The secret to success in maths

John went to university after having served in the army, based in Townsville and East Timor. Originally he studied Physics but ended up doing Maths as he found it much more straight forward. This is his 19^th year as a teacher – but the enthusiasm is as strong as ever.

What is a key challenge you deal with in your role?

I don’t like that there’s a love / hate relationship among many students with Maths. I want to get rid of that and the stigma that Maths is only for a few. Everyone has the potential to succeed in it at some level.

People frame it as something that they can or can’t do. Often that comes from the parents who remember that they hated Maths. It’s almost a generational thing. However, parents have a key role to play in supporting and encouraging their kids in the subject.

The challenge is, how do you engage with students who believe they are mediocre? It’s about convincing them that they can progress. A solid foundation in Maths now is a good basis for Maths later down the track.

How do you bring about that change?

It’s about fostering positive culture with staff and emphasizing the quality of instruction that has the right pace. It goes hand in hand with assessments that are rigorous, robust and reflective of student skills and knowledge – that then helps them in their learning.

The question I ask most in interviews is “Do you love Maths?”. That’s because, without passion how do you inspire students? Without that, it’s going to be a long, hard slog.

The priority is to encourage students to take pride in their work. We ask them to keep a learning journal to reflect on what they are learning. They write about what they find useful and it’s another way for them to retrieve what they have learned.

It’s also important to arrange a clear journey of learning from Years 7-12 with a real desire that kids have a solid base of knowledge by the end of Year 10, that sees them through to success in Year 12.

“I don’t like that there’s a love / hate relationship among many students with Maths. I want to get rid of that and the stigma that Maths is only for a few.”

What do you enjoy about your role?

I like seeing new teachers with enthusiasm and passion for Maths. I like to be part of their initial journey, to celebrate their successes and guide them through difficulties.

I really like seeing kids enjoy the topic and seeing student stories reflected in staff meetings.

This year’s Pi Day celebrations were very colourful. What’s the importance of that?

It says to students that no matter what their skill level is, there’s always some way to engage with Maths.  All we ask is that students be open to it. We want them to feel like they are building skills and progressing.

What is your career highlight?

Just being in the classroom. There’s nothing like that real sense of purpose when teaching. No matter what else I’ve done in my career, bringing enthusiasm for Maths is always the highlight.

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