This is one of those that’s not that interesting, but where I tried to be reasonable comprehensive.
There’s actually quite a few linear equations type questions that come up at GCSE, before you even get into the possibility of the unknown being on both sides. You could easily spend 2 lessons just looking at these.
I did spent one (scheme of work time pressures, something I can talk about for days), but I’m glad I did. In the past I might have mopped these up with exam questions, or been less explicit, or only expected the top students to answer these. However, all these questions are really approachable if you have the right scaffolding.
I’ve covered loads of different types of question. Here are some examples.
Modelling these explicitly with the group I had was absolutely the right choice.
I’ve added some exam questions (good old Dr Frost) as this is quite a GCSE focused lesson.
If I had to reflect on this lesson, I’d spread it out a lot more. I’m beginning to use diagrams a lot more effectively in my teaching, but I am on the beginning stages of that journey still. I’d like to have used more models and just really slowed down here.
More thoughts
- One thing I’m trying to do this year is incorporating a lot more prior knowledge checks. I’ve done that here. I’m still finding them difficult, though. Sure, you can’t move on until every student is secure and has recapped the prerequisite knowledge, but I’ve also got to cover this in the time allocated on the SoW. What happens if a few students are just utterly clueless (I don’t mean that pejoratively)? What does a good lesson look like where 3 or 4 students just can’t even access the warm up? I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on this.
- I maybe worry too much, but I was updating some old resources and looking though them. I’m certainly more happy with the look and general organisation of a lot of my newer resources. But they’re much less imaginative. The tasks are all becoming a bit samey. I write some questions, thinking about the maths involved. I try and make the questions interesting these days. But…I’m lacking a bit of sparkle somewhere. Some variation in the diet. I’ll have to think about that.
Until next week.
Richard