vlongmaths

@MrsSJBell @mathsjem @MathsNot @missradders I'm currently teaching OCR Foundation and think the papers are very accessible. However, I've looked at the higher papers and they seem to start tougher/have a steeper ascent in difficulty than Edexcel/AQA. OCR has some content quirks such as not requiring any real set notation.

I'm considering changing exam board for GCSE maths. I'd appreciate feedback on OCR in particular. @mathsjem @MathsNot @missradders

@Simon_Richards8 @Bobby_Seagull could be a good candidate? Been on various TV shows over the years and also works as a maths teacher 😊

Continuing to work on my Performers who studied Maths (theatre, acting, music, musical theatre, broadcast or computer games), but need ideas for more. Studying Maths at any level is the only pre-requisite. Thanks in advance.

We’re consulting on the continued use of formulae and equation sheets in 2025, 2026 and 2027. This follows @educationgovuk’s decision that students don’t need to memorise formulae and equations for GCSE maths, physics and combined science. gov.uk/government/con…

@mathskatie @inspireinsci @STABILOUK Me using them! Currently still having students use pens atm. I bought the pencils as a present to myself during last academic year 😂

@vlongmaths @inspireinsci @STABILOUK Was that you using them or the kids? I def need to train the kids to use them quieter! 😂 but if it saves me money on wb pens for the students it’s a compromise!!

Teacher friends…. Are you sick of finding dried out whiteboard pens and having them nicked? Sick of the plastic waste? Loooooook!!!! You can get white board pencils for your mini whiteboards 😱😱😱 @STABILOUK you are amazing! I love them!

@mathskatie @inspireinsci @STABILOUK I agree about the 'tap' sounds! A couple of my students found the noise very distracting but I managed to reduce it a bit with practice.

@inspireinsci @STABILOUK I’ve used these all last week with all of my classes with mini WB. They are noisier than pens as they ‘tap’ as they write. They wipe off fine with cloths but not good with erasers. They do leave a black mark but no more really than pens do. Not had to sharpen one yet!

@AndieG99 @inspireinsci @STABILOUK They're actually a bit better then the nibs are 'blunt' as the line is thicker. They're not the same as regular colour pencils, the nibs don't break :)

@inspireinsci @STABILOUK But the hassle of sharpening them all the time when they run low or the nibs breaking seems like a nightmare 🥴🥴

@MBDscience I've got the 4 colour set of these. They're pretty good but need more force (or water) to wipe them off quickly

I HAVE A SET OF THESE DUE TO BE DELIVERED TOMORROW AND I AM HYPED (they are about 4× the price of pens, but if they last 4× as long...)

@mund0sinfin If you enjoy classic reads usually, you might enjoy the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. It's fairly light and a bit silly but incorporates a lot of characters and plots from famous novels.

@nilampatel86 Thanks for sharing. I think it is good to highlight the bit about more successful schools having a higher proportion of subject specific rather than general CPD!

@MuireannCait @naomicfisher You're pretty much describing Level 2 Functional Skills here I think?

@naomicfisher Particularly as the bell curve way of awarding grades means some students have to fail. They need to bring in a functional maths level at GCSE and set a mark above which you pass no matter how many others also achieve that score or better.

Last year I was sitting in a local library whilst my son sat a GCSE maths exam. The librarian, who was in her late 30s or early 40s, asked why I was there. When I told her, she said ‘I am so glad I wasn’t born nowadays. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.’ She told me that she had failed her maths GCSE, and that she had retaken it and had failed again. ‘I just can’t do maths’ she said. However, at the time this wasn’t an insurmountable barrier. She got other qualifications and developed an interest in English literature. She got a place at university to study librarianship, successfully obtained her degree and now works as a librarian. All without GCSE maths. Had she been a teenager now, that opportunity would most likely not have been open to her. Requiring everyone to pass GCSE Maths in order to progress limits some young people and causes intense distress. There is no way that everyone will ever pass. The exams are not designed that way. The only real way to raise standards for all is to create systems which empower young people to succeed in many different ways. Some of which will not involve a pass in GCSE maths. It can never be the case that everyone passes and those who fail need a future to look forward to as well.

@HuddartRick @Strickomaster This would make it quite difficult for colleges to organise course enrolment for students as many course places cannot be confirmed until students have results.

@Strickomaster Both in the last week of the holidays I reckon

@hmann09 @secretHT1 @canva That's odd as a my coworker has it for free at our FE college. Perhaps the rules have changed recently?

Just to remind you all that Headspace and Canva are both completely free to teachers. Full access, no paid subscription.

@MathsladyScott The problem I find with this is that some calculators are objectively worse than others, with fewer, less accessible features. It is very frustrating for students if their calculator doesn't have the function I am teaching about in class.

Celebrating difference is more important - I love that they all have different calculators - it's like students have different 'brains' and everyone needs some personal teaching to help them with their task (including how to use their own calculator!)

@MrsDMaths @HelloFreshUK Used @HelloFreshUK a few years ago and had the same problem. Really didn't feel like the ingredients were ever fresh (mushy old veg, stinky meat, missing items...) which is a shame as it seemed like a great solution for an indecisive household. 😫 Sad to see it hasn't improved!

@dani_hosford @cclay8 They were made for a staff training session I ran a couple of weeks back 😊. Thinking of making some more for our students in September!

@cclay8 @vlongmaths Love this. Something nice about resources printed and ready to use ❤️

Forgot to post this earlier. Had this lovely pic from @vlongmaths. Booklets made from my revision cards. Love it.

@CantabKitty Fun fact you may already know: maths and English tests were stopped for new teachers about 4 years ago. I believe due to the belief that they were harming recruitment numbers.

@awiggins180 @PearsonSchools A mix of 'does it' and 'do they' above from my tired brain 🤦🏻‍♀️ but my comment holds

@awiggins180 @PearsonSchools Does they use the radical symbol for this? If so, I'd agree with you - rule of radicals dictates a positive answer only!

The new Level 2 Extended Maths book states that sqrt(9) is both positive and negative 3. I can’t say I agree. What’s the rationale @PearsonSchools ?

Picked up a 'sined' copy of @standupmaths Love Triangle today. Really enjoying it so far but a bit confused about page 0.9945 where it says interior angles of a n-sided polygon sum to (n-1) x 180. Shouldn't it be (n-2) x 180? Am I missing something??

@CasioMaths Will Casio be releasing other colourways of the new FX-991 CW? Looks like it's only available in black in the UK, unlike the FX-83GT CW which has lots of different colour options.