ABOUT US

math basics

Tanya and Darren

My wife and I are both teachers from Alberta, Canada teaching every grade including kindergarten.  We have also taught every subject in schools from small town farming communities of northern Alberta to the rich, private, religious schools of Gold Coast, Australia. Tanya has supported me every step of the way on my little adventure of sharing ideas.  Together we want education to change for all children, making it less of a chore and more of a lifelong desire.




Teaching

I have been a teacher for more than 25 years and have a strong passion for teaching, especially out-of-the box.  I am thankful for all the opportunities and experiences from the classroom. I've always looked for faster, easier and better ways to learn whether its memorizing the times tables, playing a four part Christmas melody or being able to read the and understand Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  

My passion began for math, trying to make it more enjoyable and retainable for students. This then, developed into a passion for language arts and music.

Over the years I did many plays as part of my language arts class.  We did versions of 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe', 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Robin Hood', 'Alice in Wonderland', 'Aladdin', the Lorax', and 'Charlotte's Web'.  Kids were able to get laughs, bring tears and sing songs on stage in front of family and friends.  


I have organized Daddy / Daughter Balls where fathers treated their little girls like princesses for a few hours.  There were sing-offs with 'Let It Go' and 'Hound Dog', rose ceremonies, belly laughs, photo sessions and unforgettable dances.  


I trained memory and math athletes to compete in national competitions like the Canada Memory Championship and the International Memory Association Kids Championship in Australia.  Ten and eleven year olds memorized decks of cards, long strings of numbers and random names of strangers proving to be the best in the country.  


I have been fortunate not only to be able to teach things like soccer, violin and story writing but to be able to find ways to make it easy to learn and relevant to kids.