The NCETM Maths Podcast, from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, invites teachers, maths experts and anyone with a passion for teaching maths to talk about topics that shine a light on great maths teaching. With ideas for classroom activities, inspirational stories of careers in maths, and lively debates on contemporary topics, the NCETM podcast has something for everyone. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
The new NCETM Checkpoints resources are designed to support Year 7 teachers in formatively assessing what mathematical understanding their students have brought from primary school. Four PowerPoint decks are already published, full of activities and supported by teacher guidance. The rest will be published over the course of the year.
This podcast episode discusses Checkpoints with Becky Donaldson, one of the authors, and Steph Kirk, a teacher using them with her Year 7 classes.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Steph Kirk, Year 7 teacher and Curriculum Lead from Trinity Academy St. Edward’s in Barnsley
- Becky Donaldson, NCETM Assistant Director for Secondary
- Gwen Tresidder, NCETM Communications Manager
Episode chapters
- 00:42 – What is a Checkpoint?
- 02:50 – Steph Kirk – intro to her and her school
- 06:25 – Becky Donaldson – intro
- 07:52 – Steph: using Checkpoints in her classroom
- 12:30 – Becky: writing the Checkpoints activities
- 15:20 – What ‘algebra’ looks like in primary
- 16:20 – Checkpoints for CPD
- 17:53 – Steph: mapping Checkpoints to her own SoW
- 19:03 – ‘Dots’ Checkpoint 4, from Arithmetic procedures with integers and decimals (see below)
- 24:15 – ‘Arithmequick’ Checkpoint 15 from Expressions and equations
- 25:05 – The distributive law (The distributive law is addressed in Core Concept 1.4 of the NCETM Secondary Mastery Professional Development Materials)
- 27:07 – Unitising (Read more about unitising here: What is unitising, and why is it important? | NCETM)
- 34:58 – Shape balance, Checkpoint 2 from Expressions and equations
- 40:33 – Join a professional discussion about Checkpoints
Useful links
Becky tweets as @donaldson_maths and Steph tweets as @steph_mathsive
Checkpoints webpage, where you can download the PowerPoints and sign up for the seminars
Teachers can join a professional discussion about using the Checkpoints activities in our Basecamp community
NCETM Secondary Mastery Professional Development Materials
NCETM Primary Mastery Professional Development Materials
Steph mentions using double-sided counters and algebra tiles. Using mathematical representations at KS3 | NCETM offers more guidance with using these resources and others.
Monday Sep 06, 2021
Monday Sep 06, 2021
Lisa Coe reviews education books, alongside being primary maths lead for a MAT in the East of England. In this interview she talks about the maths books that she has found most useful, what she has learned from them and why she writes a blog to summarise their most useful points.
Many of the books she reads are written by secondary maths specialists, and she talks about what these can offer primary, as well as secondary teachers.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Lisa Coe, Primary Maths Lead for the Inspiration Trust
- Gwen Tresidder, NCETM Communications Manager.
Episode chapters
- 00:58 - Lisa’s summer reading (novels)
- 02:10 - Lisa’s work as Maths Lead for five primary schools
- 04:08 - How Lisa started reviewing books
- 07:30 - ‘How I wish I’d taught maths’ - Craig Barton
- 09:11 - ‘Visible Maths’ - Peter Mattock (and also 20:40)
- 11:21 - What secondary books can offer primary teachers
- 12:11 - ‘Mathematical Tasks’ - Chris McGrane
- 13:54 - How Lisa finds the time to read
- 16:13 - Cover-to-cover, or dipping in?
- 17:02 - ‘Mathematical methods’ - Jo Morgan
- 18:33 - How reading fits in with other CPD
- 20:46 - Recommendations for new teachers or trainees
- 23:04 - ‘Thinking deeply about primary mathematics’ - Kieran Mackle
- 25:36 - Lisa’s next reads
Useful links
Lisa tweets as @Elsie2110. Her blog is at elsie2110.wordpress.com
Lisa talks about the following books:
A Little Life. Hanya Yanagihara. 2020
Mathematical Tasks: The Bridge Between Teaching and Learning. Chris McGrane. 2020
A Compendium of Mathematical Methods. Joanne Morgan. 2020
Thinking Deeply about Primary Mathematics. Kieran Mackle. 2020
Also, Kieran Mackle’s podcast: Thinking Deeply about Primary Education
Teaching Math With Examples. Michael Pershan. 2021
The Future of Teaching And The Myths That Hold It Back. Guy Claxton. 2021
Thursday Aug 26, 2021
Thursday Aug 26, 2021
The first few lessons with a new class can be the most important. If rules, routines and relationships are established clearly, there's a good chance the year will go smoothly. In this podcast, teachers from three different secondary schools discuss what's worked well for them in the past.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Adam Creen, head of post-16 maths at Salesian College in Surrey
- Dawn Denyer, Assistant Head, St Wilfrid's Catholic School, Crawley, West Sussex
- Mel Muldowney, maths teacher at North Bromsgrove High School in Worcestershire
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director
Useful links
- Mel tweets as @Just_Maths
- Dawn tweets as @mrsdenyer
- Adam tweets as @robotmaths
The free website mentioned by Adam, created by Simon Singh, can be found at parallel.org.uk.
You may also be interested in our feature with suggestions of resources and CPD opportunities that may be worth considering at the start of a new school year.
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Two tech-enthusiastic teachers discuss what’s been learned by remote teaching, and what still limits learning
This podcast was recorded in July 2021 in the final weeks of a very disrupted school year.
Over the past decade, Andy has been exploring the possibilities offered to maths teaching by ‘digital ink’ (being able to hand-write on a screen). He found this invaluable to his teaching during the two school closure periods, and we wanted to see what Kyle thought about his ideas. Kyle has appeared on the podcast previously: Remote teaching returns 1 – Kyle Evans and Kathryn Darwin | NCETM
Until March, Andy Lumley was teaching at Cheadle Hulme School in Stockport. Kyle Evans teaches and leads maths at Barton Peveril sixth form college near Southampton.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Kyle Evans, Director of Maths and computer science at a large sixth form college near Southampton
- Andy Lumley, Learning Technology Lead, MEI
- Gwen Tresidder, NCETM Communications Manager.
Episode chapters
- 01:46 – Andy explains what he thinks technology can (and can’t) offer
- 02:56 – What is ‘digital ink’ and what does it offer
- 03:45 – Digital ink for teachers
- 06:26 – Digital ink for students
- 07:04 – What is being used at Kyle’s college
- 08:50 – Kyle’s hesitancy about replacing paper and pencil
- 10:51 – Should every student have a stylus?
- 12:01 – What would they keep from remote teaching?
- 17:03 – Student engagement online
Useful Links
Kyle tweets as @kyledevans. Andy tweets as @desire2undrstnd.
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Secondary maths teachers Gemma Scott and Kathryn Darwin both occasionally host the NCETM’s Tuesday evening Twitter-based chat under the hashtag #mathscpdchat. Why do they do it? Aren’t they busy enough as senior members of their maths departments? And why do they think these chats can provide powerful CPD for maths teachers, even those who don’t use Twitter?
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Gemma Scott, head of maths at an 11-18 comprehensive near Hull
- Kathryn Darwin, second in department at an 11-16 comprehensive in West Yorkshire
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director.
Useful links
Gemma tweets as @DirectorMaths
Kathryn tweets as @Arithmaticks
Find all summaries of previous chats, and notices of upcoming chats, on our #mathscpdchat page.
You can find out more about the discussions in our feature article.
Three summaries mentioned in detail during the conversation can be found among the summaries, as follows:
- Grade descriptors – 20 April 2021
- Surds – 28 January 2020
- Reasoning – 8 January 2019.
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Steph Elliot is Year 6 teacher and Maths Lead at a one-form entry school in Newcastle. When the country went into lockdown in January 2021, the school started to provide half an hour live input for each class every day. Steph talks about the advantages and difficulties of teaching live online lessons and shares some resources she has created. She also talks about her involvement with Maths Hub CPD through this period.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Steph Elliot: Year 6 teacher and Maths Lead at a primary school in Newcastle
- Gwen Tresidder: NCETM Communications Manager
Episode chapters
- 00:56 – Steph’s school’s remote provision
- 03:06 – Live lessons in maths
- 07:54 – Successful lesson resources
- 09:44 – Supporting parents
- 13:06 – Pros and cons of live lessons
- 16:13 – Engaging in Maths Hub CPD at this time
Useful links
Steph tweets as @eenalol and has a blog: A little but a lot where you can find the resources she has created, and a variety of journals and blogs. The ‘Among Us’ resource that she mentions in the interview is posted on 28 January (2021) and the February maths calendar is posted on 26 January (2021).
During the interview, Steph mentions the following:
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Louise Maule, Project Lead, Maths4Girls
- Enuma Afulukwe, Head of Maths, The Hemel Hempstead School
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director
Episode chapters
- 00:06 – Introduction and overview of Maths4Girls
- 02:26 – Why is this necessary?
- 06:06 – How do schools take part?
- 11:56 – One school’s experience
Useful links
Maths4Girls webpage: www.founders4schools.org.uk/educators/maths4girls
Twitter: @Founders4School
For more information, contact Louise Maule at louise.maule@founders4schools.org.uk
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Kyle Evans has been teaching live online lessons, at his sixth form college in Hampshire since March, including a blended approach during autumn 2020. Kathryn Darwin’s school opted for an asynchronous approach during March 2020 lockdown but in January 2021 has has moved to a full online timetable. They discuss what works to help teach maths well online, and how to promote interaction with self-conscious students!
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Kyle Evans: Director of Maths and computer science at a large sixth form college near Southampton
- Kathryn Darwin: secondary maths teacher and second in department in a school in Dewsbury
- Gwen Tresidder: NCETM Communications Manager
Episode chapters
- 01:06 How their schools are delivering maths now
- 05:09 Addressing safeguarding/privacy concerns
- 11:53 Getting students to respond and engage
- 14:41 The best bit of maths you’ve taught online
Useful links
Kathryn tweets as @Arithmaticks and is one of the regular hosts on our Tuesday night CPD Twitter chat #mathscpdchat.
Kyle tweets as @kyledevans. His webpage kyledevans.com has more details about his other life as a maths entertainer. He has put some of his best ideas for getting students responding in this thread: Kyle D Evans on Twitter: "A few people requested some more content-specific tips for engagement in online lessons. I'm happy to share a few more ideas - maths-centric, but many adaptable to other subjects I'm sure. 👍 (thread)" / Twitter
Kyle mentions using a mini-whiteboard tool on Desmos
Both guests recommend Whiteboards.fi to emulate the use of mini-whiteboards in class
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
James Cresswell teaches at a large secondary school in Suffolk where ability-setting in maths is well established, for all year groups. To reduce movement and numbers of contacts during the pandemic, the school took the decision to teach Key Stage 3 in their mixed attainment form groups in autumn 2020. This has been a big change for the department, and James tells us how he has made the most of it.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
James Cresswell: maths teacher at a secondary school in Suffolk
Gwen Tresidder: NCETM Communications Manager
Episode chapters
05:36 - How have your lessons changed?
12:06 - Where have you got support and ideas from?
14:46 - How have students and parents reacted?
Useful links
James Cresswell tweets as @mathsmrc.
During the conversation, James mentions:
- Helen Hindle interview on Mr Barton Maths Podcast
- Variation theory website from Mr Barton Maths
- Mixed attainment maths website
- Resourceaholic website
- Maths4everyone website
- Attending online maths conferences – these were the Complete Maths conferences 23 and 24. Conference 25 is on 13 March 2021.
- The NCETM’s Tuesday evening Twitter chat (7-8pm) #mathscpdchat – open to all.
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Kate Jackson teaches Year 4 part-time at a small, coastal primary school in Suffolk. She is also an NCETM Mastery Specialist and a Forest School leader. She describes herself as ‘on a mission to get children outdoors and loving maths’ and her work in the rest of her week is all about combining these two enthusiasms. In this conversation she explains why getting children outdoors is particularly important during the pandemic, even in the winter months. She explains how you might overcome some of the barriers.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
Kate Jackson: Year 4 teacher at a primary school in Suffolk
Gwen Tresidder: NCETM Communications Manager
Useful links
- Kate Jackson tweets as @katejxn. The website for her tutoring and outdoor learning is katejacksonlearning.co.uk
- During the conversation, Kate mentions:
- the NCETM ‘spine’ materials [Primary Professional Development Materials] – explaining how specific ideas from these materials can be used outside and how natural materials can be used as manipulatives
- Forest Schools Association website which includes a video explaining Forest Schools
- Juliet Robertson’s Creative Star website.