My 12 Weeks of Pedagogy

37 research papers, 9 books, 120 hours of maths and 57 classroom lessons later. The past 3 months of teacher training have been intense! 📚

Here’s an update on my journey to become a Maths teacher, and some of the most valuable things I’m learning. As well as a more general update at the end. ✏️

Tues- Thurs: I’m teaching in a Secondary School. Mon & Fri: Department of Education, Oxford.

1. How to teach effectively

In this now seminal paper, Rosenhine outlines 10 principles. 🔟

These are all research-backed strategies, derived from the field of cognitive science. My biggest takeaway’s? See below. 🧠

Our working memory can only handle 3–4 bits of information at once.

Only vary one small detail at a time so learners recognise what is changing.

Early success e.g. an easy quiz at the start, keeps them engaged and motivated to want to learn more.

and this..

DON’T ask — “are there any questions?”.

DO ASK — “James, tell me what you have understood so far?” (even if wrong).

Be kind — “yes ok, that’s a good start”.

Praise the thinking process, not the child.

Explicitly model/draw your own thinking process (create a mind map for them later if you can). Children need help in organising their information.

lastly..

“Learning is a change in long term memory” — Paul Kirschner

The effort required to recall something recently learned, embeds the information in long term memory.

Connect a new bit of information to something you already know.

Create a calendar for when you are going to revisit the information (every few days/weeks).

…ok mate, but how do you get them to behave in the first place?

2. How to get them to behave!

I learnt the most from a lesson that went terribly! This forced me to go away and read about the teenage brain.

As the DfE’s behaviour tzar, Tom Bennett explained in a recent call — “Make your expectations super clear”. Many teachers go into the first lesson wanting to be liked. This isn’t the goal.

I’m having a lot of success with a “One Voice” policy, a “3,2,1” countdown for attention, and using effective pause time.

This last insight could apply at work, or at home..

3. How to run a discussion

There are 5 “Talk Moves” we can use to facilitate a productive discussion.

Cold calling names can work better than ‘hands up’ and encourages people to a) pay attention and b) to participate.

1. Revoicing — “Alan, so what you’re saying is that you think …”
2. Paraphrasing — “Amy, can you repeat what Isabelle said in your own words?”
3. Reasoning — “Andy, do you agree/disagree? If so why?”
4. Adding on — “would anybody like to build on what Tom has said?”
5. Pause — Allow between 5–30 seconds for students to think about their response.

Come to think of it, this framework would have made some meetings in the city more engaging too!

Especially when half the room were drifting off into the abyss of emails (or playing Candy Crush). Not me, ever, of course. 😇

More generally..

I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard in my life.

There have been some tears along the way, and many moments of self-doubt. The 6.45 am drive into school on a wet November morning is hardly breakfast at The Wolseley.

I’m mentally and physically exhausted at the end of each day, and then I come home to read research, lesson plan and mark homework.

And yet despite this, I jump out of bed in the morning. That’s because I truly believe that I have the best job in the world.

I’m currently doing my PGCE at Oxford University and working at a nearby secondary school, teaching Mathematics. I comment on themes from Education & Learning, and how they might benefit you, and the next generation.

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