The week that was (no. 6)

Why is it that just as I feel I am finally making progress with one class, another class starts to fall apart? I have focussed recently on getting my N5 classes into a good working routine and now another class has gone backwards. On the surface they seem to be working away but as I go round the room some are not doing anything, some getting everything wrong and only a few are actually being successful. I am not sure that many of the pupils are making much progress at all. I think I need to go back to the drawing board with them and implement some new strategies.

What have my classes been doing this week?

The week that was (no.5)

This week has been a relatively positive week despite being completely exhausted and feeling that my brain wasn’t switched on most of the time.

Here’s what my classes have been doing this week:

• S2: SDT and Distance Time graphs
• S3: Equation of a Line and Trigonometry
• N5: Arcs and Sectors and Volume of Solids
• AH: Integration using partial fractions and by substitution

Resource of the Week

One of my favourite tasks to do is a sorting task. My S2 class had been working on speed, distance and time calculations but hadn’t yet spent time choosing which formula to use from the question. I collated a selection of word questions and gave them to the pupils in pairs to sort into three categories – Distance Speed Time. Once they had sorted the questions they then answered them.

The week that was (no. 4)

This week has been one of those weeks that feel like you just have to get through. Each day has felt really long and a bit of an uphill battle and I’ve felt incredibly tired and unmotivated.

So what’s been happening with my classes:

Straight Line Investigation – a bit of a fail

I am going to share a series of lessons that I had with my S3 class this week. I have four 50 minute periods per week with my S3s, who are the middle set out of three. There are 25 pupils in the class with a broad range of maths skills and confidence.

Straight line investigation

The aim of the investigation was for my pupils to consider the relationship between the equation of a line and the gradient and y intercept.

I created a sheet which had 4 questions:

The week that was (no. 3)

Week 3 of this year is over already. I’m always amazed how quickly school life settles into a routine after the summer holidays. This week my classes have been working on:

• S2 Time and Speed Distance Time
• S3 The Straight Line
• N5 Algebraic Fractions and Completing the Square
• AH Parametric Differentiation and Related Rates

This week has brought cake, pancakes, laughs, tears and even more cake.