Upper Hutt College teacher Fiona Hall is pioneering more exciting and challenging ways to teach maths in her classroom by using techniques from the Taskmaster television show.

A Year 9 class at a lower North Island secondary school can't wait for their next maths lesson thanks to their teacher's love of a British TV series.

Upper Hutt College's assistant head of mathematics Fiona Hall has come up with a new way of teaching the curriculum, inspired by UK panel show Taskmaster.

A hit on TVNZ's Duke since the middle of last year, the programme features five comedians attempting challenges which vary from mini-golf with eggs to filming something that looks impressive in reverse. Part of its appeal is watching each of them tackle the assignment in their own, unique way.



Hall says she first came up with idea of adapting Taskmaster for the classroom while watching a season two episode where the competing quintet had to impress a local mayor.



"I was wondering what to do with my 9F class for the week coming up and suddenly thought, 'I could set them some tasks'."

Ross Giblin Fiona Hall says her Taskmaster challenges not only involve the mathematics curriculum, but also encourage problem-solving and group dynamics skills.

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Starting small – just one group task a week for "fun and semi-related to what we were doing in class" – Hall then had the idea of reaching out to Taskmaster hosts Alex Horne and Greg Davies (a former teacher himself) to "let them know what I was up to". The response she got surprised and delighted her.

"Alex wrote back saying, 'that's amazing, let me know if I can help?'."

Ross Giblin Upper Hutt College maths teacher Fiona Hall has been inspired by the TV series Taskmaster to create challenges for her Year 9 Maths class. Students, from left, Lennox Amyes, Miya Abbott-Tutaki, Jodie Yorwarth, Hannah Wong and Alex Legner.

Deciding to take full advantage, Hall asked Horne if he would judge her class's efforts, something that he was more than happy to do.

"They were really exciting – and to use Taskmaster as a learning tool – that's just the best thing," Horne, who was the one who let slip to Stuff about Taskmaster Upper Hutt during a recent conversation, says.

After watching the uploaded videos from his home in the UK, he then recorded his own comments.

TVNZ Season six of Taskmaster is now screening on TVNZ's Duke.

"It was just awesome," Hall says.

Sensing the chance to share the excitment with the wider school community, Hall organised to turn part of the College's annual celebration of learning evening last year into a Taskmaster presentation, which she also recorded for posterity.

"Normally, the maths presentation is a pretty boring affair. 'Here's a poster I made, here's a mathematician I studied, blah, blah, blah'. So I thought, 'why don't we tie this all together and turn it into a show'."

Alex Horne is the creator of the popular TV show Taskmaster and was a guest judge on Upper Hutt College's Year 9 edition.

Featuring five groups, rather than individuals, it featured a mix of live and recorded challenges, just like the real Taskmaster. These included the best edible item, blow something big off a table, potato golf and writing a short song about maths set to the tune of a Disney classic.

Hall admits that while those might have been "loosely" maths-related, they still met key competencies for Year 9 students. "Things like working together and using symbols and text, as well as problem-solving – making a plan and carrying it out."

Emboldened by last year's reception, Hall has introduced Taskmaster to her 2018 Year 9 class from the beginning of the year, put the onus on them to do their own filming and tweaked the problems so they are more maths-focused.

Ross Giblin Fiona Hall says what she loves about her Taskmaster challenges are "the ideas that come from nowhere" from her Year 9 students.

"For example, they had to make a 30-second sand timer using just salt, two cups, a funnel and scissors and paper."

She says what she loves about the concept is "the ideas that come from nowhere".

"I will plan a task and think about what the kids will probably do. Then, I'll watch the footage back and go, 'oh my gosh, what are they doing? How did they come up with that?' And sometimes it's genius."

Hall is unsure whether she has inspired any of her teaching colleagues to undertake something similar, but does admit she "couldn't shut up about it in November".

"Particularly after I got a surprise video back from 'my idol' Greg, going 'hello'."

New episodes of Taskmaster season six debut on Thursdays at 8.30pm on TVNZ Duke. Season one is currently being repeated on Friday nights on TVNZ2 at 9pm and episodes from all seasons are available on TVNZ OnDemand.