What is the quality that every teacher needs?

That was just one of the many questions that came up in the latest Tes Scotland podcast, featuring former teacher of the year Chris Smith.

Smith, a maths teacher at Grange Academy in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, also says that every single pupil can thrive in his subject - however strong their aversion to maths.

The secrets of teacher success

He has come up with some hugely ambitious ideas to bring maths to life - not all of them a roaring success - but also stresses that sometimes there is no shortcut to hard work and practise if students are to grasp difficult concepts.

Tes Scotland Podcast: Episode 4  - Chris Smith

Tes Scotland Podcast: Episode 3 - Maureen McKenna 

Tes Scotland Podcast: Episode 2 - Rowena Arshad

Tes Scotland Podcast: Episode 1 - Welcome to the Tes Scotland Podcast

WATCH: How a teacher used a drone to bring maths to life

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Smith also talks about mental health: having witnessed the devastating impact of teenage suicide, he believes that teachers should open up about their own mental health.

And he shares his thoughts on class sizes and what he sees as a false dichotomy between “traditional” and “progressive” education.

Smith, who tweets @aap03102, also reveals how a weekly maths newsletter he started in 2006 for a dozen colleagues now has thousands of subscribers in around 100 countries - all of whom might have to go on the department milk run, wherever in the world they live. 

Tes Scotland  releases a new podcast on the third Wednesday of each month. Look out in the new year for details of our next episode, due out on 15 January.