Friday, April 5, 2019

Topics Inwards Depth

This yr I've been responsible for running dependent area cognition enhancement sessions for 5 trainee maths teachers. Over the course of written report of the year, I realised something: maths teachers pass a lot of fourth dimension talking nearly general approaches too strategies, only really niggling fourth dimension looking at specific topics inwards detail.

Examining a topic inwards depth prior to didactics it is incredibly powerful. Even if we've taught that topic many times before, nosotros all the same practice goodness from taking a pace dorsum too thinking nearly misconceptions, approaches, explanations too resources. If nosotros had to a greater extent than fourth dimension thus we'd hold upward able to practice this amongst colleagues on a regular basis. We could depict on roughly of the splendid topic specific resources available online, such every bit the National Strategy materials, the NCETM's Departmental Workshops and Colin Foster's Instant Maths Ideas. What a shame that nosotros are thus busy teaching, nosotros rarely larn fourth dimension to practice this.

It's really clear to me why Ed Southall's mass 'Yes, But Why?' is Sage's bestselling mass of the year. Rather than sharing full general ideas for how to instruct maths, it goes into special on private topics. This is what maths teachers need.

My Project
I'm excited to launch a novel project! My aim is to practice a serial of 45 infinitesimal sessions on the entire arrive at of topics inwards secondary mathematics (this volition likely cause got me years to complete!). The sessions volition encompass dependent area cognition (the facts, the 'why', the misconceptions) too didactics ideas (approaches, resources, adept questions for assessment, how to stretch too challenge etc).

I promise that my sessions volition hold upward useful for trainees, NQTs too non-specialists preparing to instruct a topic for the start time, too likewise for experienced teachers. These sessions could hold upward used inwards schools - for instance if all Year 8 teachers are nearly to instruct indices, thus they could larn together too run through my (yet to hold upward written) session on indices.

I've spent many hours pulling together the really best animations, questions, resources, examples too puzzles for my start ii sessions. My start session - which I'm presenting at #mathsconf10 - is on angles, focusing mainly on following angles on instantly lines too angles inwards triangles. My instant session - which I'll likely run inwards Sheffield - is on angles inwards parallel lines. I'm actually excited to acquaint what I've found. It's amazing how much in that place is to state on each of these topics if nosotros actually expect at them inwards depth. I believe it's worth taking the fourth dimension to practice so.





Update: Please meet this page for materials from my Topics inwards Depth project.