Nestled away, in a room labelled Geometry, symmetry is often ticked off and forgotten. Yet, viewed differently, it becomes a game-changing concept that can powerfully change the way students see maths.
Tag Archives: maths teacher circles
Taking A Step Towards Deeper Learning
Here’s a quick way to TURN 1 PROBLEM into 5 MORE – and to help your students go deeper. It starts by asking yourself, “Where might this go next?”
Why Student Disengagement Isn’t a Lost Cause
Wish your students didn’t disengage as soon as it’s time for maths? Here are 3 quick ways for sparking curiosity among ALL learners that you can use with all lessons.
Juggling As A Way of Building Deep Understanding
To truly understand maths, students need to see the connections between concepts – knowing a definition or following steps isn’t enough.
Fake News: Why patterns aren’t always what they seem
What does a psychology experiment from the 1960s have to do with maths? A fascinating study about people’s beliefs, and what they hold to be true, has important implications for how we teach one of the biggest concepts in maths: patterns. Let me tell you about it- Wason’s 2-4-6 study In 1960, psychologist Peter Wason …
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The Hidden Power of Estimation
Let’s talk about an area of maths that we ALL use everyday, is critical for developing mathematical understanding – yet, is barely mentioned in the curriculum (not to mention, poorly covered by most resources)… Estimation. Why bother with estimation? If you open up a typical textbook or worksheet, this is what you’ll see: What do …
How to use questions to inspire mathematical thinking
Take a look at this puzzle. What do you think it might be about? Only the numbers 1 to 4 can be used. Now, look at the puzzle again and consider: does that change what might be going on? We’ll come back to this puzzle – and what it’s all about – in a bit. …
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Bringing the Maths Proficiencies to Life
What does it mean to be a successful maths learner? Ask 100 teachers and you’ll get 100 different answers! But, across those answers, some fascinating themes will emerge. Here’s what 100 teachers (well, 91) had to say when I asked them this question. What do you notice about this word cloud? What catches your eye? …
