Meet the Aussie Teacher Who’s Making Maths Go Viral

His name is Mister Woo and his mission is to deliver Maths foo.

And deliver he does!

Sydney-based maths teacher Eddie Woo has hit the headlines for his impressive feat of making Maths go viral. Through his hilariously-titled YouTube channel WooTube, the enthusiastic Mr Woo shares his love of numbers with thousands of school kids around the world, wracking up more than 3 million views of his online maths tutorials.

Teaching from Sydney’s Cherrybrook Technology High School, Mr Woo doesn’t only bring his teaching notes and a pen to class – he also brings along his video camera, and records each of his lessons, which he then posts on his WooTube channel. Kids from around Australia – especially many in rural and remote areas – and kids across the world, then have the chance to learn from the infectiously enthusiastic Mr Woo. From making calculus a crack up and finding fun with fractions, there’s something about this award-winning teacher (he recently took out the NSW premiere’s prize in innovation in maths) that makes Maths seem really exciting!

Emily Shakespear, a year 12 student at Cheerybrook Technology High puts in her own words when she says, “he sucked me in to Maths”. Emily, who previously didn’t think she had the brains for Maths, told ABC’s Australian Story that Mr Woo stopped her from dropping Maths altogether in Year 10 and helped her discover an enthusiasm she didn’t know she was capable of.

While Mr Woo’s parents were keen on their high-achieving son becoming either a doctor or awyer, Eddie had teaching firmly in his sights. He says: “For me I get so much enjoyment, number one, from being able to talk about such an interesting thing all day. But I also love seeing it when a student has a really, ‘a-ha ‘moment, when there’s some insight that they just couldn’t wrap their heads around and suddenly, we talk, and we talk and we question, and go round and round and round and we draw things – and suddenly it clicks – and I can literally see that moment and their eyes kind of widen a little bit, and they say, “I get it, I get it sir!!”. And that moment is priceless, and I get to see it everyday and it’s kind of addictive for students to have that experience and for me to have the privilege to help them get that themselves – I just wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Anyone wish that Mr Woo was their Maths teacher when they were at school?