Local Tiffin teacher, Jamie Frost, top ten finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, is crowned COVID Hero, by national icon Stephen Fry.
In a momentous online ceremony, broadcast from the Natural History Museum in London and presented by Stephen Fry, Jamie Frost was declared the Global Teacher Prize’s international COVID Hero. For his internationally acclaimed Maths tuition website, DrFrostMaths, local Kingston teacher, Dr Frost, became one of the Global Teacher Prize’s Top Ten Finalists. In an exclusive student interview with Dr Frost, I learnt about his remarkable journey and exceptional achievements.
Dr Frost described his motivation to start teaching as stemming from his PhD at Oxford. ‘I got considerably involved in teaching both at my college (Worcester College) and within the department [...]. I had two visiting students from Princeton I was particularly fond of, and they specially invited me to their ‘Leaver’s Dinner’ with the master of Worcester College. When the master went around the table asking each American visiting student what they would miss most about Oxford, one of them cited their tutorials with me! I subsequently asked Tiffin School if I could have a week’s work experience there.’ When he began teaching at Tiffin, Dr Frost started DrFrostMaths as a teaching blog, reflecting on his lessons and to share his lessons resources. ‘I soon dropped the blog and concentrated on organising the lesson resources. In 2016 I applied for some funding from the Mayor For London’s office to start the online interactive component of the platform, where teachers could set work online to students and monitor their progress. This was initially motivated by the need to better support our less able students at Tiffin.’
However, DrFrostMaths soon became internationally acclaimed, being used by British schools across the world. In 2016, Dr Frost won the ‘Best Teacher Website 2016’ from www.resourceaholic.com. In 2018, to add to the rapid expansion of his website, he won the award for technological innovation in the National Teaching Awards.
DrFrostMaths has especially excelled as a remote learning platform, integral to maintaining students’ education during lockdown. Dr Frost described the use of his website during lockdown: ‘much of the functionality is suited to remote learning, including the videos, teacher Powerpoints, online homework setting and DFM Whiteboard.’ Because of the much needed aid that DrFrostMaths gave struggling students and teachers across the world during the turmoil of the pandemic, Dr Frost deservedly received the COVID Hero Award. As well as this phenomenal achievement, Dr Frost was congratulated by Boris Johnson in a message broadcast from 10 Downing Street. Boris Johnson addressed Dr Frost directly ‘your creativity and ingenuity has given hope and support to millions of children throughout the world’.
DrFrostMaths is also essential help for students beyond the classroom. The website includes assistance for both higher and lower attaining students, with a ‘Key Skills’ platform for lower attaining students and ‘for higher-attaining students, [Dr Frost has] a relationship with the UK Mathematics Trust and [hosts] all their past Maths Challenges and Olympiads.’
Dr Frost’s teaching in the classroom also reflects this. He always seeks to engage higher attaining students, whilst encouraging lower attaining students. And, as such, Stephen Fry congratulated Dr Frost and the Finalists by saying that we ‘want to say thank you [...], thank you for your compassion, thank you for your creativity and for never giving up.’ Stephen Fry also admitted that, due to this, teaching is ‘the noblest profession in the world’.
However, Dr Frost admitted that he was only able to create his international website ‘with difficulty’, whilst teaching full time at Tiffin School. Our local teacher was recognised by Boris Johnson for his ‘enormous contribution and sacrifice’. For the aid he gave during the pandemic turmoil, to his assistance for both lower attaining and higher attaining students, Dr Frost should be rightly celebrated for his sacrifice, and as our local and international hero.
