Resourceaholic: 5 Maths Gems #185

January 25, 2025

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Welcome to my 185^th gems publish. That is the place I share a number of the newest information, concepts and sources for maths lecturers.

1. Admissions Assessments and A Stage Assets

Yearly within the Spring Time period ‪@ecrmaths runs a collection of knowledge periods for her 12 months 12 college students on the primary STEM admissions assessments (TMUA, MAT, STEP, PAT and ESAT). She has shared her slides for her 2025 periods. That is extremely beneficiant and useful of Emily – I have to run related periods myself however had nothing ready. Her sources are wonderful so this may save me lots of time and actually profit my college students.

Talking of A degree, did you see the current new sources on Edexcel Emporium? They’ve shared A Stage Maths Examination-Model Subject Assessments for Statistics and Mechanics. These questions are new and have been reviewed by the analyzing crew – they don’t seem to be simply collections of previous questions. They’ve additionally revealed a set of Mock Papers for AS Additional Maths – this was very a lot wanted.

2. Constructions Booklet

Tom has additionally offered some phrases of knowledge on educating this subject (see his Bluesky thread for extra element):

Begin with plenty of apply of simply drawing circles with compasses.
Go into plenty of depth on every development earlier than transferring on in order that college students turn into accustomed to the language early (e.g. shading, displaying factors, use of scales).
Interleave the place doable (e.g within the booklet you see circles then perpendicular bisectors then circles with perpendicular bisectors).
Embody duties the place college students need to determine which development to make use of (extract beneath).
Use a visualiser.

3. Literacy and Oracy

Oracy is an enormous focus for lots of colleges in the meanwhile. At my faculty we’ve got achieved a great deal of CPD on it for the final three years (!) however it continues to be one thing we have to develop throughout the varsity.

‪MrLevMaths‬ helpfully shared a slide from discussions he’d had in division CPD concerning the hyperlink between pupil oracy, mathematical communication and understanding. How do you guarantee college students know which expression you imply if you find yourself explaining? How do you explicitly educate them to speak about their maths?

Academics all say this stuff in another way. For C above, would you say the phrases “plenty of” “multiply” “throughout”? This can be a actually fascinating factor to cowl in division CPD.

Transum has additionally added three extra panels to their common Refreshing Revision device which will be customised by the instructor.

5. Congruency

@hartmaths shared some congruency questions that he used together with his 12 months 11s. There’s plenty of interweaving right here – these questions function angles in parallel traces, properties of shapes and circle theorems.

La Salle have mentioned on Twitter that Mathsconf37 can be on fifteenth March in Sheffield. Tickets should not but on sale however apparently they are going to be quickly. I’ve ready a workshop for this convention referred to as ‘Enjoyable with Factorising’ which I’m very enthusiastic about. In the event you take pleasure in algebra, come alongside!

I’ve a emptiness at my pretty faculty – we’re in search of a maths instructor to hitch us in September. We’re a blended complete faculty in South London/Surrey. Now we have nice behaviour and attitudes, joyful college students and wonderful maths outcomes (our first two maths P8s had been 1.26 and 1.22. 50% of our college students received a Grade 7+ at GCSE final yr, and 94% received 4+). My crew are pleasant and good and it is an actual pleasure to work with them. We’re significantly in want of somebody who can educate mechanics at A degree, and we will provide a timetable that’s majority A degree educating if desired. However when you’re contemplating making use of and you are not an A degree instructor, please do go forward and apply as we will be versatile on this. The deadline is Monday twenty seventh January so apply rapidly, or get in contact this weekend when you have questions. We are going to interview over the subsequent couple of weeks. Extra data right here.

Lastly, do not forget to take a look at Dr Austin’s new sources – they cowl circles, ratio, averages and mechanics. I significantly like her Space and Perimeter of Sectors with Pythagoras Observe Grid.