In this powerful two-part replay, Sharon and Sarah revisit one of the Pit Pony Podcast’s most talked-about episodes - the story of David Myers, a maths teacher whose experience captures both the brilliance and the brutality of modern teaching.

Part 1 traces David’s journey from a creative, psychology-driven teacher who thrived in supportive, visionary schools, to the moment everything changed. He shares:

• His early success at High Tunstall - where creativity, curiosity and student-centred thinking were genuinely welcomed
• The joy of teaching during lockdown, when technology finally allowed students to explore maths in meaningful, playful ways
• His research into problem-solving, cognition and confidence in mathematics
• The abrupt shift after COVID, when creativity was replaced by rigid templates, tick-box demands and pseudoscience masquerading as pedagogy
• The moment marking and monitoring overtook teaching
• The first signs that a supportive culture had become something far more dangerous

This episode lays the foundations of a story that so many teachers recognise - the erosion of autonomy, the misuse of ‘support’, and the human cost of a profession that doesn’t always allow teachers to be the professionals they are.

Reissued for 2025 because it remains one of the clearest examples of how schools lose extraordinary talent.

Follow us on Facebook

Voice Message Us

Buy Us a Coffee ☕️

Loving the Pit Pony Podcast? We’d be so grateful for your support! We’ve set up a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can make a small donation to help keep the podcast running.

Contribute to the 'Silenced by Support' Campaign

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in our podcast there are organisations who can help:

• Education Support
• The Samaritans
• Mind
• Andy's Man Club

Join Us:

• Subscribe to the Pit Pony Podcast
• Sign up to our mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/i1L5ck

Thanks for listening 🙏

Edited with finesse by our Podcast Super Producer, Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real