How do I teach?

Should my maths lessons be whole-class, or should I be providing small group instruction? Should I be planning for task based, collaborative, inquiry-style learning, or should I be breaking the learning down into small chunks, using explicit success criteria, direct instruction, and an “I do, we do, you do” lesson format? Is there still a place for worksheets and rote learning or should I be using a mix of rich tasks and games (e.g. online, board, card and dice games) to practice and embed instruction?

Current evidence suggests that, for teachers of students in the mid to late primary years, the answer to each of these questions is “yes… and yes”. These should all be well used tools in a balanced kete (basket) of pedagogical practices.

New Zealand research suggests that effective Kiwi maths teachers actively promote a culture of discourse in their classrooms, in which students are expected to explain concepts, justify their arguments, and make generalisations about the mathematics they are engaged in.  And yes, we must continue to avoid the temptation to group students by fixed ability; while it is useful to sometimes pull individuals with a common need together for guided instruction, it is not good practice to regularly group by perceived ability.