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Meet the Teacher
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30 years teaching children, 15 of those in learning support. That's a long time. What keeps me excited is doing what I love most: helping kids learn maths by lowering anxiety, raising enjoyment and loading it up with stories, songs, activities and laughter. With the help of a handful of cheeky Aussie animals to engage, entertain and educate, we give kids a friendly place where they can get comfortable with numbers. Everything is underpinned by research, the curriculum, my experience of how children learn and my own little spark of creativity.
Surely not 30 years in education?
She must be really old!
And where does this passion and creativity come from,
for a subject able to strike fear into the hearts of many who hear its name?
Let me lie on the couch and explain. I am no mathematical genius. Far from it. I was the girl scared of mental arithmetic at school, who cold sweated over word problems and cringed when called on to answer. Numbers were not my friend back then.
When it was my turn to teach, I was not about to let my students feel that same dread, so I deep-dived into how to best wrangle that enemy of mine. What a surprise to uncover a secret beauty in numbers. A delight in its structure and form. Turns out we could be friends after all!
Now, during those earlier teaching years, I also worked as a part time singer/songwriter (sang in the support act for the Rolling Stones in Hong Kong) and a seller of my own clay designs in shops and markets. I even wrote two early teen fiction novels in my spare time…Which was why I finally found myself thinking,
“Why not combine all my skills, interests and passions into one truly meaningful purpose?”
“Spot Maths,” I cried, and the animal characters in my imagination sprang into life.
“To help young children everywhere gain a love for numbers and improve their learning outcomes!” we cheered.
And that is how Spot Maths began.
Now I write, illustrate, film, edit, record and upload.
The learning curve is steep. The skills are nascent. But the heart is there. As is the hope to help children everywhere.
Animals spring to life with polymer clay
Through quality, targeted teaching and learning programs, every child has the best chance of improving their math skills. Spot Maths aims to provide that, by supplementing classroom and home schooling with quality educational resources that make teaching easier for all the adults supporting children on their number journey.
I want to raise children’s confidence by providing activities they can repeat in the comfort of home or class until they own it. I want them feeling comfortable with numbers and to have a friendly face and a bunch of loveable animals spurring them on. For young children with dyscalculia, the challenges are serious, so the more fun, encouragement and skill building they can get, the better. Early intervention is key.
So, developing a positive attitude to numbers is vital for everyone, especially for children who are feeling the challenge. Ssh, don’t tell the others, but they’re the kids who have an extra special place in my heart.
Join me, and the kids, at Spot Maths, and remember…
You can spot maths everywhere, through story, song and play.
You can count on having fun, so spot maths today!