Dancing, Failing, and Winning Student Trust
In a world where TikTok trends and Instagram reels dominate young people's attention spans, one Auckland teacher is taking an unconventional approach to help his students reconnect with learning — one mistake, dance challenge, and honest conversation at a time.
Subash Chandar K, a middle school math teacher with 18 years of experience currently teaching at Ormiston Junior College, has made it his mission to build trust and resilience in his students by creating a classroom environment where mistakes are not just accepted but celebrated.
“I want my students to see that mistakes aren’t something to be ashamed of. I make errors in front of them and we work through them together. It’s about creating a safe space where they feel supported taking risks.”
Neuroscience educator Kathryn Berkett says Subash’s technique of allowing students to make mistakes in a safe environment is important for the true learning process.
Subash regularly integrates discussions about topics like artificial intelligence and social media trends into his lessons to spark curiosity and make math feel relevant. He believes these conversations help build connections, encouraging students to express their thoughts without fear of judgement.
One memorable example was a Year 7 dance challenge Subash led with his students. Not only did he participate, but he also filmed, edited, and shared the final video, much to the students’ delight. During lockdown, he took it further by organising a “Zoom water challenge,” keeping students engaged and connected while learning from home.
Ms Berkett says the physical elements Subash encourages his students to take part in produces endorphins.
“Given Subash works hard to build trust and collaboration with his students, it sounds like he creates the optimal environment for learning to occur. With the fun, he is activating the endorphins that enhance the learning process,” she says.
Subash’s teaching philosophy centres on empowering students to take ownership of their learning. He encourages them to work collaboratively, ask questions, and step out of their comfort zones. He believes it’s critical for students to learn how to learn — not just memorise facts — so they can tackle challenges long after they leave his classroom.
He’s particularly mindful of the impact social media has on students’ ability to focus.
“The dopamine hits from TikTok and Instagram are real,” he says. “It makes it hard for students to stick with longer-term learning goals.”
Knowing the importance of devices to his students, he’s found ways to incorporate them into his lessons. One successful tactic involved using students’ own phone battery data as the basis for statistics exercises.
“When they see how much time they’ve spent on Instagram or TikTok, suddenly the numbers mean something,” he says. Subash has also experimented with social media engagement statistics and content creator data, which consistently capture his students' attention.
“They can interpret and tell stories with that data straight away,” he notes. “The challenge is whether they can apply those same skills to other, less glamorous datasets. That’s what I’m working on.”
Subash integrates contemporary topics like artificial intelligence and popular culture events such as Polyfest into his math lessons, aiming to make the subject relevant and relatable. One student’s attitude towards math transformed when Subash linked lessons to her cultural background and interests. Though her academic results didn’t dramatically improve, her enjoyment and engagement with the subject improved dramatically.
“That’s a win in my book,” Subash says. “It’s about helping students see themselves in the subject, and building rapport so they’re open to learning.”
His work in the classroom has also extended online. Through his YouTube channel Infinity Plus One, Subash streams free math tutorials tailored to New Zealand students, attracting up to 960 students at a time.
Now, he’s preparing to launch a new workshop titled Balancing the Equation, which will focus on student well-being, resilience, and goal setting — furthering his mission to equip students not just for exams, but for life.
“Grades matter, but my job is to help them leave school with the confidence and skills to tackle whatever comes next.”