Lorna McClory is a Mathematics Learning Specialist with almost 20 years of experience across Scotland and Australia, working with students and teachers in grades 7 to 12. At the heart of her work is a single conviction: that every student can learn mathematics, and that how a classroom is designed for thinking makes all the difference.

Lorna is known for her warm but demanding approach, with high expectations paired with genuine support, and for her deep commitment to lessons that foster curiosity, collaboration, and mathematical thinking. She works not only with students but alongside teachers, helping them move beyond procedural approaches to build classrooms where thinking is the norm.

Building Thinking Classrooms has been a central framework in Lorna's practice since 2021, when she discovered Peter Liljedahl's work while seeking ways to re-engage students after extended remote learning. She attended Liljedahl's keynote at the Mathematical Association of Victoria's annual conference that same year, and by 2022 was implementing BTC across all her classes while introducing colleagues to its practices. She has since completed two Leadership for Building Thinking Classrooms trainings with Peter Liljedahl, presented at Australian mathematics conferences on BTC practices, and supported numerous colleagues through implementation from first steps to ongoing refinement.

Lorna works fluidly across both spaces: in the classroom with students, and alongside teachers in their professional growth. Her hands-on support through implementation and her own continued learning with Liljedahl reflect a teacher-leader who is genuinely invested in the growth of those around her.