Demystifying maths with Maths Help at Oxley

Oxley’s Maths Help Program runs twice a week and is very accessible to students who want to extend themselves academically or instil more confidence in themselves in their ability and ultimately perform better in the subject. Maths Help is open to all ages and year groups in the Senior School, and most importantly, inclusive and able to cater for all abilities. Facilitated by our professionally trained staff at Oxley, who are passionate advocates for improving student learning and enhancing students’ ability to their full potential, Maths Help has personally allowed me to grow and consolidate my learning and has greatly improved my ability to navigate complex mathematical problems. I highly recommend more participation as it is truly a beneficial program that is personalised to you, which is difficult to acquire in a regular classroom setting.

I interviewed Mrs Gauchat and Mr Brett, two staff members integral to the Oxley Maths Department, so you can better understand the true benefits and inside tips on why Maths Help can be so beneficial towards your maths confidence and performance.

What made you first interested in maths as a subject? 

Maths was always my favourite subject to do at school. In primary school, I loved counting and the times tables and measuring things. I remember doing long walks around the oval with the trundle wheels was always fun. 

There was also an art teacher who showed us lots of geometric patterns and we made them with nails and string, but our maths teacher explained it was all numbers and how it could be found in nature in the centre of sunflowers and cool places like that. 

In high school, I loved learning new things about maths like trigonometry and calculus. They seemed oddly logical even though initially they were hard to understand, I think I had a good teacher who made it fun.  – Mrs Gauchat

I have always liked Maths. It just made sense to me. That doesn’t mean to say Maths has always been easy for me… some topics can be hard. But the great thing about Maths is that it makes you think, and problem solve a lot! Yes, it can be a challenge but as the President of the USA, John F. Kennedy, once said ‘We don’t do these things because they are easy. We do them because they are hard.’ Humans love a challenge; it’s part of our DNA, and Maths can, at times, be a challenge. But that’s why it interests me so much. It can be beautiful and rewarding once you understand it. You just need to stick with it and not give up! The reward is much more than the effort involved. – Mr Brett

What do you think the benefits of Maths Help is from the perspective of a teacher and how do you think students could get more involved? 

It is hard to have enough time to do maths. We really need it every day and so Maths Help is great for catching up on the extra work that we don’t have time for in class, but also to ask questions without feeling embarrassed or rushed by the whole class listening. Maths Help is also available to everyone so if you are in Year 8 you might end up finding there is a Year 10 or 11 student that can help you just as much as your teacher can. – Mrs Gauchat

Maths Help is awesome! Whether you come at lunch on Wednesday, or Thursday morning before school, you will always see one of your favourite teachers in Room 5 just waiting to be of assistance to anyone in Year 7–12 who needs help understanding their Maths work. One great benefit of Maths Help is that it gives you the opportunity to work on your Maths in a quiet environment for an extra hour every week. That can add up to a whole lot of extra ‘Maths hours’ over the course of a term, or even a year. Just imagine the improvement in your Maths results by committing to an extra hour each week of Maths. Your parents will be happy, your teachers will be happy, and, most importantly, you will feel a real sense of achievement. All you need to do is… drum roll… turn up to Room 5! – Mr Brett

What inspires you to teach?

It sometimes feels like it is getting harder as fewer students choose to keep going through the higher levels of Maths when it is no longer compulsory but watching students who struggle initially and then when they finally access the learning and enjoy the result it is so rewarding. I love solving problems even if they are hard and take a long time to figure out and seeing students persevere with challenges and eventually arrive at a solution or at least a place of contentment is very inspiring. – Mrs Gauchat

I love teaching. I enjoy being in the classroom, using my years of experience to teach the best way I know how to help my students understand and achieve to the best of their ability. I never expect everyone I teach to be the best, but I always hope that I can help my students to do their best and realise their full potential! It is not always an easy job. Some days can be hard for sure; however, it truly is a very rewarding profession. I would like to think I have inspired every one of the students I have ever taught to love Maths… but the reality is a little different. What I do hope is that each of my students leaves my class at the end of the year with a more positive attitude towards Maths, a greater sense of achievement in themselves and their ‘Maths abilities’ and, maybe, a greater love for the subject. – Mr Brett

So there you have it! I hope the benefits of Maths Help have been illuminated, and I strongly urge you to take part so you can achieve your best within this complex subject, and ultimately be involved in one of Oxley’s generous academic opportunities. Maths Help is accessible during Wednesday lunch time (1:00pm-1:45pm) and Thursday morning (8:00am-8:45am).

Sami B & Issy H, Year 11