he started to study and he got a grade one. So yeah, you really have to look out for those students and really lead them in the right path,” he expressed.

“You have to be…that big brother. You have to be someone in which they can look up to. And once they respect you, everything should be good because the respect that they will have for you will really motivate and encourage them to pay attention…” Morgan added.

One student, Joel Nelson, boasted about the qualities that made Morgan a “one-of-a-kind” educator.

“One quality that stands out about Mr Morgan is his determination. No matter which topic was taught, Mr Morgan would go above and beyond to make sure that we exited the classroom with an exceptional understanding of whatever we were taught. Another standout quality would be his patience. Even when we barely understood a topic, sir took time out of his day to make sure that we could do what we needed to when we needed to,” Nelson said.

“When our CSEC exams were around the corner, Mr Morgan did everything he could to prepare us. This came in the form of late night study sessions where we worked past paper questions and extra classes in the afternoon. This not only helped prepare me for my exam but it also helped me develop a better work ethic and a better attitude towards studying,” Nelson expressed to Observer Online.

Morgan is now pursuing his dream of becoming an actuarial scientist as he said he has fulfilled his aim to help others. When asked if he will ever re-enter the classroom, he said “only time will tell.”