It has been a challenging week for Y8z5. A new unit, Area, perimeter and measures, some difficult tasks and despite the uphill battle, the class are growing in confidence, even if the successes have been far and few between. We are undeterred, we revisit our RESPECT agenda every day to remind us of what is most important. What I am most proud of is that in the absences of the frequent successes of our previous “Numbers” unit (the first 4 weeks of term), we have seen more resilience, perseverance and teamwork in class.
Each day, different pupils have been absent or involved in various school programmes. This has meant it has been more difficult to make lessons flow from one lesson to the next. We have followed the learning map I shared with you previously but it has been challenging. We have had to recap or plug gaps for individual pupils a lot the past two weeks and this have proven frustrating for some of the pupils in class. Second, we shared the new “Approach to Learning” expectations. The pupils know that the bar has been set high. The pupils know they need to be more focused in class, more determined out of class and to be rocking it on TTRS and practicing on MyMaths, if they want to secure a GOLD rating. Most pupils have been very focused on their own personal development, a few have not completed the “recommended activities” on MyMaths (written in their planners) some are not always prepared for class (pens).
On the plus side there have been a number of personal highlights and I made a handful of personal calls home mid-week. Elliot, Carys and Thomas made personal learning leaps, showing a renewed determination to get the questions on their practice paper corrected (following the lead of Daffyd). Rosia has rocketed up the TTRS tables after some hefty prompting. Courtney joined the “four box club” after being so close a couple of times previously. That takes our total to 6 I think? At the start of the term, not a single pupil could complete the challenge. One pupil has even managed to complete eight boxes.
Created by Pete Ingleby in our Maths team. This and many more of his Maths resources are available on freemaths.net
Last there was Thomas’ act of kindness and support. In the new unit, we covered metric measures. Of course we pushed the importance of always using the measure to provide a full and complete answer. Answers without the measure must be upgraded, hence the phrase / reminder “must use the measure.” Three answers without using the appropriate measures meant you had a fun forfeit, to stand on your chair and repeat “must use the measure,” five times, quickly. Try it, and you end up mumbling through with,
“Mushrooms the measure.”
Shortened to “mushrooms.”
Pupils get three chances. The class were less forgiving of my one and only mistake, demanding I repent… in “mushrooms.” In an act of compassion and support, Thomas stood up on his chair and offered to “mushroom” too. Together we repented. If it seems a little odd, it is, but the class seem to like it.
The week also saw maths move to the catering rooms. Practical maths, converting litres to pints. Pouring bottles of water in to measuring jugs. Can I ask pupils, parents and carers to explore any opportunity to convert measurements, especially metric to imperial. Driving, miles to kilometres, scales in the baths, kilograms to stones. Any form of measurement activity will help pupils develop this knowledge.
Just for fun and to reinforce the second units learning, I challenge you to make American pancakes, with or without the blueberries, to help the pupils understand scales and the divisions on the measure tools. Any photo evidence will be rewarded… somehow.
Today we loaned one student to Mr Wood, to access some 1-2-1 support and we look forward to her safe return. Maybe next week we will loan another student.
We are working harder than ever. We have the next MyPractice in our sights and plenty of MyMaths activities to complete. Keeping up the hard work in the face of greater mathematical challenge.
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