Category Archives: General

193. Resource of the Week – Reflective Detentions

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This splendid resource by ealdor, on TES Resources, was recommended on Twitter last year. It is a Reflective Detention sheet. Pupils spend time in detention reflecting on what they did, why it wasn’t appropriate and what they will do to improve. The teacher then keeps the sheet as a record of the event. They can then be referred to at Parents Evening and in Departmental/Pastoral interventions.

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Image credit: teachers.saschina.org

Personally I have used these sheets since September and they have provided me with a constructive talking point at Parents Evening. In fact, one parent described them as handwritten confessions that their child couldn’t talk their way out of. Thank you ealdor!

191. Fallen Revision

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Which Maths teachers out there are fed up of stressing the same basic exam/test skills? Come on, there must be more than that? You there at the back. That’s more like it!

Unfortunately, us teachers don’t understand student basics:

* Pencils are for chewing, flicking or breaking.
* Rulers are for poking and twanging
* Working out is detrimental to doodling time
* And as for Units – wasn’t that mentioned in PSCHE to do with alcohol?

Sound familiar?

This term I’ve made my class reflect on the basics using a ‘Fallen Phrase’ puzzle template from Discovery Puzzlemaker. The skeleton of the phrase is given, but the missing letters are stacked at the bottom of each column – a bit like a collapsed ‘Wheel of fortune’ puzzle.

Wheel of fortune

The puzzle covers all the basic skills, but it is difficult. My students had to really think what I nag them about, rather than just rearrange the letters.

I just hope all their hard work pays off in their test.

Revision Hints fallen phrase.

Visit the Discovery puzzlemaker site.

189. Revision just flies by

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I take absolutely no credit for this cute revision idea – japanese peace cranes for revision.

My class have a test next week and I gave them half an hour of directed independent study. Using their revision lists they could use their notes or textbooks to try questions or create a revision resource. I was expecting posters, maybe booklets … then one of the girls asked if could they make a crane for revision and hang off revision notes. Bearing in mind we have a 2m algebra tree in the room, I thought an industrial crane with notes hanging off it could be good.

How wrong I was!

Two girls started folding origami cranes – they’d learnt how for a school project. They then wrote maths facts on the wings. The idea was calmimg, yet contagious!
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The idea slowly spread across the room. Soon about half the class were folding cranes and writing notes. Someone even found some coloured paper.

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Now there is a small flock of cranes flying across the room which will hopefully remind pupils of the notes they wrote.

If you want instructions on how to fold an origami crane try this YouTube video.

188. Ducks, chalk and gravity

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So how did TeachMeet result in me standing in a supermarket one evening doing a price comparison of duct tape?

Let us go back in time to #mathsmeetnorthwest. Dave Usher did a brilliant presentation on ‘Big Maths’, including the use of gaffer (duct) tape in lessons. I thought this was a genius idea – sticky, sturdy and temporary. I didn’t get a chance to buy any at the weekend, so I ended up in the supermarket on a weeknight.

But what to buy?

Cheap own brand duct tape at £2.95 for 15m or branded ‘Duck’ tape at £3.95 for 25m?

I started school the next day with one idea on how to use it, which quickly developed into three..

Lesson 1: Averages

Equipment: Duct tape, liquid chalk marker

I did averages and range indoors. This meant I couldn’t chalk the walls or floor. However I could mark out key features with tape. I used the activity Averages and marked out the median, the highest and lowest values on the floor. It was at this point I figured out I could write on black duct tape with liquid chalk marker – brilliant! We labelled the wall with the highest and lowest heights of the class so we could see the actual range of heights.

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Lesson 2: GCSE Revision

Equipment: Exam papers, scissors, glue, wall paper, duct tape

I have been using the Foundation GCSE Review with my Higher GCSE resit group. Reviewing ten Higher GCSE papers involves over 200 questions – that’s a big wall display! Both of the TeachMeets I have attended have used the idea of learning wallpaper. So that’s what we used – I’m grateful that some of my students are over 6ft tall or the wall display wouldn’t have gone up.

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Now the duct tape was used to secure the top of the wall display and to ‘passer-by’ proof the bottom. It should last longer now that the lower end is reinforced.

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Lesson 3: A-Level Mechanics

Equipment: Duct tape, liquid chalk, mobile phones, calculators, soft ball (I used a ball of wool)

It’s all very well drawing diagrams for A-Level Mechanics questions, but how about a life size diagram? We were looking at vertical motion under freefall/gravity. I gave the students pieces of duct tape chalk labelled with a, s, u, v, t. We went to the staircase and labelled the wall with the tape – so u (initial velocity) was taped to the top of the bannister and v (final velocity) went on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, etc.

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The students then labelled what they knew: a=g, u=0, v=?, t=?, s=?
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The students used mobile phones to time the drop from the bannister to the floor and calculated the distance and final velocity. The physical activity allowed us to think about how to draw these kinds of diagram.

And finally …
Just some pictures of an alternative whiteboard:

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184. TeachMeet New Year

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Here’s a nice easy 2014 challenge for you: get yourself to a TeachMeet!

What is a TeachMeet? A definition can be found on Wikipedia, but in essence it is a series of five minute presentations about any aspect of education by educators (mainly current teachers).

If you can’t go to one, find one which was recorded and posted online. Why not go for it and present at a TeachMeet?

It’s National TeachMeet day (in the UK) on 6th February (@TeachMeetUK). Most TMs are posted on the TeachMeet.pbworks site and publicised on Twitter. If you are in North-West England there is a Maths-themed TM happening in Liverpool on Saturday 18th January. Click here for more details or follow #mathsmeetnorthwest

If you are still doubting the effectiveness of TM consider these points:
1) I went for it and presented at the first TM I went to in September (You can watch it here) – it was a great experience.
2) I’ve used short/medium/long term ideas from the TM in my lessons, in Dept meetings and in my Performance Management.
3) My colleague, J, and myself were positively bouncing with ideas and energy for teaching for weeks afterwards.
4) Imagine the worst day-long course you’ve been on and how much it cost. A TM is a couple of hours and generally free!

What are you waiting for?

 

Updated: 20th Jan 2014 to include Calderstones TeachMeet link

183. New Year Resolutions

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Why not get your students to make a New Year’s Resolution?

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Image credit: someecards.com

There are so many little things that we remind students about, so how about getting them to take responsibility?

Start by discussing what they think you nag them about. When students peer review, what annoys them about each other’s work? Extend the conversation to include why these things are important.

Now the tricky bit: making the resolutions.

Get your students to pick two targets – an achievable one and a challenging one. They should be carefully worded and give a reason.

Example
I will show my working out so that I can get all the marks I deserve.

The resolutions should be clearly written on their books (maybe on the front cover?) and a copy should be handed in to you – hand out small sheets of paper for this.

The Future
We all know that resolutions often don’t last. So how can you support your students?

There was a reason why the students handed in a copy of their resolutions. Put them in a jar or box on your desk. Once a week, make your starter a resolution reflection. You could just give your students time to self evaluate or discuss their progress in pairs.

Alternatively you could dip into the resolution jar and pick out a resolution. You could generally discuss that resolution or ask who has a similar resolution and find out how they are getting on.

The key thing is to revisit and also recognise the progress students are making with their resolutions. They’d also make a nice talking point for Parents Evening.

The Twist
If you are asking your class to make a resolution, what would yours be?

Update
Check out these thoughts on resolutions and downloadable resolution templates from
Kev Lister’s blog

181. Website of the week 3

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Happy New Year folks!

Once the fog of the festive season lifts, the creeping realisation that planning needs doing starts to dawn. To give you a helping hand, here is my website of the week:

LttMaths

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This website has lots of good ideas/pics/videos, a clear content index and links to other useful sites. Enjoy!