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Mathematics teacher Kimberly Todd believes that helping students see the real-life applications of the subject is key to deepening their understanding and appreciation of its concepts.

For the past six years, Todd has been teaching at Westwood High School in Trelawny. In a recent lesson on matrices, she introduced a dancing exercise in which each number in a multiplication problem corresponded to a dance move. It was a hit.

The creative approach, she said, proved that even a topic considered dry by many could become an engaging, active, and enjoyable experience.

"So, for me, using storytelling, using the dancing, the going outside, the games, all of those things within my classroom... the telling of jokes... all of that; I use it to make the maths environment tension-free," the educator shared.

Her style is far from conventional.

"I have managed to integrate storytelling into my delivery. So, my students will tell you that they don't leave my classroom without a good story. Now, these stories are not abstract. They relate to the content that I am teaching. And these stories are personal stories that I have lived. And I am able to deliver the [maths] content in a fun way," she outlines.

Todd was recently recognised with the 2025 Governor General's Achievement Award (GGAA) for St Ann in the 25-35 age category. Her innovative methods have translated into major success in the classroom, earning her the title of Most Outstanding Teacher in the Mathematics Department at Westwood in 2024.

This year, her talent and dedication also gained national attention. She was named a regional finalist, and later one of the top-five finalists, in the Mathematics Teacher of the Year competition.

Over the years, Todd has helped many students achieve academic excellence, including one who earned a coveted spot on the National Merit List for CSEC Mathematics.

Still, she insists that grades are not her only measure of success.

"If you leave my class, and you only learn Maths, I have failed an entire generation," she says passionately. Her true reward, she explains, lies in the small but meaningful wins -- a student finally understanding a difficult concept, a child giving their best despite falling short of a perfect grade, and the resilience and inspiration she helps to nurture.

"I have had children who have left my class and said, 'Miss Todd, you know, perhaps we will never get an 80 or a 70, but you have inspired us. You have always been behind us. Miss, you have said, do not give up. We come and we are weary, we are tired. But you are saying, no, no, no. You have taught us the art of resilience'," she recalls.

These heartfelt testimonies, Todd says, are what keep her going, especially through the common struggles faced by many educators. A devout Christian, she also believes that it is her duty to help students discover the "greatness that God has planted in them."

Interestingly, Todd's path to becoming a maths teacher wasn't always clear.

Raised in Brown's Town, St Ann, she once dreamed of becoming prime minister, a lawyer, a flight attendant, or even a nurse. She graduated high school with nine CSEC subjects -- eight grade ones and one grade two -- but financial difficulties put her plans to study law on hold.

"During my gap year, I had a conversation with my priest, and he asked me about maths. He said, 'do you love maths?' And I was like, yes, I have had a great passion for mathematics from primary school. He said, 'would you teach it?' I said yes, I would. From that one conversation, I applied for Church Teachers' College. I got a scholarship from my church and from the Ministry to attend teachers' college," she recounts.

At college, Todd thrived. She became coach of the Maths Olympiad team and staff adviser to the Maths Club, graduating with a Bachelor of Education in Mathematics with first-class honours.

From the moment she entered the classroom, she knew she had found her calling.

"I realised that I like this teaching thing, you know, and not just delivering content but the interaction with the students; being able to inspire students. I made up my mind to change the perspective of maths in the classroom," she said.