Marvin Lee and his unique teaching methods

HIS students call him “Chief Goon”, not because he has a menacing appearance, but because of his effortless ability to make Physics enjoyable.

Marvin Lee, aged 35 years, began teaching Mathematics in 2005 at the Marian Academy.

Relating the genesis of his entrance into the profession, he said, “It’s a funny story actually.”

He initially applied for an entry-level job at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) but was turned down due to a lack of “qualifications”.

Then he opted to apply for a teaching job at the Marian Academy; a profession he had an affinity for while in secondary school.

He had to convince the then principal Sister Marie Harper that he was capable of the job.

And as fate would have it, he clinched the job. “I probably spoke well enough to make her believe I could teach, and she took a chance, though I have given her hell,” he stated.

He taught mathematics initially, but at the beginning of one school term the Physics teacher failed to show up for work and Sister Harper decided that Lee was fit for the job.

Since then, he has stuck with teaching physics though he garnered a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Mathematics).

“One of the best parts of teaching physics for me is helping children to understand that Physics is not the devil,” he said.

In his experience, he mentioned that most students are often afraid of studying Physics because they think about either the great and famous Albert Einstein or a rocket going to outer space.

In his classes though, he tries to explain that Physics is all about explaining the simple events and occurrences around us.

Lee mentioned too that he had wanted to venture into studying computers and computer programming, but as he got involved he realised that the lack of human interaction in those fields would have driven him insane. Truthfully, if you know Lee, you’d know that he’s always talking.

His career choice wasn’t easy for his family to accept. His father felt as though the career wouldn’t take him anywhere while his mother was just scared for his sanity. Nevertheless, he has had many successes here.

In 2010, he was the Guyanese representative on the Physics panel for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Here he, along with the other representatives, was responsible for rewriting the CSEC syllabus. Though he deemed this as one of his major successes in the teaching profession, nothing can compare to connecting with students and helping them appreciate the subjects he teaches.

Perhaps his ability to connect with his students stems from his general persona. He insists that he is a “grown man-child” that loves to look at cartoons and play video games.

But his life undoubtedly revolves around his eight-year-old daughter, Samara Lee, who is basically a younger version of himself- intelligent, articulate and incredibly mischievous.

A challenge for him nowadays though, is dealing with parents who challenge teachers’ methods of teaching and assessing. For him, some parents do not give teachers the leeway to explore teaching techniques outside conventional measures.

He said, “Our parents trusted our teachers, and that trust is no longer there.”

In spite of this deterrence, he says that he will continue along the profession because of the genuine love he has for teaching and for his students. For him, students should never be conditioned into thinking that failure is bad, rather students should be afraid of trying.