'I use Taylor Swift and TikTok to help teach maths'

Kit Brown told BBC Breakfast TikTok helped him connect with teachers across the world and share inspirations

A teacher who is using Taylor Swift and TikTok in his lessons says children remember those who make learning fun and relatable.

Pupils in Stevenage have been singing popular songs as a way of learning their times tables.

Kit Brown, 25, adapted his teaching to "move with the times" and hopes to inspire others to do the same through TikTok.

He has more than one million followers on the app and says he turned down offers to participate in Love Island.

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Mr Brown, who teaches at Peartree Spring Primary School, replaces the lyrics of popular songs, such as Taylor Swift's, with maths terms and often uses well-known phrases or songs as a call and response to get the attention of his class.

After he shared examples of his teaching methods, he gathered a large social media following and has featured on BBC Bitesize and CBBC.

"I think back to my time in school and remember the tips and tricks teachers gave me, so I am always looking for fun and engaging ways deliver learning," he said.

"Times have changed. We remember teachers that got us involved in learning and I am trying to move with the times, think of new ways to motivate the children and this helps me do that."

Mr Brown said he always had a passion for helping people and young children but had aspired to become a footballer, not a teacher.

He was snapped up by Luton Town but was released at 16 years old.

Although the decision was "really hard to take", he studied for his A-Levels and got a part-time job in a local Asda store.

He finished his A-Levels and went to Hertfordshire University to study primary school teaching at 18.

'The children keep me here'

"I have to be on the ball finding new songs and fun ways to hook them into learning, keep their attention and make sure they develop a love for learning which is what I try to foster in the classroom," he said.

"TikTok is effective for me personally. I can connect with teachers across the world, take and share inspirations, and other practices in the classroom.

"I film in a safe way that safeguards the children but shows off what I am doing, and it gives parents a window to see how we learn."

The primary school teacher said his popularity online resulted in offers to participate in Love Island, which he rejected.

"The children keep me here. I have a passion for teaching and education and social media has brought some incredible opportunities" he said.

"But, some of those opportunities would have taken away part of my professionalism as a teacher and I do not want to divert from that."