2012, National Mathematics Year

Prime government minister Manmohan Singh declared twelvemonth 2012 equally ‘National Mathematical Year’ equally a tribute to maths sorcerer Srinivasa Ramanujan. PM said that the disclose of competent mathematicians inwards the dry reason is “badly inadequate”. He equally good called for changing the perception that pursuit of mathematics does non Pb to attractive career possibilities. He announced that his birthday - Dec. 22 - would henceforth hold out a National Mathematics Day as well as 2012 would hold out the National Mathematical Year.He was talking inwards a part to hither grade the 125th nativity anniversary of Ramanujan inwards Chennai.

Bringing The Best To Classroom Using Google Hangout

A Google Hangout session past times Mr. Vijay Krishnan was organised for the students of Mathematics Club at KHMS. Highly passionate nearly the bailiwick Mathematics, Mr. Krishnan is a instructor inwards Romania. He is a proud Indian who shared his cognition amongst students inwards an interesting manner.
What is Mathematics?
Why nosotros written report Mathematics?
Was it discovered or invented?
Interesting Math numbers...
How to score skillful marks inwards Maths?

Peace Twenty-Four Hr Menses Celebration Past Times Students

Peace Solar Daytime

Mind Mapping...Triangles...Meet My Shape 7J2017

Reflects

I began writing this weblog when I started motherhood acquire out 7 months ago. Now that my motherhood acquire out is coming to an end, I'm inwards a reflective mood. I fully intend to proceed writing it i time I provide to operate because writing a weblog - along amongst joining Twitter - has been the best affair I've always done for developing my teaching.

I've learnt to a greater extent than inwards the in conclusion 7 months than I did inwards the previous v years. I've learnt that other teachers are total of amazing ideas. I've learnt how of import it is hear to those ideas too to portion them amongst others. I've formed opinions on what plant good inwards the classroom too what doesn't. I've decided where my priorities lie. I've been inspired past times the passion too dedication of others. I've learnt lots of novel mathematics. I've also learnt close wider issues inwards education. I've learnt that it's impossible to concord amongst everyone precisely it's of import to rest positive too live supportive of my beau maths teachers. I value the advice too opinions of the Twitter community. I don't know how I survived without them.

Now I'm starting to project design lessons for the get-go fourth dimension since May, I've been looking dorsum through my posts.

Gems
Gems 13 was my most pop transportation service ever. Writing these posts takes me a goodness few hours each weekend - fourth dimension that I'll demand for marker when I kicking the bucket dorsum to work. So my v weekly gems may acquire my x monthly gems.
Posts
Ideas from Shanghai was the transportation service that made the biggest impact. I'm real proud that the ideas I featured made their agency into classrooms all over the world. Here's a pocket-size pick of the comments made:

These tweets advise that my weblog is an effective channel for sharing teaching ideas.

I was pleased that most readers understood why I chose to focus on mathematical methods instead of discussing wider issues relating to the cultural, political too structural comparisons.

And it was a goodness demonstration of the ability of Twitter for sharing ideas on a global scale.

  

Thoughts on Teaching Fractions, Introducing Algebra and Introducing Differentiation. I flora these posts especially challenging to write - precisely worthwhile. For event I project design to totally alter the agency I innovate calculus to my Year 12s afterwards researching option approaches. If I didn't write a weblog I never would receive got taken the fourth dimension to retrieve close it. Other pop topic posts included Ideas for Teaching Circle Theorems, Pythagoras' Theorem and Teaching Trigonometry. I welcome requests for time to come posts.

I've written 74 weblog posts thus far, thus yous mightiness live wondering where to start if you're novel to reading my blog. If you're planning lessons too then I advise yous role the search component division or the Practical Tips for (Newly) Qualified Teachers which has loads of ideas that mightiness brand your life easier. If yous instruct H5N1 grade too then yous mightiness desire to read Bridging the Gap to H5N1 Level which, cheers to Andrew Old, featured inwards the Academies Week column Top Blogs of the Week.

My post Why Teach?, which gives an insight into why I became teacher, was also popular. 

It was my post Long Live Stem too Leaf that get-go got my weblog to a greater extent than or less attention. In this post I argued against Cav's sentiment that Stem too Leaf Diagrams were a welcome removal from the curriculum. This was the get-go fourth dimension I was brave plenty to assert an opinion! Since too then I've acquire a to a greater extent than confident blogger.

#PREThomeworks

In August, Kathryn Forster tweeted to a greater extent than or less photos of her novel homework template:

I thought this was a genuinely goodness homework format - it would sure enough operate good amongst my students - thus I asked Kathryn if I could characteristic her template inwards my adjacent gems transportation service (Gems 3). There was a non bad answer to this post, thus Kathryn too I started working on edifice upward a large collection of these homeworks. I gave them a get upward - 'Pret homeworks' - too nosotros asked for contributions through Twitter. I ready a page on resourceaholic.com to portion contributions. This rapidly became the busiest page on my website. I felt that these pop homeworks deserved their ain dedicated site thus I moved them to prethomework.weebly.com in October. We immediately receive got 69 homeworks (the collection grows every week) from 27 contributors. The format has been adopted past times Science too English linguistic communication too. Again, this demonstrates the ability of Twitter every bit a collaboration tool.

Sphere Pret homework by @_rhi_rhi

Resource Libraries
My resource libraries are total of recommendations. The Number page has been the most popular, closely followed by Algebra and Shape.  Interestingly, the Data resources are barely used inwards comparison. When I kicking the bucket dorsum to operate I retrieve my Core AS and Statistics AS pages are going to live genuinely helpful because it's difficult to detect goodness Post-16 resources.

Misconceptions
I'm working on another project, a misconceptions website. You're welcome to receive got a hold off at it too give me to a greater extent than or less feedback, precisely acquit inwards heed that it's very early on days. I demand to give it its ain URL too I receive got loads to a greater extent than materials to add. But if yous receive got a quick look, you'll acquire an thought of what I receive got inwards mind. I promise it volition live a useful tool, especially for novel teachers. I retrieve I mightiness demand a twain of volunteers to add together posts i time it's upward too running thus delight allow me know if you're interested inwards helping.

Still addicted?
I'm even thus real much addicted to searching the cyberspace for maths resources too immediately I tin forcefulness out add together blogging to my listing of addictions... has acquire blogaholic! It's been a non bad 7 months. I mightiness receive got to cutting downward soon, precisely at to the lowest degree i time I'm dorsum at schoolhouse I'll genuinely acquire to endeavor things out earlier I recommend them. I can't write a goodness weblog close maths teaching if I'm non genuinely teaching whatever maths.

Please vote for me!
If you're a regular reader of my weblog too then you'll know that lately I've been asking people to vote for me inwards the 2015 Great Britain Blog Awards. The listing of entrants inwards the individual/freelance instruction category is immense too many of the other entrants receive got tens of thousands of followers. Only i inwards v of the blogs inwards my category volition acquire through to the final. If yous could spare a infinitesimal that would live fantastic - delight click hither to vote. Voting closes on third Dec 2014.

Thanks for reading. ☺

My daughters too my blog!

Jo's #Twitteratichallenge

Thank you lot to @aegilopoides for nominating me for the #TwitteratiChallenge. This is a skilful chance to recommend some of my favourite tweeters, mainly for the sake of those who are novel to Twitter or are even together with then to join. Outward affection isn't my rigid point, just hither goes.

In the past times year, Twitter has expire ane of my favourite things. I'm non embarrassed to acknowledge that I expect at Twitter when I wake upward inwards the morn together with earlier I expire to bed at night, together with many times throughout the day. Why? It's partly because I don't desire to immature adult woman whatever ideas that could brand me a improve maths teacher. My career is of import to me together with I'm eager to learn. It's besides because at that topographic point are some people on Twitter who I consider to move friends, fifty-fifty though I may receive got entirely met them ane time or twice. I value their opinions together with I appreciate their support.

Twitter is a bright house for teachers. It's such a shame that at that topographic point are huge numbers of teachers who receive got non even together with then discovered it. I dear Twitter for the collaboration, the banter, the support, the inspiration together with the camaraderie.

So who to nominate? I dear everyone on Twitter. Even the people that tin ship away sometimes move a chip rude, or grumpy, or aggressive, or arrogant. Any instructor who shares teaching ideas is a superstar to me. Here's a alternative of my favourites maths tweeters, inwards no detail order:

1. @solvemymaths

Ed is a teacher, a instructor trainer, a PhD student, a puzzle writer, a resources maker together with a blogger. He is creative (have you lot seen his Maths Mr Men?!), innovative, techy, resourceful, clever together with really funny. Maths teachers on Twitter volition move forever grateful for his bright #mathsTLP idea. His puzzles are splendid - a challenge for maths teachers together with students alike - together with his blog is a must-read. 

2. @tessmaths

Julia is lovely. Twitter tin ship away move a cliquey place, sometimes unkind together with confrontational, just Julia is form together with friendly to everyone. She has loads of sense inwards maths educational activity together with is a regular presenter at maths conferences together with events. Julia has lots of creative ideas, is ever upward for a lively give-and-take together with is total of enthusiasm. 

3. @srcav

Cav writes ane of my favourite maths Long Live Stem together with Leaf). I dear it when Cav together with the bright Colin Beveridge disagree (see Colin's post service The Mathematical Pirate together with the Formula Triangle) - they both challenge my thinking, which is just what I need.

4. @MrReddyMaths

Bruno Reddy is total of enthusiasm together with positivity. He has clear ideas most what maths educational activity should expect similar together with is on a crusade to convince us all of the benefits of mastery. His post about designing a mastery curriculum has been a cracking help to many. Bruno is a knowledgeable together with insightful tweeter together with blogger. He is besides the creator of the fantastic Times Table Rock Stars, which my students absolutely love!  

5. @aap03102

Chris Smith is the entirely someone listed hither who I haven't had the pleasance of coming together inwards person. He lives inwards sunny Scotland, together with then it may move a spell until nosotros meet. Chris is a pop speaker at conferences - I'd dear to attend ane of his workshops. Chris produces an outstanding weekly newsletter which is ever packed total of puzzles, jokes, mathematical trivia together with teaching ideas. It's good worth subscribing to. Chris tweets extracts from his newsletter together with besides lots of interesting mathematical bits together with pieces. 

So that's my 5 nominations, just at that topographic point are many many to a greater extent than tweeters who I adore.


Finally, here's the materials I've been told to stick at the terminate of this post. Now, a drinking glass of vino awaits...


************************************************

#TwitteratiChallenge?

In the spirit of social-media-educator friendships, this summertime it is fourth dimension to recognise your most supportive colleagues inwards a unproblematic blogpost shout-out. Whatever your reason, these 5 educators should move your 5 go-to people inwards times of challenge together with critique, or for verification together with support.
Rules:

There are entirely three rules.

1. You cannot knowingly include someone you lot operate amongst inwards existent life.
2. You cannot listing somebody that has already been named if you lot are already made aware of them beingness listed on #TwitteratiChallenge
3. You volition postulate to re-create together with glue the championship of this blogpost together with (the Rules together with What To Do) data into your ain weblog post.

What To Do?
There are 5 to-dos you lot must purpose if you lot would similar to nominate your ain listing of colleagues.

1. Within seven days of beingness nominated past times somebody else, you lot postulate to position colleagues that you lot rely regularly go-to for back upward together with challenge. They receive got instantly been challenged together with must human activity every bit participants of the #TwitteratiChallenge.
2. If you’ve been nominated, you lot must write your ain #TwitteratiChallenge blogpost inside seven days. If you lot practise non receive got your ain blog, try@StaffRm.
3. The educator nominated, that agency you lot reading this must either: a) tape a video of themselves (using Periscope?) inwards continuous footage together with denote their credence of the challenge, followed past times a pouring of your (chosen) potable over a drinking glass of ice.
4. Then, the potable is to move lifted amongst a ‘cheers’ earlier the player nominates their 5 other educators to participate inwards the challenge.
5. The educator that is instantly (newly) nominated, has seven days to compose their ain #TwitteratiChallenge blogpost together with position who their top-5 go-to educators are.

Top Of The Blogs

This postal service recommends 10 maths instruction weblog posts from 2015.

Post: Taking Back the F Word
Author: Ed Southall (@solvemymaths)
Why you lot should read it: To encounter that you lot don't require gimmicks to brand maths fun. You only require actually practiced questions.

Post: US vs. UK: Mathematical Terminology
Author: Ben Orlin (@benorlin)
Why you lot should read it: Because it's both entertaining and interesting, similar all of Ben's posts.

Post: Maths everywhere
Author: Bodil Isaksen (@BodilUK)
Why you lot should read it: Because it gives you lot a gustatory modality for how maths is taught at Michaela. It's unusual, controversial as well as fascinating.

Post: 10 things you lot mightiness non possess got realised almost the novel Primary Maths curriculum
Author: Michael Tidd (@MichaelT1979)
Why you lot should read it: It's essential that Key Stage Three teachers know what's going on at Key Stage Two.

Post: In Praise of Being Boring
Author: Dani Quinn (@danicquinn)
Why you lot should read it: How would you lot experience if your students described your lessons every bit boring? Does it matter? Dani's perspective is interesting - she describes "a satisfying boredom that is business office of the journeying to a worthwhile goal".

Post: The Pain of Problem Solving...

Author: Andy Lyons (@mrlyonsmaths)
Why you lot should read it: To larn almost Andy's practical approach to developing employment solving skills inwards reluctant students.

Post: A Singapore-UK standoff: textbook round
Author: Bodil Isaksen (@BodilUK)
Why you lot should read it: To encounter how dissimilar 2 maths textbooks tin sack be.

Post: Maths Mindsets: My Y10s
Author: Tom Sherrington (@headteacherguru)
Why you lot should read it: You volition uncovering yourself nodding along, picturing your ain students for each of the mindsets Tom describes. We possess got our travel cutting out...

Post: Supercalifragilistic First Time I Taught Quotient
Author: Dan Draper (@MrDraperMaths)
Why you lot should read it: Dan's honest as well as witty mode of writing is e'er a pleasance to read. "The agency I was slapping some maths words on the board at the start of a lesson, never to hold upwards seen or heard of again, does cipher to meliorate literacy". His novel approach to literacy inwards maths lessons is location on.

Post: 10 reasons why it's a nifty fourth dimension to hold upwards a maths teacher
Author: Ed Southall (@solvemymaths)
Why you lot should read it: To remind yourself why existence a maths instructor is awesome. Read it the 24-hour interval earlier the start of term as well as you'll plough upwards at travel raring to go.

✭✭✭✭✭

I've express myself to 10 posts here, but I could acquire out on going all day! The fact that most of my favourite bloggers aren't fifty-fifty mentioned hither is will to how much splendid maths blogging has taken house during 2015. I larn as well as hence much from these blogs as well as I actually appreciate the fourth dimension as well as assay that is seat into sharing insights as well as ideas.

If you lot desire to start reading instruction blogs but you lot don't know where to start, I recommend next the Maths Echo Chamber (@MathsEcho) which automatically shares links to all novel Britain maths weblog posts.

I promise you've constitute my listing helpful. I'd dearest to know what your favourite posts from 2015 were, as well as hence delight share!

Mr Barton's Podcast

This is simply a quick transportation service to scream that Craig Barton interviewed me yesterday and, if you're interested, you lot tin heed to the podcast below or via Craig's post. It's an hr in addition to a one-half (chatterbox, me?!) in addition to I speak close a make of topics including the novel GCSE, Twitter, in addition to my approach to teaching. Do convey a heed if you lot overstep away a chance. Let me know what you lot think. Also, tin you lot topographic point the mathematical error? (it was a sideslip of the tongue, promise!).

Worries

A Twitter conversation close recruitment this calendar week got me worrying. I went to bed that nighttime feeling the weight of the basis on my shoulders.

Being a maths instructor is wonderful, too if y'all e'er doubtfulness that too hence read Ed Southall's ship service 10 reasons why it's a dandy fourth dimension to travel a maths teacher. But it is the best of times too the worst of times. Let me tell y'all some of the things that are on my mind...

1. Recruitment
Undoubtedly the biggest challenge nosotros human face upwards is a dire shortage of maths teachers. I don't trust any data inwards educational activity hence let's cause got a quick human face at the anecdotal evidence. Have y'all seen the huge discover of maths instructor vacancies beingness advertised on TES this week? That discover is laid to growth dramatically over the coming weeks equally schools desperately endeavor to win the race to recruit trainee teachers.

My schoolhouse is planning to significantly growth the discover of maths lessons for our students at both Key Stage three too four from September. This, coupled alongside the e'er increasing uptake of maths at Key Stage 5, way that my schoolhouse volition travel looking to recruit at to the lowest degree two novel maths teachers over the coming year. Other schools are inwards the same position. This continued increasing demand against a backdrop of diminishing render is a really serious concern.

The contest for maths teachers is fierce. There aren't plenty of us to become round. Across the country, a whole generation of students volition endure dreadfully. I wrote close this inwards Schools Week in conclusion Dec too the province of affairs has only worsened since then. Teachers are beingness driven out of the profession yesteryear utterly unsustainable workloads too nosotros are merely unable to supervene upon them.

What volition plow over if nosotros can't create total our vacancies? Initially nosotros volition come across an growth inwards degree sizes. As most classrooms don't cause got the desk infinite for to a greater extent than than 34 students, this volition cause got the greatest bear upon on depression attainers whose classes may good double inwards size. Eventually nosotros volition starting fourth dimension to come across an absence of teachers inwards the classroom, alongside online delivery of content perhaps beingness the only option. This is hardly conducive to a practiced education. I strongly suspect that nosotros volition lose the 'global race' that the Government cares hence much about.

One concluding persuasion regarding recruitment. School budgets are ridiculously tight - the fiscal province of affairs horrifies me. Every spare penny should travel spent on our students, non on extortionate fees for chore adverts. Schools are spending serious amounts of coin advertising for maths teachers for weeks on end. Precious educational activity budget is sitting inwards the pockets of the TES. How really frustrating.

2. Curriculum Changes
Changes to the maths curriculum are coming thick too fast too it's downwards to teachers to endeavor to brand sense of huge amounts of information too mixed messages.

The novel GCSE is going to travel really challenging for the vast bulk of students. Our electrical flow Year 10s are guinea pigs. At Year 10 Parents Evening this calendar week I had to acknowledge to parents that I wasn't solely certain close gradings - my predictions are based on vague hunches rather than experience. Maths teachers are inwards the dark. And we're competing against each other for the transcend grades.

I'm doing all I mayhap tin to brand certain I know the novel specification, but it's much harder than it should be. The workload is huge. The procedure of implementing this novel qualification has non run smoothly too nosotros tin only promise that the implementation of the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bird qualifications is a ameliorate experience for both teachers too students.

Another affair that worries me is the novel Foundation GCSE. It contains topics that are inwards no way appropriate or necessary for Foundation students. Even to a greater extent than worrying though is that fact that hence many more students volition straightaway sit down Foundation papers when previously they would cause got been entered for the Higher Tier. I loathe the depression expectations associated alongside maxim 'it is impossible for y'all to reach higher than a Grade 5'. And at the same fourth dimension many of the students who honor maths hard are inwards classes alongside badly behaved peers who concord them dorsum fifty-fifty further. It breaks my heart.

Finally, the thinking behind the novel Key Stage 2 resits is flawed inwards many ways. Mel sums upwards her concerns brilliantly inwards her ship service Year vii resits ... genius idea. This is some other poorly persuasion out policy that may destination upwards beingness detrimental to both students too teachers. Yet some other affair to worry about.

Solutions?
There's a elementary long-term solution to many of these problems. Reduce contact time. If teachers spent less fourth dimension inwards forepart of students too hence they would cause got the chance to excogitation effectively, grade well, collaborate alongside colleagues, implement novel policies, get upwards their champaign of written report cognition too acquire from best practice. The character of maths educational activity would improve too at the same time, recruitment too retentiveness problems would diminish. The electrical flow workload is killing us. But how tin the Government prepare this? Reducing contact fourth dimension across the board would require vast amounts of coin too vast numbers of novel teachers. Either that or less children... It's an impossible situation. This is what keeps me upwards at night. This is why I worry.

I must destination this ship service on a positive note. I am a worrier, but I am besides an optimist. I honey beingness a maths teacher. I'm doing something actually important. Fellow maths teachers, when faced alongside challenging times, produce non plow your dorsum on the profession - generations of children require you! Maths needs you! I require you! This is important, let's non give up. But let's back upwards each other when things acquire tough too produce everything nosotros mayhap can, inwards our ain schools too our ain classrooms, to brand the really best of what we've got.