Being a good teacher

Making the lie true

July 13 2023

We at my university regularly sell quite a big lie.

Why mathematical induction is hard

June 06 2023

Students find mathematical induction hard, and there is a complex interplay of reasons why. Some years ago I wrote an answer on the Maths Education Stack Exchange describing these and it's still something I come back to regularly. I've decided to post it here too.

Space to enter

March 02 2023

This is a photo of the entrance to my Maths Learning Centre. What do you notice?

Book Reading: You're Not Listening

January 23 2023

This blog post is about the book You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy, and in particular my reactions to it from a teacher's perspective.

Four levels of listening

September 23 2022

Listening is one of the most important aspects – no, scratch that – the most important aspect of my work in the Maths Learning Centre.

Other(ing) Explanations

September 09 2022

Most people who teach mathematics are aware that it's useful to have alternative explanations for concepts, and useful to have different ways to approach problems.

Running out of puzzles

February 02 2022

Because people know I run the One Hundred Factorial puzzle sessions, they often ask me if I have a repository of puzzles they can use for their classroom, enrichment program, maths club, or their own enjoyment.

My first Maths Teacher Circle

January 25 2021

Last week I participated in my first Maths Teacher Circle. I just want to do a quick blog post here to record for posterity that I did it and it was excellent. I choose to take the practical approach of just relating what happened.

The Solving Problems Poster

November 19 2020

This blog post is about the Solving Problems poster that has been on the MLC wall for more than ten years in one form or another.

Questions with a morally wrong answer

September 12 2020

I think asking students questions is an important part of my job of helping students succeed. Good questions can help me see where they are in their journey so I can choose how to guide them to the next step, or can help to make clear the skills they already have that will help them figure things out for themselves. But there is a class of questions that shuts all of this down immediately. Here are some examples: