JACINTA DEYLEN

Mathematics Teacher: Santa Maria College

I have been teaching high school maths for over 30 years and I love it! I love working with people of all ages and being part of a team where we all use our strengths to enhance student learning as well as continue to work on areas that need developing. That for me is what teaching is all about. I enjoy working with other teachers and sharing ideas to help the students in our care flourish. I really care about the learning outcomes of all of my students. I want the best for them. I enjoy helping them, guiding them, challenging them and sharing a maths journey with them.
I have a genuine interest in how my students are coping with the maths content. I often try to have a few hints or real world scenarios to help them out or for those who need a challenge, something to ponder. Some students may not do well in tests but have great reasoning and problem solving skills. So it’s important to encourage these students to continue with their fine efforts – they often underrate themselves.

For me, every day is different. It is exciting, challenging and very much people orientated. Like most teachers I am hooked on my students having those ‘oh ah’ or ‘light bulb’ moments when everything finally makes sense. It really makes the job worthwhile.

Mathematics is everywhere! So having maths as one of the subjects studied in Year 11 and 12 will open doors for future choices, courses and careers.