2018 Highlights

Last weekend I recorded a podcast alongside Craig Barton to celebrate my 100th gems post. I dearest the way @boss_maths described it: "So informative as well as entertaining, listening to this felt uncannily similar listening to TMS equally a cricket fan"! You tin psyche here and come across what y'all think. The conversations nosotros had inwards the podcast made me realise how much happens inwards a year. In this postal service I expect dorsum at 2018 as well as listing around of my personal highlights, as well as expect ahead to what's coming upwards inwards 2019.

The start of 2018 saw the publication of Craig's mass How I Wish I'd Taught Maths. I can't believe that was only a twelvemonth ago! Having read the mass inwards advance I knew it was going to hold upwards a huge success, but I couldn't receive got predicted how much acquit on it would receive got on the maths teaching community. It's non simply the teachers of Twitter who receive got told me how much their teaching has changed since reading Craig's book. I become into lots of unlike types of schools as well as come across both novel as well as experienced teachers trying example-problem pairs, soundless instructor as well as other techniques that I likely wouldn't receive got seen at all inwards 2017. These teachers are keen to tell me how much Craig's mass has made them to a greater extent than reflective, as well as how entire departments are directly taking to a greater extent than involvement inwards enquiry as well as seeking to improve their practice.

Thankfully, opportunities for maths teachers to receive got command of their ain professional person evolution receive got continued to grow. We nevertheless alive inwards times where nearly schools are unable to back upwards requests for term-time champaign of report specific CPD, but increasingly nosotros are able to attend CPD at the weekends if nosotros conduct to. Of course of instruction weekend CPD is non suitable for everyone, therefore thankfully it remains solely optional. I adore existence business office of the community of hundreds of maths teachers who participate inwards these events as well as am real grateful to the organisers for regularly bringing us all together.

In 2018 I attended 3 of La Salle's national maths conferences as well as loved every minute. If you're a maths instructor as well as y'all desire to endeavour around Sabbatum CPD for the start time, create banking concern tally out the 2019 events (visit mathsconf.com for details). The side past times side ane takes house inwards Bristol on Sabbatum ninth March.

At the Manchester conference I presented on indices, as well as at the Birmingham conference I presented on quadratics.

If y'all missed these presentations as well as therefore you powerfulness hold upwards able to conduct handgrip of me presenting them ane time again side past times side year. I'm presenting Indices inwards Depth at the ATM/MA London Branch final result on 19th Jan as well as How to Solve an Adfected Quadratic at the #HabsGirlsConf on 23rd March.

I volition also hold upwards presenting novel cloth at a seat out of events inwards 2019, including Educating Northants on 30th March, the ATM/MA conference at Easter, as well as both ResearchED Rugby as well as the MEI conference inwards June. There are loads to a greater extent than maths teaching events happening inwards 2019 - banking concern tally out my conference listings here.

In improver to the La Salle conferences, I was fortunate to attend a seat out of splendid events inwards 2018. It was an laurels to deliver the keynote presentation at the BBO Maths Hub secondary conference, as well as I thoroughly enjoyed the 2d JustMaths conference which took house at Alton Towers inwards the middle of the summertime estrus wave.

David Faram, me as well as Craig Barton on the rapids

I also attended my start e'er residential maths teaching conference at Easter. BCME (the British Congress of Mathematics Education) only takes house every iv years therefore it was quite a big deal. I loved it - non only for the CPD, but also for the social programme (did I cite that nosotros won the quiz?!). I also real much enjoyed recording a daily conference podcast alongside Craig inwards which nosotros reflected on the sessions we'd attended that day. I can't hold off for the upcoming ATM/MA conference which takes house inwards the Easter holidays - there's a ceilidh, a quiz as well as a disco! And the daily podcast volition hold upwards back.

2018 was the twelvemonth that I became a fight braver. I oftentimes plough downwardly exciting opportunities, commonly because of describe of piece of work solid unit of measurement commitments but sometimes because I mean value I won't create a skilful job. After turning downwardly the chance to seem inwards an advertising crusade for Mazda at Easter, I kicked myself for weeks as well as resolved that I should halt proverb no to things. So when I was invited to receive got business office inwards the ratio, bounds, surds, algebraic LCM as well as HCF, as well as Year seven maths activities. Check out my blog archive to come across the whole collection.

Every twelvemonth I host a social final result for maths teachers. This twelvemonth it was LateMaths - a big political party inwards London to celebrate the launch of More Geometry Snacks past times Ed Southall as well as Vincent Pantaloni. It was a non bad black as well as I am real grateful to everyone who helped me learn inwards a success.

I receive got lots of ideas for events I'd similar to run inwards future. In July I'm hoping that Rob Smith as well as I volition run an final result which (fingers crossed!) volition involve a trip to the amazing MA archive at the University of Leicester. I'd also dearest to run a 2 hateful solar daytime residential maths teaching conference at the same venue equally the MathsJam Annual Gathering. It's a shame I don't receive got the fourth dimension as well as coin to run events to a greater extent than oftentimes because I actually savour it.

What volition 2019 bring? If y'all haven't already read Craig's book, peradventure give it a go. If you've never been to a La Salle maths conference, maybe 2019 is the fourth dimension to endeavour one. If you've non done ane of the big Easter conferences, this powerfulness hold upwards the twelvemonth to come upwards along. If you've never listened to a podcast, receive got a become as well as come across if y'all similar it. If you're non on Twitter, consider joining. We're a real welcoming maths community, as well as we're stronger together.

We alive inwards exciting but incredibly challenging times for maths teachers. I can't hold off to come across what 2019 brings.

I'll learn out y'all alongside around of my favourite photos from 2018.