Teach the Future – Shelley

Shelley Richardson, maths teacher and Inclusion Leader at Elisabeth Murdoch College:

My favourite thing about teaching maths is that there are so many different ways to do things.

There’s always a right answer, but there are so many different ways to get there.

I got into performing to get more confidence. I used to be really shy, but with enough practice, you realise that you are in control of the show.

Teaching is very similar, except your audience is a lot more interactive and you really need to tailor what you’re doing to each individual person.

It can feel a bit like doing a silly little dance, but it’s about getting on their level, building trust and understanding what they need.

As someone that’s neurodivergent myself, I understand how difficult it can be when the learning environment isn’t tailored to what you need.

Our inclusion team focuses a lot on the overall wellbeing of our students.

With classes like our weekly Lego Club, where students can focus on problem solving, communication and having fun.

We all learn differently, and we can teach differently too. And just like performing, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

So why not give it a go?

My name is Shelley Richardson. I’m a maths teacher and inclusion leader at Elisabeth Murdoch College. And I’ve been a teacher for 6 years.

[End of transcript]

Updated 7 March 2025

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