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Ways of working and learning mathematics
See B1; B3; Y1; T2; M2; S1; S2; J1; J2; N1; N3
All the teachers have thought hard about what it is like to learn mathematics, especially when you find it difficult. Some strategies are shown in these clips. In B1 and Y1 we see teachers giving thinking time. Also in Y1 we see how one teacher interprets a whole-school policy of displaying learning objectives as a way to talk to students about articulating mathematical ideas. In B3, S2 and N1 teachers are giving images to help students understand mathematical ideas. One debatable point is whether these images help understanding, or whether they simplify the task. In T2 students are asked to follow up someone's conjecture, and it turns out to be generally false. The teacher knew this, but wanted them to see what happens when you follow ideas thoroughly and thus experience mathematical exploration. In M2, the teacher understands that shifting from one habitual way of thinking to another is hard and emphasises the shift she wants them to make. In J1 and S1 students are reminded of what they have done previously, and in J1 they are encouraged to look back at earlier work. Also in J1, the teacher gives them several strategies for how to make progress if they do not know what to do, and in N3 a student is praised for seeking help from another student. In J1 and J2 we see the power of repeated ideas; students have been asked to give reasons, and then are praised for giving reasons, and in the second clip it is clear that for some this is almost established as a habit.
