… you’ll feel better after the holidays. You poor middle managers, you get pinched from both directions. Why do you find the job so hard…? If you’re can’t cope tell me what you can’t do? Well, why can’t you get it done…? What are you spending your time doing? This was started exactly 2 years … Continue reading
Filed under math …
Isn’t Life Funny (Ha Ha)
A year ago I was discussing career opportunities and thinking about forward planning for retirement (at 90). I was hoping that the third year into our new building would bring stronger commitment from the team in the development of a better and enhanced mathematical education and learning experience for our students. In particular for our … Continue reading
Misconceptions
There seems to be a lack of understanding about GCSE attainment and their FFTD targets. 77% of pupils gaining A*-C sounds great this year versus 70% last year. However, our FFTD was 82% for this year and 72% for last year. We gloss over this last part to make ourselves appear more successful this year. … Continue reading
Core 4 Paper – I did say it was synoptic!
Although their language wasn’t this bad – and they were just a tad more self-restrained, my A2 students loved this – it mirrored their thoughts too! đ OCR we still love you! http://youtu.be/pxxVvsN5cJc
The Extra Mile – Easter Holiday Revision
We spent two of the first few days into the Easter holiday helping our GCSE and A Level students to revise for their maths exams. For some this is the first opportunity to organise their time to suit themselves and drop in to ask about topics that matter to them. Some students are still … Continue reading
Looming towards the Void – Levels/Grades and a Paradigm shift
There’s no point denying this – and it’s bucking the trend perhaps, but I’m an avid fan of of NC Levels. And NC tests at KS2 and KS3, although I know how skewed the learning can become in year 6 and 9 when they are used to assess schools in a ‘league tables’ way, they are still … Continue reading
SKU â uniquely biased towards understanding
Depending on your particular take, SKU might refer to âstock keeping unitâ, the unique identifier enabling tracking of an item for stock-taking purposes; or if you are an educator trained towards the end of the National Curriculum it might mean skills, knowledge and understanding. Of course, you might just be dreadful at spelling or good … Continue reading
Nanomath – Proof
Bite-size chunks of incredibly important mathematics Proof Some basics: If n is an integer, consecutive integers could be either side i.e. n-1, n, n+1, n+2 etc. Regardless of whether n is even or odd, 2n will be even, and 2n-1, and 2n+1 will be odd Multiples of 2, 3 and 5 are written 2n, 3n, 5n respectively … Continue reading
Enduring Excellence, Equity, Empowerment
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives, choice not chance determines your destiny.” Aristotle It’s the wrong time of year to be talking about Epiphany, but this is about an epiphany of the ‘wake-up call’ kind. I … Continue reading
Marking… and even more marking (yawn)
The Ofsted report on St Marylebone’s marking strategy begins: “Weâve all seen students glow with pride on receiving a top-grade piece of work back from a teacher and weâve also seen the dreadful shrug of disappointment swiftly followed by disengagement when a student feels demoralized by marked work. The way that work is marked can … Continue reading
New School – One Year On
It’s been a year soon since our re-organisation and packing away in preparation for the move into our new school building. The emphasis was on the building changing, but the essence of the school as a community would remain the same. Well. one thing can have profound effects on another, and changing your surroundings, especially … Continue reading
Heriot Watt
We attended the Congregation for the Conferment of Degrees at Heriot Watt for Son #1, and like every parent, friend and Graduate present, we were in turn grateful, relieved and emotional. Heriot Watt has for the second consecutive year, been voted by students as the best University experience in Scotland, and the 4th in the UK … Continue reading
FANTASTIC FRIDAY
FANTASTIC FRIDAY We have had a ‘bunch’ of maths revision lessons in the past 10 days as the Maths GCSEs fall at the end of the exam timetable. Since we have various students attempting either Modular, Linear (or both) to accommodate their needs we offered lots of maths preparation time. Not least because all their efforts … Continue reading
Students said…
At A Level Revision this half term holiday (becoming a bit of a habit, I must say!) one of my lovely Year 13 came out with this gem: Madam, can you help me with these two problems please?…. – No – not those two, I’m going to ask my tutor to go through those with … Continue reading
Wahoo! Son’s a Maths Grad
It’s taken a little while longer than we thought… but Son #1 is now officially A Mathematics Graduate. Smiles and whoops of joy all round. I think we should celebrate with a new hat and a new pair of own-designed Converse! These are mine – you can go design yours on http://www.converse.co.uk/
Help! Teacher Vacancy
Looking for a Mathematics Teaching Post? Advertised to fill a Mathematics vacancy recently? How difficult can it be to recruit the right people? Obviously… very, or I wouldn’t be writing this now. The normal adverts attract variable responses – last year 40 applications, this year 6. There was a flood of similar posts in the … Continue reading
Bottom Set Syndrome
What to do about professionals who complain about teaching ‘bottom sets’. They talk about having no patience left at the end of the week; that they feel the pace of lessons is too slow; that the subject content is too weak; they all but imply it is too demeaning for them. Here is the the … Continue reading
No Hiding Here
There’s no hiding here, but look at the fantastic symmetry – beautiful and elegant design. I doubt that they will keep the bikes dry though!
Mathstastic Strikes Again
What gets you out of bed in the morning? A chance to make your mark on the world? To do something for your family and loved ones? Another opportunity to make money? NO!!!! Itâs another day in which to do something unique and brilliant with MATHS! Go see Banksyâs other work
Team Teaching
Moving into our new BSFÂ building in September 2012, was exciting yet somewhat puzzling and unbelievably demanding on those of us on the ground floor. Few science labs, and just as few classrooms, coupled with open seminar spaces, breakout spaces, and probably 160 more maths lessons than when the building plans were put onto paper by … Continue reading
