The stories behind the mathematics

Kind Words.

Helping people discover they are capable of more than they thought possible.

Some of the messages, memories and moments that have meant the most to me over more than 25 years of teaching.

Read the stories

Voices that matter

Words I have
never forgotten.

Results matter, but the words people remember most are often about confidence, belonging and finally feeling capable.

“

Iris became quite good in maths, which seemed impossible just a year ago.

Parent message

“

You were his favourite teacher.

Parent feedback

“

You treat everyone equally.

Colleague

“

You are so calm all the time.

Colleague

More than mathematics

What I hope
students carry forward.

Mathematics is the subject, but confidence, resilience, curiosity and kindness are often the most important outcomes.

↑

Confidence

Helping learners replace hesitation with the belief that they can understand, attempt and succeed.

♥

Kindness

Recognition, encouragement and the Golden High-5 can change how a person sees themselves.

✦

Curiosity

Difficult mathematics becomes far more inviting when learners can see the patterns and ideas behind it.

◎

Resilience

Progress is often created by continuing calmly, intelligently and consistently when something first feels difficult.

Moments I will never forget

The stories behind
the kind words.

Some moments last because they reveal what encouragement, belief and recognition can mean to another person.

Story 01

The boy who never received an award.

Schools often celebrate the highest marks, the fastest runners and the most obvious achievements. But some students are working extraordinarily hard just to keep going.

I wanted one student to know that his resilience had been seen. The certificate did not celebrate being the best in the class. It celebrated refusing to give up. His response reminded me that recognition can matter far beyond the moment in which it is given.

Story 02

The Golden High-5.

A Golden High-5 is more than praise. It is genuine recognition of something worthwhile: an act of courage, kindness, perseverance, creativity or growth.

The aim is not simply to make someone feel good for a few seconds. It is to help them see evidence of the person they are becoming—and perhaps begin to believe something better about themselves.

Story 03

When the idea travelled beyond school.

One of the most powerful moments came when a NATO officer told me he had begun using the Golden High-5 idea with the people he led.

That was when I realised the principle was not limited to classrooms. People in every setting perform, learn and grow differently when effort is noticed and excellence is recognised with sincerity.

Story 04

A farewell I will always remember.

At the end of my year at BISG, the cards, messages, gifts and reactions from students and colleagues meant more than I could easily express.

One card contained a sentence that perfectly captured what I have always hoped to achieve: “...your ability to make people believe they can do it is a real gift.”

They were reminders that teaching is measured not only in syllabus coverage or examination results, but in the quality of the relationships built along the way, and the belief we help others discover in themselves.

Cards, gifts and memories