Teach Secondary Issue 14.7

Communication, communication, communication If anyone was to ask me, “what are the essential skills of a strong leader”? communication would be in my top three. This starts with the classroom teacher, looking out at 30 pupils sat in front of them. Returning to the ‘circle’ example above, I imagine that a typical sequence of lessons would include a wide variation of micro topics – fromfinding the area or circumference, to working backwards to find the radius or diameter, if an area is given. This might even link to a problem-solving question, such as, ‘ John needs to build a fence around his farm, which happens to be in the shape of a semi-circle. Howmuch will it cost? ’ But do we spend time explaining what the next few lessons will cover, why we need to be able to tackle this variation, and how this might link to other topics? We all like to know the plan and the reasons why, so keep talking to your students about what you’re teaching and why it matters. Finally, as any other teacher-parents of primary- age children will know, it’s common to receive regular communications from school detailing what your child will be taught over the next term, along with some skills to practise at home. Is that a strategy that secondary maths departments could – or should – also adopt? It could take the form of a termly newsletter that similarly details upcoming topics and essential skills to practise at home, alongside some supporting examples. I’mnot saying this would suddenly transfer confidence overnight, but it may increase the frequency of maths-related conversations around the dinner table, or in the car, for those interested and motivated parents who are currently out of the loop. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christian Friday is a Trust-wide Maths Strategy Lead across 14 secondary schools in the South-East of England 67 teachwire.net/secondary M AT H S