Comments from School Teachers

I attended the Foundation PD on the 16th March which I thoroughly enjoyed and got so much out of. Not only for  maths activities but also your advice on building language, challenging children, making the most of opportunities presented, even if that is not the set topic, and keeping expectations high.

I just wanted to let you know I have tried out a couple of the activities this week with great success. I was pleasantly surprised how well the children did particularly with a game you called ‘Get Me To Ten” they were so engaged. I have been using the keywords chart, something I will work to get better at!

I want to say a massive thank you for the 2 days of professional learning. The positive feedback I have had from staff has been terrific and many are very excited to have a go a changing their teaching (to varying degrees) to make maths more engaging and fun!

The messages you delivered were fabulous and as you already know support all the research out there and I look forward to working with staff and supporting them within the process.

I just wanted to say that your PD was incredible. My maths teaching has been dead and now my kids and I are both loving maths! I had underestimated their capacity for mathematics. Now my kids feel both extended and supported. We are loving the warm up games, and are starting to record record record!

Just wanted to thank you again on behalf of Chelsea Heights Primary School for the fantastic session you ran with us yesterday afternoon. It has left us inspired, enthused and reignited some passion which was so, so needed. Your delivery was so entertaining and I could have personally listened all day! I have already had a few staff members come by this morning to say how awesome it was!

Thanks again, I really hope to have another opportunity to work with you again in the future.

I had my principal walk through today during maths and she asked where my learning focus and success criteria were…

I told her to ask the kids if they knew what they were doing… and shock horror they did! One grade 5 kid even said ‘I’ve never understood that sucsex criterium thing but look at how much maths we are doing! The key words actually help’! Out of the mouths of babes!

We are really looking forward to working with you next year! Can’t wait!!! Very exciting times for Mathematics at Oatlands!!!

The staff are just so excited!!! Definitely what we were after!!

I just wanted to thank you for today and yesterday. There is a real buzz in the Early Years as a result of the work that you have done. We are all genuinely excited about putting some of your ideas into practice. Over the last few years the focus of our professional development has been on Learning Intentions and Success Criteria and I felt that our young teachers had missed out on PD around “teaching”. The work that you did today has really hit the mark and filled that gap.

I know that you were apprehensive about working with our kids but your enthusiasm when working with them has inspired us all – and as you saw, you even brought Cassie to tears!!!

I thought you’d get a laugh to hear that the students in our 3/4 grade are still talking about you! Today I was in there teaching with Paula and at the end of the session I was saying how proud I was of them for great mathematical thinking today. One of the kids then said “you know who would be even more proud of us???. Mr V!!!” To that heaps of other kids replied “oh yeah!!!”

We thought it was so nice to hear. If you’re ever looking for a trial school to practise any new activities on, please keep us in mind:-) I was also pleased to see the 5/6 teachers using that grade 3/4 balance beam activity with their classes today, such an adaptable activity.

Just writing to thank you once again for an excellent day yesterday.  The staff really enjoyed it and were still raving about it today.  I even received unexpected texts from some of them last night, congratulating me and informing me that it was “the BEST P.D they’ve had in a loooooooooong time!”  All credit to you, of course. 🙂

During my maths release today, as I was passing through the classrooms delivering their maths tubs, both junior and senior teachers were engaging their students in one of your many ideas (i.e Tell me something about…, Guess my no., calculator vs mental comp). I played Mind Reader with mine and they loved it.  I reckon we could’ve gone for the whole lesson.

Thank you so much for your work these past couple of days. We have enjoyed having you around sharing your knowledge! All the staff are raving about how well their sessions went. They are inspired and can’t wait to get into teaching Maths or test out Maths ideas integrated into other subject areas.

The key message from the seminar was there are many ways to reach a result. The strategies assist students understanding of number facts and breakdown the calculation process into understandable steps. By gaining confidence in a process that works for them students are ready to explore more advanced topics and realise that maths is practical and can be fun.