Term 1 Inquiry Update

This year my focus is on how to get my learners to use and understand mathematical vocabulary. I have had some interesting moments this term where I have assumed that my students know something and moved on to the next stage. Is this where the holes are creeping into their learning with my teacher assumptions? I have thought about this over the course of the term and has been something that I have had to work on as a teacher and make sure that I am knowing where my learners are with their vocabulary and making sure that it not the only thing holding them back from succeeding. 

How will I measure this? 

This is somewhat still a question that I am asking myself at the moment and trying to think of some creative and successful ways to measure this and see that it is working otherwise what is the point right? Some ideas that I have so far is a test before the we have completed the strategies and then after to see if the constant use of vocabulary has worked. I did find last year during our school space inquiry that my learners picked up information very quickly about the planets with being able to see the information displayed on the posters on the wall. They were able to tell me information that we hadn't even discussed in class which is why I am trying to use the word wall in my class and hope that will make an impact as well as discussing it further. I think I have managed to create a class environment where the learners are gaining confidence in being able to ask me or the class if they come up with a word they are unaware of. 

Where to next? 

I will continue to use my word wall in class and make sure that I am directing my learners attention to it when they are stuck for a word. I will also make sure that my learners are exposed to this language in their word problems so that it is something that they are hearing and seeing more in the class. I will also continue to keep getting my learners to explain what the question is asking them so that they are thinking about the vocabulary and what is actually being asked of them. 

2018 Maths Inquiry

This year I will continue to inquire into my mathematical teaching and how to improve in my own practice so that my students are getting the best out of their teaching time. This year my focus question is: How to get my learners to use and understand mathematical vocabulary. I have found from the beginning of this year that there are many terms and vocabulary words that my learners are still unsure of in year 6. 

 

I want to focus on ensuring that my learners are getting all of the vocabulary they need in maths in order to succeed. I am going to set up a maths vocabulary word wall so that all of the new terms that we come across and discuss as a class will be accessible to my learners at all times. I also want to make sure that my classroom is a space where my learners aren't afraid to ask questions when they are unsure of the terms that I have used in my teaching. We have been working as a whole class to make sure that we are asking questions if we are unsure and also when answering mathematical questions we are referring back to the items that we are using in our problems so that they have more meaning and the knowledge will hopefully stick.