FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Personalised learning and modern teaching practice saw the Further Mathematics staff foster an environment of high academic performance, leading to significant achievements in the 2020 VCE Exam.

Trish Vu with a Mathematics student

To support their students during the many transitions and changes in 2020 Further Mathematics teachers Trish Vu (also the Head of Mathematics) and Jessica Owen committed themselves to Southern Cross Grammar's principles of Learning, Connection and Care, and combined them with modern and personalised teaching practice, to foster an environment of high academic performance, including a Perfect Study score of 50 in the 2020 VCE exam. “We worked with students in small groups via Webex, and prioritised offering personalised learning experiences for every student to give them every opportunity to succeed in their studies and course work,” Trish said. “As a teaching team we had a common set of teaching notes and activities but used our judgement to adjust and modify to best suit our students' strengths and weaknesses." Remaining ever-mindful of the challenges the pandemic posed to students, they also offered additional tutoring and one-on-one sessions for students, and encouraged them to form virtual study groups. Keeping students' morale high was especially important and Trish and Jessica made sure to celebrate student successes and milestones throughout the year. "As VCE teachers, you get used to giving up your spare time to help students that seek you out. Although remote teaching limited the face-toface help I could provide, I was still able to find ways to help students who sought that extra support," Jessica said.

At the beginning of Term 3, Sophie Macreadie, a former Year 12 Further Mathematics teacher, returned from maternity leave and joined the teaching team, further enabling Trish and Jessica to target their teaching and exam/SAC preparation to their students. By using examiners' reports, educating students on how to meaningfully create and use their student bound reference, and demonstrating how to use technology effectively to approach questions, Trish and Jessica's students were well placed for high performance in their exams. "I am incredibly proud of our Year 12 achievements in Further Mathematics (and other Mathematics units), and our staff's professionalism and dedication over the years in delivering curriculum that not only prepares our students for

success and but also allows students to appreciate the relevance and beauty of mathematics," Trish said. With a number of students preparing to enter rewarding careers including Engineering, the Arts and Finance and Commerce, Further Mathematics has indeed been a formula for students' success.

By combining the principles of learning, connection and care with modern and personalised teaching, the Further Mathematics team fostered an environment of high academic performance including a perfect Study Score of 50 in the 2020 VCE exam.