My story: The transformation from 14% in mathematics to top of class

One time in a radio interview, I was asked whether some children are born with a mind for maths while others are not. This must be a question on many people’s minds and I can best answer it using my own personal experience. I don’t remember much about my primary school performance as I was merely going through the grades to fulfil the requirements of my parents and teachers like many children do. But I can narrate from my high school days.

When I joined Senior One at Kigezi College Butobere, the first friends I met disliked mathematics and had nothing positive to say about both the subject and the teacher. I followed suit and developed a dislike for everything to do with mathematics, be it a teacher, textbook or lesson. In fact, I believed that mathematics was a difficult and useless subject and I could not wait to drop it and all its relatives – physics, chemistry and even biology.

My mathematics marks, on average between 14 per cent and 19 per cent, confirmed to me that this subject was not for me. I was what one could justifiably call a ‘mathematics failure’. My position at the bottom of the class in mathematics was always expected, that is if one of my other maths-hating friends didn’t beat me to it. We even made jokes about it. To cap it all, I was made to repeat a class because I had failed mathematics. My dislike for the subject deepened, and so did my marks.

I made up my mind that I would become a lawyer, not to prosecute mathematicians, but at that time I don’t think I would have minded doing so. I, therefore, focused on subjects like history and indeed performed very well in them. My father worked as a town clerk in Kabale at the time.

During my Senior Two class, he was transferred to Mbarara and as part of the luggage, I moved along, hence changing schools. I joined Ntare School.
My first friends at Ntare School were a complete opposite of those at the previous school. They loved and glorified mathematics. Out of my association with them, and because I wanted to be like them, I picked interest in the subject. Surprisingly, my marks also picked up. In my mid-year exam, I scored more than 60 per cent and thought the teacher had mistakenly allocated me another child’s marks. It was not until I saw my exam script that I confirmed that I had indeed obtained those marks.

Though my marks showed a different story, I inwardly still had a fear that I was not good at mathematics (out of my knowledge of the past). It is unbelievable how fears can often position themselves as a barrier to one’s potential. In my previous school, it was influence that held me back and in my new school, it was fear that wanted to do it. However, my improved score and accompanying praise from my friends (who by the way, didn’t know that I was bottom of the class in my previous school), spurred me on.

I rose to the top of the class in mathematics and never looked back. I got to the point where I was considered the best mathematics student in the whole school and beyond. If somebody from Ntare School had spoken to somebody from Kigezi College Butobere about ‘this top mathematics student’, they would think they were talking about different people. This difference happened in a space of just one year and I have been living a life of mathematics ever since. I went on to study mathematics-intense courses at university – Electrical Engineering, Mathematical & Statististical Sciences, and Financial Engineering. All my entire life since, I have been living mathematics and living on mathematics.

So what happened to this student to transform him from the bottom to the top of the class in mathematics? The answer is one – change of mindset. It was all in the mind. Had I remained in my first high school, I would now be one of those people telling a different story about mathematics and I would have proof (myself) to justify it. However, now I have another story to tell and I also have proof (myself) to justify it – that not every child that scores poorly at mathematics is poor at the subject, even if they themselves believe so.

My story shows two major reasons for mathematics ‘failure’ – influence and fear. However, influence is two-sided. It can be negative or positive, and I experienced both. I have taught mathematics at a South African university and run a mathematics and science education institution where I have seen some students that have been considered poor at maths by their schools, peers and even themselves, turn around simply by igniting their abilities and belief in themselves. In fact, once a student develops a positive mindset about mathematics, the work of the teacher becomes easier.

Contrary to what some people may think, I don’t spend much time with students that I teach math. They do most of the work. All I have to do is guide and inspire them, and they do the rest. I actually believe that all of us are born mathematicians until the world tells us that we are not. Even the passive remarks we hear from our parents, friends, neighbours, etc, saying they were not good at mathematics or that mathematics is a difficult subject, tend to drift us unconsciously to that thinking and reality.

I also believe pressure on a student by a parent or teacher can have a negative impact and I have experienced that with my daughter. When she got to high school, I always pushed her to get good grades in mathematics, but the more I did, the more her marks seemed to drop.

One time, I told her that her marks were disappointing me considering that I was running a maths institution and making other children turn around. The more I required of her, the more she seemed to get frustrated with the subject. She appeared to make effort just to please me and got uneasy whenever the math exam or test was approaching. She eventually told me that she had tried her best and didn’t think she would do well in math. She picked a lot of interest in debating, public speaking and related activities, which I could see she was passionate about. Although I wanted her to be mathematical-focused, I supported her unreservedly in her passion. Eventually, she joined African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg and told me she wanted to select subjects that will lead her to study law or politics at university because that is what she is interested in.

Mr Twinoburyo is the CEO of Scimatics Solutions in South Africa. [email protected]