E177: Overcoming Maths Anxiety, Building Confidence and Why Learning Isn’t Linear with Arthur Moore

What if school had taught us that life, learning and careers don’t have to follow a straight line?In this episode of The School Run Podcast, Jane chats with Arthur Moore — award-winning professional maths tutor, qualified secondary school teacher and founder of an online tutoring business.Arthur shares his journey from school, to Microsoft, to Teach First, to teaching in the UK and Thailand, and eventually into tutoring. Together, Jane and Arthur explore what education really means, why so many young people feel pressure to have everything figured out, and why confidence is built through both support and challenge.They also talk about maths anxiety, why “I’m bad at maths” can become a damaging story, and how adding the word “yet” can change everything.This conversation is full of wisdom for parents, teachers, tutors, young people and anyone who has ever wondered whether it’s too late to change direction.In this episode, we talk about:● Why careers and life paths are rarely linear● The pressure young people feel to make big decisions early● Why schools are brilliant and challenging places● The importance of supporting and challenging young people● What maths anxiety really is● Why confidence is about making decisions for yourself● How teachers can make learning “stick”● Why progress matters more than perfection● Arthur’s advice for teachers thinking about life beyond the classroom● The power of asking for help and finding mentors● Arthur’s own podcast with his children about Formula OneFavourite Moments“Learning is hard — and if you’re finding something challenging, you’re probably in the right place.”“Confidence is making a decision because you believe it is the right decision, not because you need someone else to approve it.”“It’s not that you can’t do maths. It might just be that you can’t do it yet.”Guest LinksFind Arthur Moore on LinkedIn by searching Arthur Moore Tutor.https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-moore/Arthur’s Formula One podcast with his children is called A Little Moore Formula One Chat.Support The School Run PodcastIf you’ve loved this episode and would like to support the podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here:www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrunIt helps us keep bringing these uplifting, honest and inspiring conversations to life.Connect With UsFollow the podcast on Instagram: @theschoolrun_officialFollow Jane: @mrsjanejamesEmail Jane: [email protected] Little VoicesThis podcast is brought to you by Little Voices, where we nurture confidence and big futures through drama and singing.Find out more about our classes, school partnerships and franchise opportunities at:www.littlevoices.org.ukDisclaimerThe conversations shared on The School Run Podcast are based on personal stories, experiences and opinions. They are intended to inspire, encourage and open up meaningful conversations, but they should not replace professional advice where needed.Editing CreditThis episode was edited and produced by Mike Roberts from Making Digital Real. We are so lucky and privileged to work with Mike and highly recommend him.