Reflecting on the experience is one of two activities necessary to improve our mathematical thinking (Siemon et al., 2021). In Teaching Mathematics: Foundations to Middle Years, we read that "reflecting may involve writing about where we got stuck, what we did to become unstuck, conjectures we tried, patterns we found, and strategies we used" (Siemon, … Continue reading Prompts for Maths Reflections
Reflection
Bastow Middle Leaders in Schools Conference: My Reflections
I've written this post more as a reflection for myself rather than piece for anyone else, but if something resonates with you, I'd love to chat about it. I've got lots to untangle after this. I recently attended the inaugural Bastow Middle Leaders in Schools conference. The conference was, as always with Bastow, high quality … Continue reading Bastow Middle Leaders in Schools Conference: My Reflections
Emily and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Professional Development Session
Illustration by the very talented Ashlin Day The presenter started five minutes late and said “Can you see my screen?” and we all said “No”. I could tell this was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad professional development session. The presenter spent 10 minutes giving us an overview of what they … Continue reading Emily and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Professional Development Session
Relief Sets In: Teaching Amidst Coronavirus
Relief Sets In: Teaching Amidst Coronavirus I entered the early school holidays in a state of paralysis. To be clear, I always enter the school holidays in some sort of zombie-fied state. It's near impossible to make it to the end of term without clawing your way through your front door on the last day … Continue reading Relief Sets In: Teaching Amidst Coronavirus
Mrs Fintelman’s End of Year Report
You know that time towards the end of the school year, where you start dreaming about your next class and all the things you will do better next year? The more I teach, the more I am concentrating not so much on what I do, but on the impact of my actions on students' learning and … Continue reading Mrs Fintelman’s End of Year Report
Mulling Time
The topic of what good professional learning looks like is always contentious. Some of us love to sit and listen and soak up some new knowledge from a great speaker. Others argue that the best professional learning happens in schools with colleagues through inquiry, observation and dialogue. I think that there is a place for … Continue reading Mulling Time
The One Best Pedagogy
Teaching is like walking through a maze... you are often sure that the turn you took was the right decision, but you'll never be able to be absolutely sure that the turn you ignored wouldn't also have been a good one. A thought that has been weighing on my brain is something I heard Mike Mattos say at a PD … Continue reading The One Best Pedagogy
Mrs Fintelman Teaches 