For Macandrew Bay School teacher Judy Hawker, combining maths with real hands-on activities opened the door to an even richer way of learning for children.
By taking care of a garden, her pupils found themselves measuring plant growth, calculating spacing, estimating yields as well as working with patterns and proportions.
However, she was not sad about giving all that up, as "it was time to leave", she said.
"I just want to volunteer and do what I love, which is caring for this garden, connecting with the children and helping them realise there's more to life than a result."
Ms Hawker moved from Milton to Macandrew Bay "back when you could by a house for $14,000" and worked at the school for two years.
However, she stayed in the community and sent her two children to the school.
Now her two granddaughters were pupils there.
Mrs Hawker eventually came back as a part-time teacher over 13 years ago and started a vegetable garden.
At the time, pupils helped with measurements and coming up with the plans, however the construction was carried out by professionals.
"It was a huge thing for me that the garden would be connected to their ... learning."
Helping to create the garden was good practice for her pupils’ fractions work.
Mrs Hawker said she also had them measuring, weighing and working out the circumferences of their harvest.
Learning about the cycle of food and where their food came from was another key lesson they learnt.
She had also been given the honour of inspiring many Macandrew Bay School pupils to eat their vegetables.
"Apparently I told them that as you get older your taste buds change ... so they'll try en masse, like roasted cauliflower.
"They think it's a magic recipe, but I just put olive oil on and stick it in the oven."
With Mrs Hawker’s two granddaughters now pupils, there was all the more reason to retire, she said.
"It has been a privilege to see them as one of many in a school — but I don't want to teach them, I’m doing them a favour."
