1. Which of these statements is true?
Learning and Teaching
Teaching ≠ Learning
Teaching ≤ Learning
Learning ≥ Teaching
Which of these statements is true?

2. Last year I did a case study as part of my Masters course
Last year I did a case study as part of my Masters course. The question that I attempted to answer was “Does reflection improve learning behaviour?” Simply put my answer is yes. Along the way I learned a lot about learning.
Reading this book has had a big impact on the way that I look at my role in the classroom.
I hope you find some of this useful. If you would like more information please contact me on or via the NCETM Creative Maths Lessons Community
The Lazy Teacher’s Handbook
Teach Less = Learn More

3. Let the monkey do it! CrazyTalk
No matter how much we try to hide it, we are boring to teenagers.
Try to limit your whole class “teacher talk” to 5 minutes. Use a stop watch to keep you on track.
If you find yourself doing things that a monkey could do…
Let the monkey do it! CrazyTalk
record the students voices and turn them into cute animals.
Replace anything routine with something different like the monkey or silent countdown on the board.
Show them a video rather than trying to sing it yourself.
Click YouTube to singalong.

4. You have THREE questions per lesson. Use them wisely!
The campaign for
Quality Learning Time
The Banned List
You have THREE questions per lesson. Use them wisely!
I don’t get it.
I can’t do it.
Can’t you just tell me the answer?
You didn’t tell me how to do it!
Is this the right answer?
What do I do next?
This is stupid .…
DON’T WON’T CAN’T

5. 3 x 30 is still a lot of questions to answer in 60 minutes!
WARNING!
Taking away questions might be stressful, so provide students with other strategies.
Sell the idea to them. We are not stopping them from asking questions, just trying to get them to think about their questions and become more independent. We also want to cut out the pointless, time wasting, attention grabbing annoying questions!
3 x 30 is still a lot of questions to answer in 60 minutes!
Place a value on your time.
Give each student 3 counters and each time they ask a question they spend a counter.
3B4ME Encourage students to learn from each other.

6. Brain Book 3B4ME Buddy Still need to ask for help? THINK!
What do you know?
What can you find out?
What’s the question?
What do you need to find out?
Brain
Book
3B4ME
Buddy
Still need to ask for help?
THINK!
Where are you stuck?
A word?
How to do something?
What do you need to know
to answer the question?

7. Strategies
Learning Objectives – Have objectives for skills and knowledge. Be specific about the skills that you are expecting. Don’t expect them to have them, they will need training.
Brain Book Buddy – Think about it, look in your book and then ask a friend before you ask the teacher. (On my maths, think, look at the lesson, ask a friend)
Question Wall – Get students to write questions on the board and other students can answer them in a different colour. This can be informal when they are working on a task. At the end of the task they can ask the teacher to help with the questions that they cannot collectively answer.
Question Pad – Students write down questions on a sheet of paper. This allows them to move on to the next question. At the end swap question papers and answer each others questions and at the end ask the teacher or hand in to the teacher to inform planning for next lesson or detailed feedback.
Key Questions – At the end of the lesson write down 1-3 questions that you need to ask the teacher.
All these strategies promote peer support and careful use of questioning. This should free up the teachers time to answer the important questions that deepen understanding. With all this time you can observe the learning and inform future planning.
Homework - To maximise learning time, get students to make notes for homework. Get them to be creative and do a mind map/powerpoint/video/picture. Still use the graded homework sheets but get them to make notes and/or ask you questions on the back or in their books.

8. Question Wall

9. Group Work ‘Get it together’: Math problems for groups grades 4-12.
Quantity to Quality – it is similar to pair and share. The basic idea is to get the students to create a lot of questions and then narrow it down to a few quality questions.
Experts – Have a group of experts who have all the knowledge on a certain topic. Any questions are directed towards the experts.
Games and cardsorts – are a great way to get students working in pairs and helping each other. Add an element of competition to speed up the pace.

10. people x time = hours of work
Some of the following is taken form The Lazy Teachers Handbook, Jim Smith 2010
Set up the groups to succeed:
Friendship/skills/gender/random.
Share your reasons for choosing the groups and be positive.
people x time = hours of work
Set expectations based on hours of work rather than what one person can achieve in an hour!
Assess what you value,
Value what you assess.
Success criteria should include knowledge and skills
Give every group member a role.
Timekeeper
Resource manager
Quality control
Team rep.

11. Engagement
Maths in work videos
Start the lesson with a clip of maths in work, click the magician to see maths in magic.
Let them do all the work. Let the students create the starter or even the whole lesson. Give them time and resources to prepare and they might just amaze you.
Ask questions about objects placed around the room.
Summarise last lesson in a song/rap/poem/picture.

12. The Answer is:
What is the question?

13. What if…
the number
were not invented?

14. Write your own question to go with this picture

15. Make up 3 questions to go with this.
Start with a video clip and have an observation round. Alternatively get them to make up questions to go with the video.
Make up 3 questions to go with this.
9BMC
Period 5
Meet me in Art 4
Create a sense of mystery. Try a cross curricular approach in another room. E.g. teach ratio with paint or in the cookery room.
Transform your room into a shop/ café/ crime scene.

16. creative