Why Methods?

About vi years I happened to stumble across a blog post almost matrix multiplication. I was teaching FP1 at the time. I was surprised to uncovering a method I'd never seen before, in addition to I showed my shape the real side past times side day. They liked it in addition to asked why I hadn't shown them this inwards the kickoff place. I admitted that I hadn't known almost it.

I afterward showed this matrix method to my colleague Mariana. In that same conversation she showed me some other method I hadn't seen earlier - the Factor Method for finding a Highest Common Factor in addition to Lowest Common Multiple. It was a method that 1 of our students had introduced to us, in addition to it turned out that some of my colleagues were already teaching it. I loved it.

I pondered these 2 methods - novel discoveries for me - in addition to wondered whether in that location was a mass or website that had them all inwards 1 place. Where could I expire to acquire novel methods? How could I honor out what other teachers did? How could I portion the 2 methods I'd merely discovered amongst other teachers? It seemed unfair to maintain them to myself when they'd sure live on of involvement to others.

I couldn't honor anything almost methods online, in addition to this is what prompted me to start a blog. I sentiment that gathering together option methods inwards 1 house would help me recollect what I'd found, in addition to if anyone else happened to read it in addition to then it mightiness help them too.

My first spider web log post - when I was merely almost to start motherhood exit amongst my minute babe inwards Apr 2014 - was almost matrix multiplication. H5N1 twosome of weeks afterward I wrote almost Highest Common Factor. At that quest a friend told me that people blogging almost pedagogy should bring together Twitter, thence I did. It was eye-opening. I straight off expire immersed inwards the wonderful the world of maths EduTwitter. There I constitute a community of teachers to utter over maths with. I learnt thence much from them. It was a game-changer.

I didn't know plenty interesting methods to only write almost methods, thence I started blogging almost resources in addition to pedagogy too. Resources began to accept over because that was what people seemed interested in, but my curiosity almost methods continued.

I went to my kickoff maths conference inwards September 2014. I loved it. I noticed that the workshops were mainly almost pedagogy rather than discipline knowledge. So I decided that at the side past times side conference I'd produce my kickoff always conference presentation - I'd tell everyone my cool agency to honor a HCF in addition to LCM, along amongst a few other methods that they mightiness non receive got seen before.

At the side past times side conference I was ridiculously nervous equally I delivered my session but it was wonderful to remove heed a room total of teachers talking almost methods. However at the goal a human being came upwardly in addition to told me that he'd already known all the methods I'd spoken about. This 1 lilliputian comment made me lose confidence inwards my sentiment to collect in addition to portion methods. I started to wonder if I was embarrassing myself past times sharing materials that was already widely known.

So I focused on resources for the side past times side twosome of years. I blogged almost methods alone occasionally, but I continued to intend that discipline noesis evolution was the most of import CPD maths teachers could do.

Back inwards Dec 2017 I was at an MA coming together inwards Leceister in addition to picked upwardly a few onetime textbooks from the archives. I was blown away past times the lineament of the questions inwards the exercises compared to many modern exercises. I straight off began to collect onetime textbooks, in addition to apace realised that they were total of fascinating methods in addition to discipline noesis that had long been forgotten. This is what re-ignited my involvement inwards methods. And this is what inspired me to convey all this fascinating materials together inwards a book. I'd been maxim for years that I'd never write a book. But I was overwhelmed past times this big idea, in addition to I couldn't halt myself from getting it all downward on paper.

I started writing the mass dorsum inwards Feb 2019. It's non merely almost methods - it's a whole lot more. You'll receive got to await in addition to consider what I hateful when it comes out (I can't await for you lot to consider it!). I've never worked thence difficult on anything before. I worked on it every twenty-four hr menstruation of the summertime holidays, in addition to receive got been busy trying to acquire it finished off inwards the in conclusion twosome of weeks, which has been actually tough because I learn full-time in addition to September is crazy busy. It was worth the endeavour though - I'm actually excited almost sharing it. I learnt thence much writing this book, in addition to at nowadays experience pretty confident that I know agency to a greater extent than almost mathematical methods than most people! My discipline noesis is miles ahead of where it was when I kickoff qualified equally a teacher.

I sent all 70,000 words of the mass off to my publisher on Sunday. It mightiness live on out inwards December, but I'm non making whatever promises!

I've been on a 5 twelvemonth journeying from the twenty-four hr menstruation I kickoff stumbled upon that matrix multiplication method. I've created something that didn't previously be that I experience volition live on of corking produce goodness to maths teachers. I really hope my readers similar it. And if they don't, at to the lowest degree I volition finally receive got what I wanted, for the produce goodness my ain teaching - a plethora of awesome mathematical methods, all inwards 1 place.