A House For Gimmicks?

A friend late used the give-and-take 'gimmicks' inward reference to approximately of the ideas I portion on this website. I got a fleck defensive but I recall it raises an of import point.

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

What is a gimmick?
The give-and-take gimmick originally meant a slice of magician's apparatus. It straightaway refers to 'a fob or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or trade'. In teaching you lot could come across it equally anything that is at that spot primarily for the role of engagement, enjoyment or novelty value. Examples may include writing on desks, post-it Federal Reserve notation activities, Plickers, stickers in addition to stamps. So I acknowledge that approximately of the ideas in addition to resources I characteristic inward my weekly gems posts are a fleck gimmicky. I receive got that. Some of my posts focus on the procedure of imparting mathematical cognition (like my posts on trigonometry, Pythagoras, calculus and fractions) in addition to others are to a greater extent than concerned alongside techniques to engage students in addition to 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 xi class. We finished the GCSE syllabus past times Christmas in addition to they were all on rails for A*s. After their mock exams, I had to honour a way to locomote along them engaged in addition to 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 approximately past times papers but they didn't focus. By Feb half-term I was dreading every lesson hence I asked my colleagues for advice. I was advised to acquire my students to learn approximately revision lessons. So I did - they worked inward groups in addition to took it inward turns to deliver maths lessons over a iii calendar week period. To endure frank, these lessons turned out to endure absolutely useless. No educatee made whatsoever progress whatsoever. At the cease of the procedure no-one inward the shape knew whatsoever to a greater extent than mathematics than they'd known iii weeks earlier. The solely mortal who'd learnt anything was me - I learnt what it felt similar to sit down inward a genuinely 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 matter of time. Even worse, it may receive got genuinely been damaging - I'd managed to undermine my ain authorisation past times delegating my role. I never managed to acquire them to focus again. Quite a few students from that shape got a flat Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 inward their GCSE when they were capable of getting an A*. I withal experience responsible for that.

Fast-forward a duet of years in addition to I establish myself inward the same predicament. This fourth dimension I'd done approximately vivid revision lessons alongside my novel Year xi class, especially inward reviewing the topics that are oftentimes overlooked inward GCSE revision. But i time again I had a lot of lessons to fill, in addition to i time again 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 essay it i time again but alongside a novel approach. I shared the criteria against which I'd assess the lessons (for event they had to blueprint their ain worksheet) in addition to 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 in addition to to a greater extent than back upwards in addition to guidance inward the planning process. Did it work? Well, it was ameliorate than the get-go time. The lessons in addition to resources were a much higher quality. The students enjoyed doing the teaching in addition to everyone was engaged inward the lessons. Some progress was made (a negligible sum - in addition to that was mainly when I interrupted lessons to highlight misconceptions). They learnt far far less maths inward the iii 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 plant good if properly managed. They recall these lessons run good because the students are engaged in addition to enjoying themselves in addition to developing 'soft skills'. I state these lessons don't run good because no mathematics is learnt.

These 2 things are non mutually exclusive - students tin plough over notice both bask maths lessons in addition to acquire mathematics. The pleasance of mathematics comes inward learning something novel in addition to applying it to solve a problem.

So what should I receive got done alongside these classes to fill upwards that fourth dimension betwixt the mocks in addition to their concluding exams? Well I could receive got given them approximately rich tasks that consolidate skills in addition to cognition across a pose out of topics (Don Steward has approximately splendid examples). In improver I could receive got enriched their didactics alongside interesting mathematics that is non on the GCSE syllabus. I could receive got talked close the history of mathematics, etymology, peculiarities... I could receive got explored pose out systems, Fermat's Last Theorem, primes, matrices, laid upwards theory... Such a wasted opportunity. Next yr - no to a greater extent than gimmicks for me.

Don Steward GCSE revision

A house for gimmicks?
If I had to alternative a side inward the traditional vs progressive teaching debate, I'd alternative traditional. That agency I come across a lot of value inward teachers giving clear explanations in addition to students developing fluency through independent practice. I come across less value inward grouping run in addition to enquiry approaches. However, i of the things I bask close teaching is that I receive got opportunities to endure creative inward my approaches. I bask experimenting alongside innovative teaching tools in addition to technology. But inward doing hence I don't lose sight of my primary priority, which is teaching mathematics.

If I desire to exercise dots in addition to stickers for marking, it may or may non endure adding value but it's non obstructing learning is it? If I exercise Plickers for assessment, it doesn't hateful I've stopped imparting cognition does it? These 'gimmicks' may endure useful. They're sure enough non detrimental. Other gimmicks, similar getting students to produce my labor for me, are detrimental.

I'm trying to honour my way to becoming an 'excellent' instructor in addition to I'll essay a broad arrive at of tools in addition to teaching approaches until I acquire there. I'm learning from my mistakes equally I go.

So, I've decided - I'll locomote along writing my regular gems posts, where I portion teaching ideas I've seen on Twitter. And yes, approximately of them volition endure gimmicky. Some ideas volition endure 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 endure teaching in addition to how tin plough over notice nosotros best explicate those concepts? First up: circle theorems. Watch this space.

Too traditional...?