From my earliest memories, maths has never been a strong point. In primary school, I have fond memories of playing with counting blocks and filling out fun work sheets filled with colour. Maths in primary school felt care-free, and I felt as though I was part of the class; with a basic understanding.

In high school however, maths caused me stress and unnecessary anxiety. Starting my high school years with teachers who picked you at random to answer questions was my worst fear and happened regularly. It caused my mind to go blank and look and feel stupid in front of a class. This in turn made me feel like a failure, and I stopped believing myself that I actually understood it and honestly, I lost interest all together. I began to fail and the class was a daily dread.

In my later years, I came across a particular teacher who saw potential in me. She made me work hard, without making me feel uncomfortable. She didn’t give up on me when I didn’t understand and she spent her nights staying behind at school club to help me to get the grades I never thought were possible. I was made to do ALL my homework corrections, which I absolutely hated and they piled up quickly. Now? I thank her for that. Her dedication to her students and job role helped me to enjoy maths again and was proof that I could do it with the right mindset, dedication and a lot of hard work.

Having went though both these experiences in school, Its made me aware of the impact my teaching strategies will have on children’s outcomes, and which method I would like to strive to achieve.

A comfortable classroom creates confident individuals and that is the key to understanding.