3-Read Friday #009

Maths resources, action bias, and fun lessons

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Here are three blog posts that I found interesting this week.

1. 5 Maths Gems #172 by Jo Morgan

Jo’s Maths Gems are my all-time favourite series of blog posts. Every few weeks, she scours the Internet to pick out the best ideas, resources and pedagogies shared by maths teachers. Even 172 editions in, the quality remains fantastic. In this issue, I particularly loved Nathan Day’s snake task structure and Hannah Smithe’s speak like a scholar resources.

2. How does the Hawthorne Effect influence teachers' Wait Times? by the Inner Drive team

There’s loads of fascinating stuff in this blog, but the thing that really stood out to me was the discussion on action bias when teachers are being observed. I see this all the time when coaching and supporting teachers: when being watched, teachers feel the need to do something rather than nothing. As a result, they end up doing things that might not be in students’ best interests, like reducing wait times, rushing explanations, or simply failing to shut up and just letting students crack on.

3. Can we have a fun lesson today? by Thahmina Begum

We have all been asked that question, especially at this time of year. But how to answer it without instigating a riot? Well, Thahmina has some great suggestions (and some things to avoid!) in this post. I think the point made in the final section is the most important: learning is not the antithesis of fun

If you found this edition of 3-Read Friday useful, feel free to share it with colleagues. Also, you can check out all the back issues of my Eedi newsletter and Tips for Teachers newsletter here. But, most importantly of all, have a great weekend.

Craig