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DEMAR Hemley says teaching students who were poor at multiplying to solve mathematical problems, but who are now correcting him if he makes a mistake, is an experience that puts a smile on his face.
"I would make a mistake, sometimes I would do it on purpose to see if they are thinking, and they would say, 'Oh, Sir, that's not how it goes.' It's just a great feeling, especially to know how far they are coming from," said Hemley.
The 26-year-old Old Harbour resident told the Jamaica Observer that he started his tutoring service - Hemley's Tutoring - four years ago, while trying to obtain a job after completing his studies at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.
"I left UWI with a degree in mathematics with education. I told my neighbour [about my inability to pick up a job], and she asked me to send her my resume. When she realised my education background, she asked me to help her son with tutoring, then I started getting more referrals from there," he said.
Noting that he also offers his services online, Hemley said, "Because of the [novel] coronavirus pandemic, I had to move from face-to-face to online tutoring, since most children are at home, in order to facilitate more of them and grow my business.
He said his most impactful experience, so far, was teaching two former grade 10 students who were sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations but were poor in mathematics.
"I had both students in 2018. When I think about the experience of moving students who had genuinely fell out of love with mathematics or didn't care about it, to passing their exams, is just amazing. One moved on to study biochemistry at UWI, while the other went to study overseas on a football scholarship," he said, noting that both students needed to pass mathematics to further their education.
"Mathematics is very important in all aspects of life. Some people only associate it with numbers, but it helps with critical thinking, and once you master it, I think you can master anything," Hemley said.
While teaching mathematics is his main service, Hemley said he also offers tutoring services for other subjects, such as chemistry, physics, geography, and history.
"My dream was always to open a school than just offering tutoring services. It's a step-by-step process, and I want to help students to remove their fear of mathematics," he said.