I have struggled with Maths from a very young age. I can remember the anxiety I used to have when the teacher used to say the word ‘Maths’. I never really understood why I disliked the subject so much, but through Tara’s workshops, I believe I may have an idea how it started.

I remember in the upper stages of primary school, the class were doing a lesson on converting mg, kg and mm and I recall a teacher working with me. I found it so difficult. The teacher would explain it but when she asked me, I could not give her an answer. I could sense the anger through the tone of her voice. This is one key incident I believe has put me off maths: the pressure of time.

This anxiety followed me to high school. I had received disheartening remarks from my close ones because I could not do mental maths, and this is one aspect I have always struggled with. I find it difficult to calculate sums in my head and prefer to write it down. I just need a little time to problem solve. There is no rush. But I felt left out because everybody around me could do it so quickly. However, in school there is no time because the teacher needs to move onto the next topic. This is a gap in my education that has been left open , and something I will struggle with but by no means does that suggest I cannot teach maths.

National 5 maths was essential for me to get into University and therefore my anxiety only increased. I went from a C to an A and there are no regrets. I was over the moon when I received my results because I was certain I had only ‘just’ passed again. I realised that I was able to do it all the way along, but I just needed that extra ‘time’.

Tara’s workshops really boosted my confidence. She conveyed some powerful messages. We place so much emphasis on ‘illiteracy’ but what about innumeracy? Technology has become so advanced that we have become lazy and use our mobile phones and calculators for simple calculations. Children are finding it difficult to read time on clocks because they are exposed to it ‘digitally’. I have struggled with Maths and I still do, but it is something I am working on. This will help me because I would want no child to go through what I had went through. If any child requires support, I will assist them individually so that they are fully polished before moving onto the next level. This weakness has in fact become my biggest strength, and a lot of that is due to these workshops. My next steps involve doing the NOMA multiple times until I am confident in it, but also visiting the school textbooks so that I understand it before I base any lesson upon it. Confidence is key in teaching, and I am not going to let my challenging experience affect the children’s experience. Curriculum for Excellence places great emphasis on everyday maths. The 8 outcomes for Numeracy within CfE include: Estimating and Rounding, Number and Number Processing, Fractions, Decimals and Percentages, Money, Time, Measurements, Data and Analysis and Ideas of chance and uncertainty. My next steps will now  be to build upon my reading to develop my knowledge of these outcomes so I am able to plan lessons suitable for the different levels the children may be at.