My Story

I’m Philip Brown — a high school and college math teacher with over two decades of classroom experience, including roles as a certified trainer for Cambridge IGCSE and the Arizona Department of Education.

But beyond the credentials, I’m someone who believes that teaching is about far more than content. I believe the real purpose of high school education is to help young people become intellectually robust, self-aware, and intentional about who they’re becoming. The subjects we teach? Those are just the training grounds.

That belief shapes how I work with students — and it shapes everything I build here.

When students ask, “When am I ever going to use this in real life?” I don’t redirect them to careers that use math. I ask them to picture a thriving version of themselves. What’s different about that future version? What kind of person are they? And how can they begin practicing to become that person today — in this very moment?

And just like I want that for my students, I want it for other teachers too.

Philip Brown, creator of On Teaching Math

A Personal Touch

I’ve spent most of my career teaching in public high schools in southern Arizona, covering everything from remedial Algebra to IB Math. I’ve trained teachers, built curriculum, and mentored students — but the best part of this job has always been the same: helping people grow.

I started On Teaching Math to share what’s worked for me and to support teachers who care about doing this work well — without losing themselves to the chaos.