Chris Smith has been a maths teacher at Grange Academy in East Ayrshire for more than 15 years. He is also “that maths newsletter guy” (which now has in excess of 4,500 subscribers from all over the world) and, in 2018, he was named Scottish Teacher of the Year.

He talks about the importance of exploring maths beyond the curriculum and “embracing awesome extras”, and explains why an annual three-day maths camp at his school has led to an explosion of “positivity about the subject”, as well as a 9 per cent attainment bump, on average, for those who attend.

1. What I wish I’d known when I started teaching is...

I wish I’d appreciated the wildly different characters I would end up teaching. I’d probably give this advice to young Smithy: You’ll work with young people who are way smarter than you are but don’t be intimidated or begrudge them that...instead, find ways to help them flourish.

You’ll work with young people who will arrive at school hungry but will try to mask the effects of poverty. Bear that in mind and be sensitive when the unions are banging on about wage increases for teachers.

You’ll work with young people with all sorts of medical conditions and disabilities but they can be among the most inspirational students you’ll encounter. Look for ways to include them, don’t underestimate what they’re capable of and prepare to be amazed.

You’ll work with young people whose lives are in turmoil but want to learn. Show them kindness, respect and let them know that they matter.

2. The most important qualities a teacher needs are...

Whenever I’m asked that question, my answer is always the same: if you like working with young people and you’re passionate about your subject, then you have two of the essential ingredients. There’s plenty you can learn on the job - techniques and skills you can master and plenty you’ll glean from experienced colleagues - but these are the foundations underpinning the whole lot.

3. The most important lessons I’ve learned from doing this job are...

Oh, so many! But I’ll stick to three:

• That it is OK to take risks and try something new - you win some, you lose some and you adapt some.
• That the pay-off in terms of enthusiasm, gratitude and geekiness from exploring maths beyond the curriculum, celebrating mathematical days such as Pi Day, entering maths competitions and embracing awesome extras like Maths Week Scotland, totally justify the sacrifice of a wee bit of time in class.
• That asking “how do you teach this?” in the staffroom is like launching a pedagogical hand grenade. You might open a can of worms but the answers could shock you - and you could even uncover a gem of an explanation that instantly gets drafted into your teaching toolkit.

4. The best change I ever made in my practice was...

A complete game-changer for me was the introduction of our annual maths camp. We established this in 2015 and, even though I’d say we already had a vibrant maths department, positivity about the subject has exploded since we kicked off these eagerly anticipated revision residentials for senior students.

There is an attainment aspect to them, of course, with those attending improving by, on average, 9 per cent more than those who don’t. But it’s the whole package that makes these things so special: the adventure of a trip, the inflatables, the sports, the games, the ceilidhs.

Until Covid kicked in (there were actual tears from our students as Scottish schools closed the week before our 2020 edition), we had 100 students each year signing up and it really contributed to the buzz in the maths corridor.

And the legend of maths camp is whispered down to younger siblings - we have kids asking in S1 and S2 about when they’ll be able to come along.

5. If I could change something about Scottish education, it would be...

What do you mean “could”? Teachers CAN change Scottish education!

So I’ll continue to bang the drum for mathematics with every opportunity, speaking about it enthusiastically and working on building up a national perception shift to seeing maths as a rich, creative, exciting, powerful, beautiful subject.

And I’ll continue to shout loudly that, while the qualifications system isn’t perfect, national examinations - which are independently set and marked by an external organisation - lead to results that are fair, robust and meaningful.

I’ve heard no convincing alternatives being suggested - certainly ditching traditional exams in favour of internal assessments is a recipe for disaster.

6. My most memorable moment as a teacher was...

You’d maybe expect me to say picking up the Scottish Teacher of the Year Award in 2018 but I think that might be edged out by a few of our Pi Day celebrations. One that I’ve rewatched over and over is the video of my class performing the PiMCA - our mathematical parody of YMCA.

It was the kids’ idea to come up with this to celebrate Pi Day. They helped write lyrics and were totally up for singing and dancing away with unbridled enthusiasm in the classroom. To be honest, memories do fade and you tend to forget even special moments. I’m grateful that I’ve got so many cuttings from the local newspaper of our maths adventures throughout the years.

And, at the end of every school year, I get classes to fill in a “menshy sheet” - basically, each kid gets a wee box to sign their name and record something that will help me remember them (usually a daft anecdote, an in-joke, a silly nickname or a specific success story). Looking back on these makes me smile a lot.

7. The worst mistake I ever made was...

Probably leaving a kid at the service station on our way to Alton Towers. Let me say, the girl did get reunited with us, but when she decided to nip on to a different bus with her pal, we didn’t notice. What followed was a rather embarrassing phone call from the trip leader asking us to double check we’d counted our weans correctly. It all ended well (apart from the flak we get from colleagues when the annual trip comes around again). But, since then, I’ve never settled for a head count on a coach trip anywhere - every single name gets called out before the bus driver gets the green light to head off.

8. My top tip for aspiring teachers is...

This could be a dream career for you. I just love going in to work every day - that mix of fantastic colleagues, enthusiastic students and a subject I’m obsessed with makes this an ideal fit for me. But my top tip is “be realistic”. Get both sides of the story. Teaching is amazing but it’s also hard work - don’t let anyone kid you on that you can be a decent teacher by just putting in a shift from 9am to 3pm (although the holidays are brilliant). Report-writing for hundreds of kids can be exhausting. In-service days can be tortuous. You’ll have to hold it together in front of classes whatever is going on in your life - when you’re grieving, having relationship struggles, when your own children are causing you sleepless nights, when the boiler’s broken down...but working with young people as they learn and discover and mature and succeed is a huge honour and privilege.

9. When dealing with challenging pupils, my go-to strategy is...

Treat them like everyone else. It’s cruel for me to have lower expectations with challenging pupils. I still insist they bring what everyone else needs for class. I expect them to follow the same classroom routines everyone else does. And when they don’t have the right attitude or behaviour, there will be consequences for that, too.

I’m convinced this is worthwhile - having structure, order and discipline in school when the rest of your life is unpredictable and chaotic is powerful. As a mathematician, it’s shameful to say that I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve bumped into former pupils whose behaviour was challenging who remember our Pi Day antics or reminisce about “Fact of the Day” but who also freely admit that they’re grateful I didn’t tolerate their nonsense. That means a lot.    

10. The best CPD I ever did was...

Since 2007, I’ve been writing a weekly maths newsletter containing lesson ideas, resources, the milk rota, mathematical trivia, jokes and puzzles. We’ve clocked up more than 600 issues and now in excess of 4,500 subscribers read it each week. It’s been a labour of love and, in the natural course of your career, you’ll have highs and lows, times where you’re buzzing about your job and brimming with creativity and other times where you’re just plodding along on the way to the next holiday.

The newsletter has been my best ever CPD because of its longevity (nothing has been more constantly affecting my practice over so many years), its regularity (there’s no opportunity for me to stagnate as I’m continually trying to uncover new ideas, and resources and puzzles, to cram into the newsletter), and its impact - it has led to so many incredible opportunities, collaborations and friendships.

To sign up to Chris Smith’s maths newsletter email aap03102@gmail.com