Robert Coutts
Specialized Honours B.A. (Humanities), B.Ed., M.Ed.
Subject: Math & Problem Solving
What will my child walk away with? The academic confidence and genuine sense of worthiness that comes from a classroom designed to challenge students while making sure they always feel capable of rising to that challenge. My fifteen years with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, along with my work as the author of the financial literacy children’s picture book I’m a Kid with a Mortgage!, give me a dynamic and practical approach to student engagement—especially in making math meaningful and real-world connected.
What can families expect? A student-centered teacher whose dynamic classroom engagement encourages positive, equitable behavior and academic excellence simultaneously. I am also a teaching specialist in the integration of information and computer technology in instruction, bringing a current and practical understanding of how technology can support mathematical thinking rather than distract from it. My experience as an author in financial literacy also allows me to connect math concepts to real-life applications like budgeting, saving, and decision-making.
What does class actually feel like? Energetic, inclusive, and genuinely engaging. I design my classroom to make students feel both challenged and worthwhile at the same time, because I know from fifteen years of experience that those two things together are what produce real academic growth. Students consistently tell me they feel both pushed and supported in my class, particularly as they build confidence in math.
How do you challenge a curious mind? I give curious students problems that require genuine engagement rather than comfortable pattern recognition, using real-world contexts—often connected to financial literacy—to deepen understanding. I also use technology integration deliberately to open up new dimensions of that challenge. A capable student benefits from learning to think critically, solve problems creatively, and use tools effectively.
Credentials and Experience M.Ed., Mount Saint Vincent University. B.Ed., York University. Specialized Honours B.A. in Humanities, York University. Fifteen years of teaching with the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Teaching specialist in integration of information and computer technology in instruction. Author of the financial literacy children’s picture book I’m a Kid with a Mortgage!
Why Robert? Why Brain Power?
I have spent fifteen years learning that the students who thrive most are the ones who feel genuinely valued and genuinely challenged in equal measure, and I design my teaching to deliver both. My work in financial literacy education reinforces this belief by helping students see the purpose behind what they learn. Brain Power’s model of rigorous enrichment in a supportive environment is exactly that combination.