07 September, 2023

Meet Mr Kirtland our new Math teacher

Meet Mr Kirtland Our New Math Teacher - Meet Mr Kirtland our new Math teacher

I am a UK qualified teacher with ten years’ experience teaching UK curriculum mathematics in both secondary schools and post 16 colleges in the UK and Asia. I graduated from the University of Sheffield with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Studies and spent the early part of my career as a computer programmer and systems analyst before moving into teaching. I am a strong advocate of promoting a growth mindset in my teaching as I firmly believe in students developing positive attitudes to their learning and developing resilience when they encounter challenges.

 

I am married and have two grown up daughters. The family home is in Derbyshire in the UK, but we have also lived in Australia and New Zealand and have dual UK/New Zealand citizenship.

What do you look forward to the most about moving to Myanmar?

I am always excited about visiting new places. Myanmar is a beautiful country with an interesting history and friendly people and I am really looking forward to learning and experiencing more of it.

What excites you the most about joining BSY?

The school has a real sense of community and I am looking forward to being a part of that.

 

What are you most looking forward to during your first week at the school?

I am always excited to meet new students and colleagues and getting to know them better!

Could you share a bit about your educational background and any specialised training or certifications you have?

My personal love and interest of mathematics doesn’t originate from my experience of it at school. Indeed, my experience of school mathematics was very negative. Everything changed when I took an engineering qualification and my interest was sparked. I think knowing what mathematics is used for and how any why it works can make it much more interesting for students. I have a qualification from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) which impressed on me the importance of collaborative learning in the classroom.

What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of the classroom? How do you think they contribute to your teaching style or overall approach to education?

I love sport and although I am a little too old to play competitively I am still very interested in it. As I get older I have walked and hiked more and more. I look forward to doing some in Myanmar! My biggest life interest has been travel and I am very internationalist in my outlook. I hope that means that I’m not just teaching mathematics but that I can help nurture students curiosity about the world.