Back To School

In ii weeks I'll provide to schoolhouse from motherhood leave. I've done this before, precisely non mid-way through a schoolhouse year. I'll solely hold upward working 3 days a calendar week precisely teaching 8 dissimilar classes, all shared amongst unopen to other teacher. It's going to hold upward a challenge.

On locomote past times of the anxieties associated amongst teaching lessons for the commencement fourth dimension since May, I'll hold upward getting my 7 calendar month former infant settled into plant nursery - I know from experience that this tin dismiss hold upward hard in addition to emotional. Although these challenges are a piffling daunting, I'm excited to seek out all the novel teaching ideas that I've picked upward from all the blogs in addition to tweets I've read over the final 6 months. I'm going dorsum to schoolhouse amongst fresh enthusiasm for teaching maths. In this shipping service I desire to nation yous nigh a few of the things I've got lined upward for January.

1. Exercise Books
I despair when I come across teachers spending their hard-earned meagre salaries on supplies for work, precisely I'm guilty of it too. I've stocked upward on pretty stationery, folders, board pens, post-it notes... in addition to this fourth dimension I've gone a stride farther in addition to bought my ain exercise books!

As an experiment, I'm going to seek out these maths books 2.0 from Design Thinking. One of the features of these books is the checklist, commutation words, farther questions in addition to commutation facts sections at the bottom of each page. I cry back my students volition dearest having these particular books in addition to volition accept to a greater extent than pride inwards their work. I also cry back I'll expression forwards to marker these books (at first!), to come across what words, facts in addition to questions my students have got chosen to write inwards the boxes.

Including postage stamp these toll me £40 for threescore books so I'll seek them amongst ii classes in addition to come across how it goes. I'm crossing my fingers that they larn inwards in fourth dimension for the start of term! (and that my hubby doesn't uncovering out that I spent my ain coin on supplies for school!).

2. Expectations

I'm planning to laid out my presentation expectations amongst all my students at Key Stage 3 in addition to 4 using a poster: 'gems 14 for details.

3. Hashtag Marking

I featured my ideas for hashtag marker inwards gems 12. I'm planning to have got a larn at this - each of my students at Key Stage 3 in addition to 4 volition hold upward issued amongst a Hashtag Marking Key (I'll impress it on A5 so they tin dismiss stick it inwards their maths majority or planner). I have got a feeling I'm going to have got a huge marker workload this twelvemonth so hopefully this volition relieve me unopen to time.

Extract from Hashtag Marking Key

4. Work Review Log
Based on an thought inwards this tweet, I programme to innovate a feedback log at Key Stage 5. I usually laid a slice of assessed function for my H5N1 flat students every week. I ever lay a lot of endeavour into providing written feedback, so I'd similar to ensure my students are reading in addition to reflecting on my comments. I'll inquire them to locomote on this Work Review Log at the front end of their folders in addition to I'll laissez passer on them an chance to consummate it every fourth dimension I provide a slice of work.

Extract from Work Review Log

The other thing I desire to do meliorate this twelvemonth is ensuring that my H5N1 flat students are doing homework on their own. I'm happy for my students to assistance each other inwards course of teaching in addition to on non-assessed homeworks (eg 'finish the textbook exercise'), precisely if I laid a slice of function for marker it should hold upward reflective of each student's private flat of understanding, non that of a grouping of friends. In the past times I've had 6th cast students getting As inwards their homeworks throughout the twelvemonth (because they have got a clever friend, or fifty-fifty a tutor) in addition to and so doing terribly inwards their actual exam.

5. Mistake Log
All my students volition have a Mistake Log to stick inwards the front end of their majority or folder. The thought is that whenever they brand a mistake, whether because of a careless skid or a misconception, they tape that mistake. Again, similar the Work Review Log, I promise it helps ensure that students are reading my feedback in addition to reflecting on how they tin dismiss improve. I cry back they'll uncovering this log useful when they come upward to revise.

6. #ByYourSide

I actually cry back every instructor should ensure their dependent area cognition is upward to scratch equally a affair of priority. And what meliorate chance to examine your ain dependent area cognition than sitting the qualification that you're responsible for teaching? I promise to sit down the Maths GCSE exams amongst my students this summer. I cry back they'll appreciate the human activity of solidarity, in addition to hopefully my teaching volition do goodness too. Although I'm really confident of my GCSE knowledge, I'll experience huge pressure level to larn 100% so I meliorate hold upward careful non to brand whatsoever light-headed mistakes! I also cry back to sit down H5N1 flat maths this summer. This is a much scarier prospect. For C3 (which I've never taught) in addition to C4 I'll surely have got to revise in addition to practise. I'm convinced this volition brand me a meliorate H5N1 flat teacher. I already fright beingness stumped past times a tricky C4 integration question! I did a statistics flat so haven't studied pure maths since I did my H5N1 levels inwards 1999. But if I learn it in addition to so I should know it similar the dorsum of my mitt shouldn't I? I promise I larn permission to do these exams because I cry back it volition hold upward a actually worthwhile exercise. Anyone amongst me? :)

7. Apps
I'm thinking nigh taking my iPad into school, if I tin dismiss prise it away from my toddler. I'm actually groovy to seek Idoceo because teachers on Twitter rave nigh it. But my schoolhouse has started using Mint Class this twelvemonth in addition to I desire to avoid duplication. So Idoceo mightiness have got to hold off until side past times side September, when I'll hold upward at a novel school.

I'm also groovy to seek Plickers in addition to Quick Key, both of which I've written nigh inwards my gems posts, in addition to I'm considering using iVisualiser too.

8. Resources
I've been lucky plenty to have a pair of lovely freebies latterly - 1 of my favourite resources websites MathsPad have given me a costless subscription that I can't hold off to use! I'm also interested in Create a Test. The squeamish people at Create a Test have got given my schoolhouse a 3 calendar month costless lawsuit of their test-writing tool. I wonder whether other schools are inwards the same province of affairs equally us - nosotros laissez passer on all our Key Stage 3/4 students 3 or 4 tests a twelvemonth (including an halt of twelvemonth exam) in addition to this is how nosotros decide maths sets for the side past times side twelvemonth (I should cry at this quest that I'm non supportive of a 'teach to the test' civilization inwards maths in addition to would dearest to listen option approaches). Anyway, because these are 'high stakes' tests, nosotros desire to avoid whatsoever adventure of papers beingness seen inwards advance, so nosotros do novel tests every year. This is actually fourth dimension consuming so we'd do goodness from a practiced lineament test-writing tool amongst a large banking concern of questions. I'll written report dorsum on how we're getting on amongst Create a Test inwards a pair of months.

So that's a few of the highlights of my electrical flow 'going dorsum to school' resources in addition to plans. Now I have got the most of import thing to do - I cry for to start planning my lessons. I'll hold upward doing circle theorems amongst Year 10, which is convenient because I latterly wrote a shipping service nigh teaching circle theorems. Unfortunately I've also been assigned 'constructing triangles' amongst my Year 8s - my to the lowest degree favourite theme inwards the world! Any ideas to brand this to a greater extent than bearable would hold upward gratefully received!

5 Maths Gems #23

It seems similar ages since my concluding gems post. School has been busier than I anticipated. This calendar week I had reports to write together with a Parents' Evening to attend - both tasks were especially challenging because I've solely been teaching these classes for a few weeks. I've also been mark at domicile every even out thus it's difficult to discovery fourth dimension for Twitter together with blogging. I receive got 3 other posts inwards draft - i virtually teaching quadratics, i virtually spontaneity together with i featuring some other batch of highlights from Chris Smith's newsletter dorsum catalogue. So spotter this space, they're all coming soon! In the meantime, here's v ideas you lot mightiness discovery useful.

1. Perspective
I've been teaching 3D visualisation to my Year 7s this calendar week (isometric drawing, plans, elevations together with nets). I've decided that this is i of my top 3 'worst topics to teach' with constructions together with transformations. But it did give me an chance to role the moving-picture exhibit below, which I got from Twitter a few months agone (original source unknown - delight nation me if you lot know!). I pose it on the board when my students arrived for their lesson on plans together with elevations.

2. Etymathology

My novel favourite Twitter concern human relationship is Gems 10.

This week @BedtimeMath shared this fact virtually seconds, which I'd never heard before:

It's funny how nosotros tin role a discussion similar 'seconds' our whole lives together with never give whatever thought to where it came from. Etymathology followed this tweet with the origins of the discussion minute:

And at that topographic point you lot acquire - some other instance of Twitter's contribution to education. I acquired novel cognition to locomote past times direct to my students. I await forrad to learning more!

3. Match My Parabola
I've written virtually Desmos many times, most lately inwards my shipping service Polygraph Rocks. I'm e'er non bad to listen novel ideas for teaching with Desmos thus I loved Michael Fenton's (@mjfenton) post 'Match My Parabola'.

The shipping service describes a lesson suitable for Higher GCSE or Core AS students studying quadratics. The thought is that students are given a laid of coordinates together with receive got to discovery a quadratic business office that passes through them. Michael rattling helpfully provides 10 activities - all your students receive got to create is click on the links together with consummate the tasks (here's an example for you lot to receive got a acquire at - acquire into your business office inwards jail cellular telephone ix on the left to meet if you're right).

Michael has previously written virtually 'Match My Line' - a similar lesson but for linear graphs, suitable for Key Stage 3 or 4. I've institute that students of whatever historic menses dearest playing with Desmos thus I'm looking forrad to using this i too. Really clever ideas from Michael.

4. Valentines Relay
It's solely ii weeks until half-term! Fri 13th Feb would last a proficient twenty-four hours to create Chris Smith's (@aap03102) lovely Valentines Maths Relay Race.

5. War on Error
Do your students proceed making the same mistake? Highlight mutual misconceptions inwards a display using Mr Taylor's (post for total details. This calendar week i of my students wrote (x + 5)² = x² + 25 thus that would last my outset entry to the display!

That's it for my gems this week, but comport with me - I receive got a few to a greater extent than things I desire to nation you lot about...

Multiple Choice Tests
I wrote virtually multiple selection tests together with Quick Key inwards Gems 11. This calendar week I tried it out for the outset time. Like my outset assay at using Plickers, it wasn't rattling successful! But I create intend to assay both apps i time again - I remember they require a combat of practice.

Quick Key is an app that scans multiple selection tests together with gives you lot instant feedback on results. I institute it rattling slow to gear upwards - I wrote a short quiz on quadratics together with only entered the right answers to Quick Key every bit I wrote it. In the lesson, I gave my students 20 minutes to brand themselves a i page summary of everything we'd covered on quadratics, together with and thus I gave them a 20 infinitesimal quiz inwards which they were allowed to refer to their revision sheet.

I was excited virtually mark the tests using Quick Key but I institute it rattling difficult to discovery a shadow-free, glare-free identify to scan. In the terminate it took exactly every bit long every bit if I'd marked them past times hand. The examine results varied from 20% to 100%, with most students getting 80% or 90% (the most mutual error was choosing Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 instead of C inwards the inquiry below). So it was a successful exercise inwards assessing the agreement of each pupil together with confirming that the bulk of students were create to motion onto the adjacent topic, together with forthwith I exactly demand to figure out how to address the gaps with those who got a depression score.

So inwards summary, the lesson inwards which students made a revision summary together with thus took a brusk multiple selection examine was successful, but I'll demand to acquire the hang of Quick Key.

World's Hardest Geometry Problem
I've exactly finished teaching angles to Year seven together with was actually impressed when i of my students told me that she'd institute an angles work online together with had spent ii hours working on it over the weekend, but fifty-fifty with the assistance of all her identify unit of measurement she couldn't solve it. It turned out to last the 'World's Hardest Easy Geometry Problem' which I've featured before... I promised her I'd receive got a acquire at it this weekend - I suspect I may terminate upwards bespeak Twitter for help!

Don Watch
Have you lot been keeping an optic on all the bright novel resources on Jumping along a line', suggested using the 0^th term to locomote out the n^th term of a sequence. This isn't how I commonly instruct sequences but I'll assay it adjacent time.

I also spotted the 0^th term on a Pret homework that Grant Barker (@AccessMaths) sent me this week. We've forthwith got to a greater extent than than 100 homeworks on prethomework.weebly.com so if you're ever looking for novel homework ideas together with thus create banking concern gibe it out.

Mr Maths
Finally, I'll locomote out you lot with i of the fantastic images made by @solvemymaths this calendar week - banking concern gibe out his blog for the total 'Math Mr Men Series'.

5 Maths Gems #35

Hi there. Welcome to my 35^th gems post. This is where I part v educational activity ideas I've seen on Twitter. The summertime holidays are at nowadays inwards total swing thus Twitter has been serenity this week. I expression it volition acquire busier inwards August - results days volition laissez passer on us lots to utter about, as well as thus we'll all start making preparations for September. I'm off on a delineate of piece of work solid unit of measurement vacation adjacent calendar week (including an exciting twenty-four sixty minutes current out at Peppa Pig World!) thus soul volition conduct maintain to create total me inwards on what I miss! I tweeted my 10,000^th tweet yesterday. I alone joined Twitter terminal May thus I retrieve that officially makes me a chatterbox.

1. Angle Chase 
I featured angle chases in Gems 24, Gems 26 and Gems 32 . I find this type of action actually enjoyable. @MathedUp shared a whole charge of angle chases here. I dear these - they're a smashing resources both for classwork as well as for revision.

@mathninja3 suggested putting a permanent angle chase on the classroom wall. This reminded me of the display by @ExplainingMaths pictured below. I retrieve it would hold upwards smashing to lay a large angle chase up, perchance yesteryear sticking record on a large whiteboard or a wall painted amongst whiteboard paint. If anyone has done this inwards their classroom, I'd dear to come across a photo.

2. Presentation Standards
I've written earlier virtually setting expectations for the presentation of classwork as well as homework. The start of a novel schoolhouse yr is the fourth dimension to create upwards one's hear how to approach this. latest post about Analysing Errors is no exception. From September I excogitation to start setting regular low-stakes tests. For my Year 10s, I'm thinking of a curt weekly quiz (perhaps multiple choice, marked amongst Quick Key). As suggested yesteryear Sarah, I excogitation to flat these quizzes A, B or Not Yet, amongst anyone scoring a Not Yet having to accept some other test. In Sarah's postal service she suggests that earlier retaking a quiz, students are required to analyse their showtime attempt. She's going to laissez passer on them an fault analysis canvass that does these things:

• Require students to function out each employment correctly
• Ask students to position what they did incorrect when they showtime attempted the problem
• Direct students to reverberate on how they volition avoid making this same fault inwards the future
• Get students thinking virtually what types of errors they are making

Sarah has produced a fantastic poster to push clit dissimilar types of errors. Read her post for to a greater extent than virtually this as well as to download the poster.

Types of Errors by @mathequalslove

5. The Famous Five

I dear this post from @mccreaemma. It's virtually an approach called 'The Famous 5' that Emma uses in every lesson. When students acquire into the room they are forthwith presented amongst a task. The names of v students that begin/finish/engage good amongst the employment are written on the whiteboard. Their vantage is to move out the classroom showtime at the goal of the lesson. Emma says that her students dear it (I retrieve this would function actually good for my students too) as well as it reduces wasted fourth dimension at the start of lessons. Her postal service is good worth a read.

Update
I'm continuing to function on resourceaholic.com behind the scenes when I acquire a chance. I've added some resources to my libraries as well as made updates to my New GCSE Support page. If you've got some fourth dimension over summertime to brand resources, here's a listing of topics that nosotros demand to a greater extent than resources for:

Huge thank y'all to post virtually the additional sequences content on the novel GCSE. It features examples of testify questions as well as resources. I was pleased to larn a novel method for finding the nth term of a quadratic sequence.

I'm enjoying spending lots of fourth dimension amongst my daughters this summer. It's all going also speedily for my liking though! It's August already, which agency I'm dorsum to schoolhouse 1 calendar month today. #mathsconf5 is adjacent calendar month too. Have y'all got your ticket yet?

Finally, I dear this homework for the summertime holidays that's been going circular Twitter. What a lovely idea.

Holiday homework yesteryear Tom Christy

Common Errors Made Past Times Maths Teachers

I've of late started working with a couplet of trainee maths teachers. It's already proving to endure a useful sense for me - I'm certain it volition conduct maintain a positive acquit upon on my teaching. It's fascinating to sit down at the dorsum of the classroom with my students. 

There's been a couplet of moments lately where I've seen a trainee instructor tell a course of pedagogy something that's non quite right, or that I've felt has needed farther clarification. It's interesting to run across how a teacher's plain of written report noesis - peculiarly their noesis of mutual misconceptions - develops rapidly over the commencement few years of their career.

I've started to line together a listing of some of the mistakes or oversights that I've seen both inexperienced as well as experienced maths teachers make. I'd endure interested to withdraw heed what you've seen every bit good - delight permit me know thus I tin hand notice create a comprehensive listing that volition endure of role to trainees as well as NQTs. 

Square root

The foursquare rootage symbol denotes exclusively the positive root. So if yous write √9 = ±3 on the board, you've made a mistake.

Source: Wikipedia

If you're solving the equation x² = nine as well as thus of course of pedagogy at that topographic point are 2 solutions - both positive as well as negative 3 locomote here. You're non wrong nearly that. But brand certain yous role the radical sign correctly.

   

Angles

What angle fact is depicted below? Some of my students conduct maintain been incorrectly taught to say 'angles inwards a circle amount to 360^o'.  It should endure 'angles roughly a dot amount to 360^o' (as per GCSE grade schemes) or 'angles inwards a total turn/revolution amount to 360^o'.

Whilst we're on the plain of written report of angles, I've exclusively of late constitute out that proverb 'angles inwards a triangle are supplementary' is wrong. Supplementary agency that 2 (and exclusively two) angles amount to 180^o.

Prisms
I don't recommend scream for maths teachers on Twitter whether a cylinder is a prism! I did that in 1 lawsuit - the declaration went on for days as well as I was none the wiser every bit a result.

Half the network claims that cylinders are prisms, the other one-half disagrees. pic.twitter.com/O3sg4GXqCh

— Jo Morgan (@mathsjem) June 11, 2015

Since this Twitter conversation, I avoid defining a cylinder every bit a prism inwards illustration I'm wrong, exactly I exercise tell my students that nosotros bring out the book of a cylinder inwards the same way nosotros bring out the book of a prism.

Interestingly, the GCSE formula canvass uses a controversial film of a prism.

Frustum

It's a frustum, non a frustrum. This give-and-take is oftentimes misspelt.

The gild of operations
Try this question: 3 - 3 x 6 + 2.

If yous don't acquire an response of -13 as well as thus yous demand to await in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than at the gild of operations. The unhelpful acronym BIDMAS (which incorrectly implies that yous should add together earlier yous subtract) confuses some teachers every bit much every bit it confuses students.

Vocabulary

I of late observed a lesson on angles inwards polygons with a Year 8 class. The educatee instructor asked the lift of a vii sided shape as well as a man child pose upwardly his manus as well as said it was a heptagon. The instructor said he was correct, as well as thus moved on. She didn't notice that some other man child was rattling bothered yesteryear this. He angrily protested to the students roughly him. I watched from the back. This man child had been taught that a vii sided shape is called a septagon - which is also right - as well as he idea that the instructor had made a mistake. At commencement he was angry, exactly as well as thus he doubted himself. His confidence took a knock. Later inwards the lesson, when the chance arose, I reassured him that both damage are acceptable. He was relieved. He felt vindicated. It was a pocket-sized fry oversight yesteryear the instructor exactly it had quite an acquit upon on this student.

I in all probability exercise things similar this every bit good sometimes. We say things that, rightly or wrongly, differ from what students conduct maintain been taught previously. This causes confusion as well as mistrust.

I'd endure interested to know what mistakes as well as oversights you've seen teachers make, thus delight comment below or tweet me thus I tin hand notice line together a comprehensive list. We're ever talking nearly the importance of students learning from each other's mistakes, thus let's exercise the same.