The first Maths input was very valuable in terms of discussing and thinking about the perception of Maths in the society and what teachers can do to promote and develop children´s understanding and application of Maths.

There are signs of the “Maths anxiety” in the society. Many people do not like Maths and did not enjoy it at school. A child´s parents often justify the child´s innumeracy by saying that they themselves were not good at Maths either. However, we should make innumeracy as unacceptable as illiteracy and as teachers we need to promote the understanding of Maths by providing children with opportunities to practise and enhance thinking, problem-solving skills and the application of knowledge gained in Maths lessons in various life situations.

We were introduced to many different kinds of tools we can use in Maths lessons such as show-me boards and games to reinforce the topic. We need to give children opportunities to talk, dicuss and explain the mathematical processes they use to get to the right anwer. When children have the option of discussing this with their peers, they listen to different methods of reaching a correct answer and it helps them understand the mathematical ideas more. We need to make it clear that often there are more ways how to get to the correct answer. As it is proven that discussing Maths helps us make sense of it, we need to incorporate more opportunities for children to discuss Maths in classroom e.g. questioning, pair/group work, interactive teaching. We also need to establish the kind of environment for children to be able to see that Maths is all around us – Maths wall and table, a problem of the week, to link mathematics into other curricular areas. As teachers, we should also create a positive learning environment for children to be able to explore, take risks, be creative, feel safe and supported and to know they can make mistakes and learn from them.

I really like this Chinese proverb as I very much believe in its message:

I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I understand.