By Adama Kone, Teacher Project Manager

Math is often a subject that intimidates students in Mali, even though it provides many with the opportunity to secure good jobs after finishing school. As a result, many students try to avoid it, even in middle school. This presents a significant challenge for math teachers, who must find ways to inspire their students to engage with and appreciate the subject. Teachers committed to making a difference are constantly seeking creative strategies to motivate their students to embrace math.

Recently I had a conversation with one of our dedicated math teachers, Amadou Doro, who shared with me both his biggest challenge and the secret to his success in the classroom.

"I have been teaching math at Lareen Mellor Middle School for about ten years. I love my job, and I am incredibly proud of it. In my opinion, it is one of the most respectable professions in the world. I take pride in my work because I help people change their lives and contribute to the well-being of others. By teaching, I help students become doctors, teachers, nurses, successful farmers, traders, accountants, ministers, presidents, directors, police officers, and so much more. When I think of this, I feel great pride in my job and respect anyone who chooses the path of teaching.

However, let me share my biggest challenge in the classroom and the strategy I use to overcome it. My greatest challenge is that around 80% of my students think math is 'rocket science,' which makes it difficult for them to stay focused in class. Some try to avoid my lessons altogether or become distracted during the session. When I ask them why they aren’t paying attention, their response is almost always, 'Math is too hard to understand.'

I’m not the only teacher facing this issue at Lareen Mellor Middle School—there are two of us teaching math, and we both struggle with the same attitude from our students. Despite this, I have developed my own strategies to help discipline the students and keep them engaged during lessons. One of my favorite methods is to start each lesson with a joke or a story about someone who achieved success in life thanks to math or science. Surprisingly, this often helps capture the students' attention, and they listen more closely. In fact, some students attend my class specifically because they enjoy hearing my jokes or success stories.

I used to offer my students advice regularly, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. So, understanding that my primary task is to teach this amazing subject, I developed the strategies I mentioned above, and they work—at least sometimes!

At the end of the day, I remain committed to my work as a math teacher, doing everything I can to help my students succeed in math. It is my duty and my passion. I am proud to be a math teacher at Lareen Mellor Middle School, knowing that I am helping to change lives, one lesson at a time."