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A1 Partly the approach to teaching in the dim and distant past where fear was allowed to reign - such as going round a class and firing multiplication questions at individuals which could cause worry and humiliation. #UKEdChat
#UKEdChat#A1 Cause - Acceptable to be bad at maths, but not literacy; consequences - acceptable not to do it, skip off or just make excuses and lead by mis-example within the household
A1 Causes may include poor teaching, a teacher not understanding their difficulties, a lack of confidence, issues with memory, a 'can't do' mindset... Consequences may include problems doing simple maths tasks as adults, making errors and passing on attitude to own chn. #UKEdChat
We’re putting a big focus on it this year, and it’s working. I absolutely love White Rose Maths. It’s empowered and emboldened me as a teacher to teach ‘high ceiling low threshold’. #ukedchat
A2 From talking to groups of children, most enjoy maths. Teachers have a 'can do' attitude to teaching maths. A few chn really struggle with maths. It's the reason I signed up for a workgroup about mastery in maths in SEN context and had the first day of CPD today. #UKEdChat
A2. We are currently in a transitional period with regards to our pedagogy in maths. Both of my schools are developing a mastery approach. Last year my maths leads researched, observed and tried things in their classes. This year they’re rolling it out in their schools. #UKEdChat
A1: Recently a midwife couldn't work out the lbs to kg. Thanks to her poor numeracy, we ended up back in hospital as baby had lost 'too much' weight! If nurses have poor maths skills medicines and all sorts could be wrongly dosed. It's serious stuff! #ukedchat
#A2#UKEdchat work in FE. Teenagers know they need it, but effort varies as some left school to do hair, beauty, plastering, joinery, sports, etc. in college so some question why are we doing maths. We need to make it relevant and accessible
A1: my poor maths skills are due to the introduction of calculators and the scrapping of mental arithmetic. It's been so detrimental until smart phones with calculators arrived #ukedchat
#UkEdChat A2 In my last school there was a focus on how to use reasoning in lessons every day with all pupils rather than just on 'problem-solving Friday'. Pupils worked with similar ability pupils most of the time though this was changed around each half term.
Our Lift Off programme featured as the cover story for the latest issue of School Leadership Today. Read more about how the course helps learners make a successful transition from primary to secondary school @TeachingTimeshttps://t.co/D2gNduJzm0#ukedchat
#A2#UKEdchat Likewise. We are presenting it differently - problem solving not sums; have drop-in HUBs for ad-hoc support (not formal tutorials); HUBs also open to community and family.
A2: I work in FE and one of the worst things I hear is vocational subjects telling y10/11 students they can resit maths (and English) GCSEs at college. The kids just give up at school and then simply expect to pass by turning up but not actually working at college. #ukedchat
Lots of interesting answers for this question so far. What do you think?
#UKEdChat Q1
What are some of the causes and consequences of adults who have poor maths skills?
▶Please use the hashtag & A1◀
A1 A fear of failure too as learners see maths often having right and wrong answers. If you struggle with maths when you are young then you may be repeating learning many times and getting the answers wrong. I learnt today chn often give up on maths at the age of 7. #UKEdChat
@ukedchat A3- Plenty of practical and hands-on Maths opportunities. When we are talking counting, the possibilities are endless. And I truly believe you can never outgrow Numicon! #UKEdChat
A3 Where possible chn who haven't quite achieved a learning intention, a teacher may work with them 1:1 for 10 minutes to talk about it, reteach. For some chn precision teaching can work to help learn number facts to ease demands on memory. #UKEdChat
#ukedchat A3 Currently organised daily by year group teams and great for children just catching up but less than perfect for those a long way behind. Next year possibly coming out of class to be specialist maths teacher across the school to support.
A3 (a) We teach multiple “methods” and don’t force one approach. (b) We believe our developments with a mastery programme will help with concepts and deeper mathematical understanding. (c) Resource rich environment. #UKEdChat
Yes I learnt lots. The scariest info I found out was chn struggling at the age of 7 may give up on maths. In our education system they may feel like they have been failing at maths for 3 years. We have to do a case study about a child in our class,I'm looking fwd to it. #UKEdChat
A3 Also in lesson time teachers try to give feedback and intervene where chn need support to have an immediate impact rather than waiting until the next day. #UKEdChat
Indeed! And all those subjects need maths. I briefly taught the maths component for a health care course at an FE college and students were motivated because it was relevant to their course. Also taught GCSE to struggling Year 11s who lost interest years ago - zero motivation
Thank you. I have quite a few siblings of children I taught in previous years. Their parents are pleased that I am teaching their children because I really love maths and it usually means they grow to love maths too. Just need time and patience! #UKEdChat
A4- I think building opportunities with parents would be a beneficial and helpful way of teaching skills of measurement and geometry. My school is creating its own Spiritual Garden, maybe this is a way we could do this? #UKEdChat
#UKEdChat Q4 again
How is the community involved with developing maths skills of pupils? If not, have could it be involved?
▶Please use the hashtag & A4◀
This made us smile today. Thanks @stoneman_claire for this list of Edu-Words That Get My Goat we enjoyed the narrative and will now add you to our tribe!
What edu-words do you hear most often?
#edchat#ukedchathttps://t.co/YZW8JlD3IL
A4 Many parents want more information about how maths is taught as they know things have changed since they were at school. I ask chn to show and explain to parents/carers what they did in maths for home learning. Doing workshops for parents to learn with chn works. #UKEdChat
#UKEdChat#A4 Very fortunate to be in a college embedded into community; students placed in local business and charities, also work on projects within the community
#UKEdChat Q5
As parental confidence in maths improves the maths ability of pupils, how can schools help parents to help their children?
▶Please use the hashtag & A5◀
#UKEdChat#A5 We hold a 'stay and count' session each week where parents can stay and complete a maths activity with their child. This helps parents to see the methods their children are using in the classroom.
A4 It is quite an undertaking to shift the perception that maths is best taught / only taught via pages of repetitive sums. Bringing parents into school for workshops, parent champion schemes and sharing examples via leaflets, social media etc are ideas that I like. #UKEdChat
A5- In Key Stage 2, surely there’s such a huge need for the repetition and recall of times tables?
Giving parents a bank of fun Maths recall games that are easily accessible in any location (home, car, out and about) might be really helpful.
#UKEdChat
#UkEdChat A3 Resources and manipulatives not taken away too early - pupils use until confident. Visual images. Extra adult interventions for small groups sometimes outside lesson time and sometimes within lessons.
#UKEdChat Q5 again
As parental confidence in maths improves the maths ability of pupils, how can schools help parents to help their children?
▶Please use the hashtag & A5◀
A5 Give parents practical ideas to help chn learn key facts. I ask parents to just show an interest in what their chn are learning so chn understand that learning and school are important. We have had family learning sessions to help parents feel confident about maths. #UKEdChat
A5: my daughter's school do online maths for use at home and school. However my laptop and wifi aren't great and it doesn't work on tablet/phone so a big concnern is for those chn who have no access to tech at home. They are at least trying however to bridge the gap #ukedchat
A6 I think it is to do with those who promote the ‘either you can or you can’t’ school of thought. In my schools we work tirelessly on developing growth mindset and learning habits to counter these beliefs. #UKEdChat
A6: because it is often done in a dull way or at least used to be. Much more creative, interactive and practicable today! We just need to keep doing this #ukedchat
A6 Having a teacher who isn't confident can lead to children not feeling very good about maths. I think it is a subject where people either thought you are good at maths or bad at maths and you can't change that. Mindset is so important. #UKEdChat
#UKEdchat#A6 Where to start? Too many pupils and adults readily accept that someone is good at it or not. Maths is seen as right or wrong, not seen as a transferable skills which can develop problem-solving, collaboration, communication - functional maths/numeracy not sums
You have hit the nail on the head! I called a parent this week to talk about their son, the mum referred back to a presentation I delivered a year ago and said you inspired me. My son will do well with you as his teacher! #teachergoals
#UKEdChat#A6 Because it can often become too much about abstract fluency and not enough about real-life application. There are also a lot of misconceptions about maths being about 'right and wrong answers' and about speed, rather than thinking deeply.
Experiencing failure can make you give up. Maths is a subject you learn everyday at school and if you struggle it must feel awful thinking you can't do it, you'll never be good at, day after day. It's why teaching maths well is so important and praising effort. #UKEdChat
A6 Perhaps memories of your own school experience of maths - mine was horrible and humiliating so was very nervous teaching it but found it was a strength as I could understand chn's misconceptions and anxiety #ukedchat
A5 At my first school, I ran after school sessions every week for Yr 6 chn and their parents where the chn aught their parents what they'd been learning that week #ukedchat
#ukedchat#a7 I am a numeracy teacher, so promote it by contextualising problems in to students’ vocational and personal contexts. Our college is also making it an active ingredient in vocational PBL work
A7- I was challenged when I read this question earlier. I did a bit of researching and now looking forward to using Dance to look at symmetry and angles as well as set some number problems to do with our Basketball topic and the scoring system. Thanks #UKEdChat
#UkEdChat A4 Workshops where parents try activities involving reasoning, problem-solving and fluency. Also short 30 min class sessions straight after school for parents to play maths games with their children. Parents have also come in and showed how they use maths in their work.
#UKEdChat q6 I think maths turns children away because it isn't linked to real life enough so children just don't relate or see the point other than getting qulaifications. need to be doing real life, enterprise, building projects etc. It also helps if they see maths at home.
A7 I think it's important to show how maths in other curriculum areas is linked to things they have been learning in maths lessons e.g. measuring width of shadows for a science investigation using cm they are using their maths skills to do science. #UKEdChat
I’d made links to STEM before, but now having gone online and seen some examples I think there’s a diverse range of opportunities to use Maths in PE #UKEdChat
#UKEdChat Q5 I think the important part of involving parents is having fun, making maths as fun as possible, hence making it non threatening and also making it real.
A8 Make sure their knowledge and skills are good. Sign up for CPD opportunities to develop their confidence in particular areas of maths they find tricky e.g. fractions. Ask for advice and support from confident maths teachers they trust. #UKEdChat
#UKEdChat Q4 we are very lucky to have volunteers and local businesses who get involved to help with our pupil run community cafe, school bank and other pupil enterprises which have a huge impact on pupils maths. It's also important the community is seen doing maths.
#UKEdChat Q8 again
How can non-specialists in maths develop a greater confidence in maths and including it in their lessons?
▶Please use the hashtag & A8◀
#UkEdChat A5 Apart from workshops, make examples of visuals available to parents. Send maths games home for homework so parents are involved and discuss the maths with their child and then they can comment on any issues that arise for pupils or parents!
A8- as a reluctant mathematician, for me it’s all about not faking confidence. Rather being willing to make mistakes, to get things wrong and to not know the answers.
If struggles are part of the learning community, we can unite to overcome them. #UKEdChat
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#UKEdChat#a8 I recently read about "goal fee problems" and plan to try it out in HUBs and revision classes, but it should work equally well for non-specialists. don’t ask maths questions, but ask what can be discovered with the information at hand; https://t.co/09NyRR0piG
#UKEdChat Q3 in school we have previously used maths catch up but we felt this implied to children they were already behind, now we use maths boost sessions to boost the children before they take part in lessons. This has seen a big increase in pupil confidence in maths
A8: When I joined FE as a lecturer of English I had to attend a full day workshop on embedding numeracy at L2. It was testing our knowledge, identifying gaps & strategies in the morning. After was practical tips, activities and ideas to take away. Brilliant induction #ukedchat
