I’m currently a maths teacher in a secondary school in Birmingham. Since I began teaching, I’ve taken on different additional responsibilities, overseeing  KS3 maths, organising maths competitions and school trips.

I’m helping to design a new maths curriculum for the school which we are also sharing with other schools across the UK. This means that in addition to teaching, I get the opportunity to share skills and network with other colleagues from across the UK which I really enjoy.

What motivates you?

When I was young, I didn’t want to teach, friends always said to me  “you’re definitely going to be a teacher!”  At first I was determined to prove them wrong, but my views slowly changed!  In my first degree in Maths, I took lots of modules in statistics and accounting, thinking about a career in finance, but I found them really boring. The breakthrough came for me when I took a summer job in a shoe shop and really enjoyed interacting with young people in the children’s department. I realised it was something that I enjoyed and was good at and then, with my degree background and the shortage of maths teachers, I saw a great opportunity to share those maths skills with the next generation. 

Why did you originally apply to Birmingham?

I researched lots of different universities and was really influenced by the positive reviews I read about Birmingham. I also chose it for its ethnic diversity and welcoming community and also because it’s a really reasonably priced city to live in. 

What are your fondest memories of the University?

My fondest memories of Birmingham were meeting new people and forming great friendships. The teaching I received throughout my training was brilliant and I also really enjoyed the green spaces around the campus and the city which were brilliant places to go and relax when you needed to.