This month Ollie Lovell and I discuss the following things: Why change needs a deep understanding (08:15) The power of using critical evidence during CPD (23:10) Is making feedback into detective work really a good idea? (39:39) The Derring Effect (55:04) What have you got worse at? (1:11:24) I need the toilet (1:20:25) You can view the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-9/

Zach Groschel and Ollie Lovell join Craig to discuss the importance of standardizing entry routines in schools and the obstacles to understanding that teachers may face. The conversation also explores effective coaching, clear expectations, and the value of mass practice and discriminating contrast in interleaving.

Cognitive psychologist, Nick Soderstrom, discusses memory and retrieval practice. Topics include testing, spacing, interleaving, pre-testing, and effective feedback strategies in teaching math. They explore the difference between learning and performance, optimal spacing for effective learning, and the impact of pre-testing on students' prior knowledge. They also debunk the belief in learning styles and highlight the importance of effective learning strategies.

Teacher, author and my arch-rival podcaster, Ollie Lovell, joins me from the land Down Under for the seventh of our monthly chats. We each share three things we have been thinking about from the world of education recently. In this episode, we discuss CPD, checking for understanding, rehearsal, lesson planning, and more. For show notes, videos and links please visit this page: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-7 Time-stamps: Plan CPD around the in-between times (10:04) Questions to ask during CPD (17:52) Ask Who got 8/10? (28:16) Importance of rehearsal when coaching (35:42) Move slowly (50:47) What’s harder, planning lessons from scratch, or adapting existing lessons? (57:27)

Mark McCourt, a retired maths teacher, head of maths, head teacher, Ofsted inspector, CEO, founder, and the creator of MathsConf, shares valuable tips for teachers, discusses potential and ability in education, emphasizes the importance of teaching methods and class organization, explores the fear and lack of agency among teachers, and highlights the significance of assessing student learning and understanding using manipulatives and mini whiteboards. They also discuss inadequate teacher training in the UK, personalized teaching methods, formal language in mathematics, fear of inspections, the power of education and knowledge transfer, and education as a maturation process.

The episode features a conversation with Ofsted's Maths Subject Lead, Steve Wren. We discuss everything from inspections, subject deep-dive, lesson observations, book scrutinies, COVID and more. For show notes, please visit: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/ofsted Time-stamps: Education career, controversies, and accents. (13:13) Maths education, policy, and personal interests. (15:31) Maths education and refereeing football. (20:56) Football refereeing and teaching career insights. (23:27) Lesson planning and the importance of cutting losses. (26:31) Ofsted inspections and their practicalities. (29:12) School inspection process and expectations. (35:33) School inspection and grading. (39:09) School inspection process and leadership. (42:40) Ofsted inspections and deep dives in a secondary school. (49:15) Maths curriculum and lesson observations. (51:13) Teaching maths in a school. (55:22) Ofsted inspections and lesson quality. (1:00:18) Ofsted inspections and consistency in teaching practices. (1:04:45) Using mini whiteboards in the classroom. (1:07:45) Using books to support deep dives in education. (1:11:37) Effective lesson observations and deep dives in education. (1:15:14) Inspector training and subject expertise in education. (1:18:27) Keeping bias out of inspections and tailoring approaches to individual schools. (1:21:55) Effective department meetings in schools. (1:26:44) Maths education report and its findings. (1:29:32) Maths education challenges and solutions. (1:34:23) Teaching methods and exam preparation in schools. (1:39:01) Secondary school teaching strategies and retention. (1:43:47) Primary and secondary school math education. (1:48:12) Problem-solving in math education. (1:52:30) Effective problem-solving strategies in math education. (1:56:35) Maths education balance and practice. (2:00:12) Problem-solving in math education. (2:04:43) Using departmental meetings to support math problem-solving skills. (2:07:06) Curriculum design and problem-solving strategies. (2:11:02) Problem-solving strategies in math education. (2:16:07) Sharing high-quality educational resources and Ofsted's research review. (2:18:51) Maths education and the importance of balancing different perspectives. (2:23:56) Ofsted's stance on marking and feedback. (2:28:39) Effective math teaching methods and workload management. (2:32:53) Using centrally planned resources in maths lessons. (2:36:26) Maths education during COVID-19 pandemic. (2:40:29) Maths education, homework, and curriculum. (2:45:51) Ofsted inspections and curriculum development. (2:49:35) The future of math teaching and the importance of skilled teachers. (2:53:04) Educational blogs and podcasts for personal growth. (2:57:30)

Tom Sherrington highlights the importance of teachers being attuned to students sitting in the back of the classroom. The speakers discuss regularly changing seating plans, implied competences, and Montessori education. They explore the effectiveness of pre-testing, using manipulatives for deeper understanding, and strategies for enhancing learning comprehension.

Vic Simms is a Professor of Developmental Psychology at Ulster University. Her recent research interests have been in understanding the influence of the home environment on early mathematical development, understanding influences on development from cross-country perspectives and developmental differences (for those children born preterm or with genetic conditions). This episode is part of my Research in Action mini-series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning. You can access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/research-in-action-25 Time-stamps: Introduction to today’s topic. (6:29) How parents engage with their children. (11:20) Differences between the quality of the interactions and the frequency. (15:37) The ideal combination of frequency and quality. (19:58) The home mathematics environment in China. (24:35) The hierarchy of what parents should do for their environment. (29:08) The role of shape and space in mathematics development. (34:31) The maths environment at home and literacy. (41:53) The role of first impressions in learning and performance. (49:25) Teacher perception of a student. (52:51) How parents can help their children think more intentionally. (59:04) The weak relationship between mathematics environment and learning outcomes. (1:02:19)

Kinga Morsanyi is a developmental psychologist, and currently a Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University. Her main focus is on mathematics learning, but her research interests also encompass reasoning and decision-making, the motivational and emotional aspects of learning, and educational approaches to improving thinking and mathematics skills. Kinga is also researching the atypical development of cognitive skills, in autism and in developmental dyscalculia. This episode is part of my Research in Action mini-series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning. You can access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/research-in-action-24 Time-stamps: Introduction to Kinga. (0:14) Craig's background. (2:08) Maths Anxiety. (8:52) The bias for positive findings in research. (15:17) What is dyscalculia and what does it mean? (19:34) Differences between students with dyscalculia and those without. (25:32) Diagnostic criteria for dyscalculia. (32:17) New developments in the field of dyscalculia. (37:02) Gender differences in dyscalculia. (44:23) Is it possible to outgrow dyscalculia? (48:38) Comorbidities between dyslexia and dyscalculia. (58:23) The modularity of the mind. (1:02:54)

Dave Hewitt taught in schools for 11 years, including as Head of Department working with all-attainment classes from Years 7-11. Dave has since been working in teacher education for over 30 years, initially at the University of Birmingham and then setting up the mathematics PGCE at Loughborough University in 2014. Dave was last on the show back in 2020 when we discussed when to tell students how to do something. This episode is part of my Research in Action mini-series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning. You can access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/research-in-action-23 Time-stamps: Dave's background. (2:07) The law of efficiency and short term success. (7:36) The subordination of teaching to learning. (13:16) Children can abstract from a world of complexity. (19:49) Direct access to students. (25:15) Direct access vs. prior knowledge. (33:12) Assess the knowledge of your students. (41:32) The power of learning generated examples. (45:59) Not enough time for maths. (50:35) Teachers are not assessors. (55:19) Fluency-based learning. (1:00:02) Assessments are not just about assessment. (1:04:45) How to get students to explain things. (1:09:25) Discussing departmental meetings around the task. (1:14:51) How to assess where students are in the mind. (1:18:38) Being creative in the classroom. (1:24:21) What’s an example of something you’ve changed your mind about? (1:29:45) Building Thinking Classrooms. (1:32:36) The importance of enthusiasm and believing in mathematics. (1:38:47) Mimicry and direct instruction. (1:45:05)