TAVIA SUTHERLAND wanted to become a geoscience engineer. While attending high school, she started an engineering club, but God seemingly had different plans for her life. She always knew that she had the ability to teach and her friends would often refer to her as the ‘mother’ of her group.

“I never really believed that I could add any value in the classroom, until I got through with the BOOST Programme. When the opportunity came, I reflected on my schooling and experiences. I thought of what value I could add to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in the secondary school. Once I realised that I could provide a new perspective on natural sciences and encourage students to go into the field, it was full speed ahead from there,” Sutherland said.

Born in Kingston, Sutherland has lived in Spanish Town for the last decade. Growing up for her was not easy, but her parents tried to ensure that she was not in need of anything.

“I was the first to do a lot of things in my family, like getting a degree or a scholarship or to be a part of this wonderful initiative. But just like me, my parents believed in progress and continuous development, and that has been instilled in me from a very early age. A spirit of excellence is what my parents taught me and prayed over me so I have lived with that attitude ever since,” she said.

Sutherland said she is passionate about the area of natural sciences because it is a very practical field that has proven to be very important in everyday life.

“With the recent issues of environmental sustainability and climate change, the natural sciences are becoming increasingly more important and recognised. I am so excited when things that I learn inside a classroom can be applied and seen in real life. To be able to go outside and look up and see the clouds and be able to identify each type is very enticing,” she said.

Sutherland indicated that she utilises a mixed approach in the classroom to capture the interest of her students. “I try my best to make my class as practical and relatable as possible, using modern-day examples, speaking of recent natural events that students have witnessed or heard about. I allow them to share their thoughts and ideas and challenge themselves by trying to explain processes and formations based on their understanding,” she said.

“Some students are intimidated by this method at first because many of them are afraid to be wrong or criticised for their ideas. Over time, they warm up and I try to make my classroom a safe space for ideas. You would be surprised when you realise how much a student may know about a topic before it is actually taught in class,” she added.

CHALLENGED AND WINNING    

Sutherland’s main subject area is geography, that she teaches up to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate level. This year, she has also been teaching environmental science.

“I was challenged to teach Tourism Unit 2 last school year and I am so happy I took on the challenge, even though it was a lot of work. I chose geography because it has been my passion since grade seven and that passion for geography, specifically human systems, helped me to manoeuvre the Tourism Unit 2 syllabus. I am currently studying renewable energy as well and that helped me to deliver the energy module of the Environmental Science Unit 2 syllabus,” she said.

Sutherland said she has had students who believed that the science subjects were difficult. However, after applying her method of teaching, some of them have done well, especially in geography, and are considering going into natural science as a career.

“As a humanities teacher, when I taught tourism, my students all received grades ones and twos in CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) with eight of nine students making the merit list; and three students in the top 15 performers in Jamaica,” she said.

For her outstanding achievements, Sutherland was lauded for her exceptional work teaching tourism at the CAPE level from the Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha), where she is employed.

During the final year of her undergraduate programme at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Sutherland, learned about the BOOST Programme. “My experience so far has been very interesting. I have learnt so much, gained much experience that I believe can be extended to any field and I have built irreplaceable bonds with teachers and students at my current workplace,” she said.

Her goals, she said, include mastering her craft in teaching and hopefully take on more challenges. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree and it is her hope that her studies can aid in her delivery of each curriculum.

The ‘Building Out Our Stem Teachers’ (BOOST) Programme was established through agreement with The University of the West Indies, Mona (Faculty of Science and Technology) and the National Baking Company Foundation in March 2021. The overall objective of the programme is to enhance STEM education in Jamaica by providing a continuous stream of quality science and mathematics teachers through an innovative ‘back-end’ incentivised scholarship programme that entails BOOST. It is anticipated that the programme will be implemented through a six-year pilot. The programme also has the objective of encouraging students to see giving back to their country as a noble and viable option at the beginning of their career.

Photo caption: BOOST Fellow Tavia Sutherland receiving a gift from Miguel ‘Steppa’ Williams, director of strategic planning and community development, Digicel Foundation, for outstanding performance as a BOOST Fellow on the occasion of the BOOST Networking Event hosted at the UWI Regional Headquarters. Digicel Foundation has been partnering with the BOOST Programme since 2021.

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