A House For Gimmicks?

A friend latterly used the give-and-take 'gimmicks' inwards reference to only about of the ideas I portion on this website. I got a fleck defensive but I retrieve it raises an of import point.

I'm good aware that role of teachers is to impart knowledge. I'm paid to fill upward children's minds amongst mathematics. I demand no equipment, no facilities, no tools - I only demand my brain, my vocalisation as well as an audience. I haven't lost sight of that. But if I receive got tools at my disposal that aid brand my explanations clearer, aid inspire as well as engage my students, improve my assessment as well as feedback, as well as brand my teaching experience to a greater extent than enjoyable, thence I volition utilise those tools.

What is a gimmick?
The give-and-take gimmick originally meant a slice of magician's apparatus. It similar a shot refers to 'a play a trick on or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or trade'. In teaching you lot could come across it every bit anything that is at that topographic point primarily for the role of engagement, enjoyment or novelty value. Examples may include writing on desks, post-it banker's complaint activities, Plickers, stickers as well as stamps. So I acknowledge that only about of the ideas as well as resources I characteristic inwards my weekly gems posts are a fleck gimmicky. I convey that. Some of my posts focus on the procedure of imparting mathematical noesis (like my posts on trigonometry, Pythagoras, calculus and fractions) as well as others are to a greater extent than concerned amongst techniques to engage students as well as brand the learning procedure to a greater extent than enjoyable.

Gimmicks gone wrong
In my NQT year, I took on a smart but chatty Year eleven class. We finished the GCSE syllabus past times Christmas as well as they were all on rails for A*s. After their mock exams, I had to notice a way to move along them engaged as well as focussed for a whole term. I started past times reviewing topics from Key Stage 3 but I felt that I was patronising them. We did only about past times papers but they didn't focus. By Feb half-term I was dreading every lesson thence I asked my colleagues for advice. I was advised to acquire my students to learn only about revision lessons. So I did - they worked inwards groups as well as took it inwards turns to deliver maths lessons over a 3 calendar week period. To live frank, these lessons turned out to live absolutely useless. No pupil made whatever progress whatsoever. At the terminate of the procedure no-one inwards the shape knew whatever to a greater extent than mathematics than they'd known 3 weeks earlier. The exclusively someone who'd learnt anything was me - I learnt what it felt similar to sit down inwards a truly badly taught lesson. This was a classic event of a gimmick gone incorrect - I'd prioritised amusement over mathematics.

I was real aware that the whole endeavor had been a huge waste materials of time. Even worse, it may receive got truly been damaging - I'd managed to undermine my ain potency past times delegating my role. I never managed to acquire them to focus again. Quite a few students from that shape got a bird H5N1 inwards their GCSE when they were capable of getting an A*. I yet experience responsible for that.

Fast-forward a duet of years as well as I institute myself inwards the same predicament. This fourth dimension I'd done only about vivid revision lessons amongst my novel Year eleven class, peculiarly inwards reviewing the topics that are ofttimes overlooked inwards GCSE revision. But i time to a greater extent than I had a lot of lessons to fill, as well as i time to a greater extent than I was advised past times my colleagues to acquire the students to learn the lessons. I was told that the argue it hadn't worked before was because I hadn't done it right. I decided to seek it i time to a greater extent than but amongst a novel approach. I shared the criteria against which I'd assess the lessons (for event they had to pattern their ain worksheet) as well as I gave my students a listing of things to consider:

I gave them to a greater extent than fourth dimension to project design their lessons as well as to a greater extent than back upward as well as guidance inwards the planning process. Did it work? Well, it was ameliorate than the get-go time. The lessons as well as resources were a much higher quality. The students enjoyed doing the teaching as well as everyone was engaged inwards the lessons. Some progress was made (a negligible sum - as well as that was mainly when I interrupted lessons to highlight misconceptions). They learnt far far less maths inwards the 3 weeks of student-taught lessons than they would receive got learnt if I'd taught those lessons.

I produce know teachers who insist that this approach industrial plant good if properly managed. They retrieve these lessons operate good because the students are engaged as well as enjoying themselves as well as developing 'soft skills'. I state these lessons don't operate good because no mathematics is learnt.

These ii things are non mutually exclusive - students tin hand notice both bask maths lessons as well as larn mathematics. The pleasance of mathematics comes inwards learning something novel as well as applying it to solve a problem.

So what should I receive got done amongst these classes to fill upward that fourth dimension betwixt the mocks as well as their lastly exams? Well I could receive got given them only about rich tasks that consolidate skills as well as noesis across a break of topics (Don Steward has only about first-class examples). In add-on I could receive got enriched their instruction amongst interesting mathematics that is non on the GCSE syllabus. I could receive got talked almost the history of mathematics, etymology, peculiarities... I could receive got explored break systems, Fermat's Last Theorem, primes, matrices, gear upward theory... Such a wasted opportunity. Next twelvemonth - no to a greater extent than gimmicks for me.

Don Steward GCSE revision

A house for gimmicks?
If I had to selection a side inwards the traditional vs progressive teaching debate, I'd selection traditional. That agency I come across a lot of value inwards teachers giving clear explanations as well as students developing fluency through independent practice. I come across less value inwards grouping operate as well as enquiry approaches. However, i of the things I bask almost teaching is that I receive got opportunities to live creative inwards my approaches. I bask experimenting amongst innovative teaching tools as well as technology. But inwards doing thence I don't lose sight of my primary priority, which is teaching mathematics.

If I desire to work dots as well as stickers for marking, it may or may non live adding value but it's non obstructing learning is it? If I work Plickers for assessment, it doesn't hateful I've stopped imparting noesis does it? These 'gimmicks' may live useful. They're for certain non detrimental. Other gimmicks, similar getting students to produce my undertaking for me, are detrimental.

I'm trying to notice my way to becoming an 'excellent' instructor as well as I'll seek a broad attain of tools as well as teaching approaches until I acquire there. I'm learning from my mistakes every bit I go.

So, I've decided - I'll move along writing my regular gems posts, where I portion teaching ideas I've seen on Twitter. And yes, only about of them volition live gimmicky. Some ideas volition live to a greater extent than useful than others. But I'll also focus my thinking (and my writing) on the of import questions: what mathematical concepts should nosotros live teaching as well as how tin hand notice nosotros best explicate those concepts? First up: circle theorems. Watch this space.

Too traditional...?