SA NC Doing Investigations/Chapter 3

The wisdom of the winners: hints and ideas for science and mathematics educators
"Wisdom is not about saying things that no-one has ever said before but rather about saying truths clearly that everyone else says confusedly." (Anonymous)

"Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers." (Alfred Lord Tennyson, the English poet)

In the Mathematics and Science Teacher of the Year competitions, finalists are asked to list classroom management tips, projects they have found successful and general suggestions for educators that they have found personally useful. Many of these pieces of teaching wisdom come from finalists in the retired educator category. It is wonderful to meet older educators who are still enthusiastic about teaching and willing to sift through their years of experience to pass on good advice to their younger colleagues.

In a workshop attended by all the finalists, a brainstorming session produced still more ideas. Here are some pearls from the brainstorm and the portfolios of the 2003 Mathematics, Science and Technology Educator of the Year winners and runners up. They provide ideas, suggestions and food for thought. Bear in mind that the list is not meant to be exhaustive Â­ it is just a resource to spark better ideas in your own mind. If you like anything you find here don't copy it blindly. Assess it carefully and think how it could be adapted for your circumstances, your school and your classes. On the other hand, don't just dismiss it saying "that could never work for me because my learners are too poor and my school is too rural and the roof is leaking and I am too overworked ... ." Good ideas apply everywhere and anywhere if you have a will to make them work. Development for the professional educator means constantly trying new ideas and strategies and making them work. The educator who doesn't try new ideas will never develop and isn't very professional.

One can see from the suggestions and hints that follow why their authors are amongst the top science and mathematics educators in the country. Most of them, it must be said, also teach in the most disadvantaged communities in the country. The lists are categorized alphabetically for easy reference:

A. Assisting memory

B. Change and the dynamic classroom environment

C. Classroom atmosphere

D. Classroom management

E. Developing an interest in science, technology and mathematics

F. Developing a relationship with your learners

G. Enlivening your presentation style

H. Games

I. Groups work; working in groups

J. Language issues and development

K. Links and continuity in science and mathematics teaching

L. Motivating learners

M. Policies, preparation and planning

N. Professional relationships amongst colleagues

O. Projects in and around the school

P. Respect for others

A. Assisting memory
positive in first quadrant, only the S ine is positive in second, only the C osine is positive in third and only the T angent is positive in fourth) help learners to recall and link content.
 * Mnemonics (eg: " A ll S tudents T ake C offee" = In trigonometry A ll functions are


 * Use music to memorize geometry theorems (and to relieve stress!).


 * Compose rhymes and songs; reciting and singing them to memorize lists and orders.


 * Dramatize events or ideas.

B. Change and the dynamic classroom environment
with opportunities for learners to sit where they want to.
 * Assign seating in the classroom according to the nature of the activity. Balance this

key or difficult concepts. a bit confusing- which educators
 * Do block tutorial where all educators co-operate in setting tutorials for learners on

stereotyped in your approach.
 * Vary your teaching and use different techniques. Don't become dull, stale and

aware of e.g. did you know that the fuel gauge in a car uses an electric circuit with a variable resistor to detect the amount of fuel in the tank? This encourages learners to start asking themselves "how?, stimulating inquiry and hence learning in science.
 * The element of surprise: surprise your learners; give them information they were not

C. Classroom atmosphere

 * Make the classroom welcoming and enjoyable to be in.

are like movies of actors standing still. Activities stimulate learner interest; improve understanding; stimulate inquiry; and make learners more aware of their environment.
 * Every lesson should be planned with an activity in mind. Lessons without activities


 * Use photographs and other visuals and maintain a notice board.

(and boring) display.
 * Change the notice board's contents regularly so that it does not become a static

especially those that relate to problems in their community.
 * Encourage learners to bring science articles from magazines and newspapers etc.


 * Collect resource books and keep these handy in your classroom.

D. Classroom management
this theme is "don't smile before Easter"!)
 * Be friendly to learners but avoid the familiarity that breeds contempt. (A variation on


 * Know and take into consideration any problems specific learners may have.

allowed and make sure that learners stay "on task."
 * Allow learners the freedom to discuss ideas amongst themselves. Specify the time

security; have teams of learners act as "lab assistants" to keep things clean, report breakages and maintain equipment.
 * Keep equipment and apparatus in containers or cabinets in the classroom for

bottles made from 2-litre cold drink bottles.
 * Use waste material available in the community for teaching purposes e.g. volume

occasions to lapse into aimless (and noisy) debates based on untested assumptions rather than logically set out arguments based on well-founded information or knowledge.
 * Allow learners to explain their thoughts or answers to their peers. Do not allow these

E. Developing an interest in science, technology and mathematics
they can be learned and understood.
 * Have a positive attitude to science and mathematics because like any other subject,

science.
 * Stress that every learner has the potential to learn and understand mathematics and

learn from others and improve your skills and abilities.
 * Take part in science and mathematics competitions (Expos and Olympiads). You


 * Make learning mathematics and science fun.

motion of two moving bodies etc.
 * Let learners enact moving or bonding molecules, the motion of planets or the relative


 * Form a science and a mathematics club at your school.

they can coincide with major events.
 * Hold regular science awareness weeks (posters, presentations etc.) especially when

(for example as part of environmental education).
 * Hold demonstrations (with appropriate permission) to protest important local issues


 * Hold mock conferences to resolve environmental problems.

start playing around with numbers to make your own patterns. You will love it!
 * Identify patterns formed by numbers and marvel at what numbers can do. Then


 * Make discoveries with numbers.

classroom's dimensions; now calculate requirements for tiling the whole room. How many off-cuts etc.?
 * Let learners do practical science and mathematics e.g. measure a tile and the whole

F. Developing a relationship with your learners

 * Know your learners and not just the subject.


 * Try to find out what learners' own expectations are.

go / what they want to be.
 * Encourage learners to set goals and aims and have a vision for where they want to


 * Tell learners in advance what your expectations are and set them high.

class. Explain their right to free, quality, public education but also their responsibility as learners to learn. Explain other rights like privacy, clean water, shelter etc.
 * Plan a session to explain rights, duties and responsibilities of the learners in the

learning still continues in the rest of the class.
 * Individual attention to slower learners to make sure they are not left behind but

Rather ask probing questions so that learners can see for themselves where their thinking is illogical or incorrect. In other words work with learners towards a correct answer or understanding.
 * Don't say outright that an answer is wrong as it might discourage sensitive learners.

G. Enlivening your presentation style

 * Do little demonstrations throughout a lesson. (Bite-sized chunks!)


 * Use color to highlight important issues/facts and to make associations.

makes learning more meaningful.
 * Use teaching media e.g. flip charts etc. as it enhances the teaching atmosphere and


 * Using the media (magazines, newspapers, radio, TV etc.) in class wherever possible.

H. Games

 * Games play a role in learning even if the learning is not conscious.


 * Play games to illustrate principles e.g. Monopoly in EMS.

terminology.
 * Play mathematical and number games to do remedial work and assist with

I. Groups work; working in groups
as a group and not just as individuals sitting together in a group.)
 * Let class work in groups or pairs and encourage team work. (Make sure they work


 * Let groups set their own rules to make the group work effectively

these tasks. Make tags with responsibilities written on them.
 * Encourage learner flexibility by assigning tasks within a group and then rotating


 * Composition of learner groups should be varied.

share knowledge.
 * Group work (cooperative learning; whole group participation) encourages learners to

J. Language issues and development
the differences between the formal, colloquial and mathematical/scientific meanings of words and phrases e.g. "at least" which, to some learners, means "the least" or "the minimum."
 * Impact of language on the teaching of science and mathematics; always point out


 * Because of the language we use, some concepts can be misinterpreted.

a learner understands by them and to develop their ability to express themselves.
 * Write poetry and short passages on scientific or mathematical ideas to assess what


 * Do sessions of reading aloud.

understand terminology and the particular form of language usage from the onset.
 * Use the language of the subject and of the examinations so that learners can

K. Links and continuity in science and mathematics teaching
concept behind constructivist teaching.) Brainstorming can be useful.
 * Before you teach something find out what learners already know. (This is the

continuity.
 * Link work being done currently with work done previously to make links and ensure


 * Relate subject matter to real life experiences.

from learners' experience e.g. applications of gas behaviour in car tires and combustion engines etc. Science becomes meaningful because it is linked to the world beyond the classroom walls.
 * Make science a living subject, relevant to real life situations. Take relevant examples

teaching.
 * Use the school's local environment and community as much as possible in your

debaters research their topics beforehand. Great outpourings of passion based on incorrect facts and poor assumptions are counter-productive to science and technology education.)
 * Rational debate on important scientific and technological issues. (Make sure that

arts, culture and technology through investigation of local technologies (A&C and Technology) or survey to determine how cell phones have influenced local social and business practices (SS, EMS & Technology).
 * Integrate learning areas through events and/or joint investigations and surveys e.g.

mathematics, engineering and technology.
 * Spend time regularly on keeping up with current events that relate to science,

and further education.
 * Relate any particular section of the work to its applications in commerce, industry

L. Motivating learners

 * Motivational talks from successful former students.

improvement e.g. a pen to a learner who does not have one. (Do not overdo this kind of incentive otherwise it loses its value and significance.)
 * Offer small prizes and incentives from time to time for a significant piece of work or

them to read books on "how it works" as many scientific applications are found in them. In general encourage them to find answers themselves.
 * Encourage learners to ask the question "how?" (how does it work?) and encourage


 * Find or devise activities that involve all learners.


 * During class allow time for Independent learning


 * Publicly or privately appreciate and acknowledge good work done by learners.


 * Point out that science and mathematics underpin the world's technological advance.


 * Demonstration of mathematical content by real life examples.

good assessment tool.)
 * Do geometry orals where learners solve geometric problems orally. (This is also a


 * Focus on study skills by holding short but regular seminars. Start early in the year.

"how"?
 * Encourage inquiry by constantly asking the two critical questions: "why?" and

range of scientific applications in almost every item we use in our daily lives.
 * Look for books in the library on the subject "How it works" and discover a wide

concept you learn (or teach) in your science class. This way the understanding of science and the importance of science in your life becomes real.
 * Always make an effort to find relevant, practical, everyday applications of every

everyone involved and focused.
 * Active participation by learners is essential. Ask directed questions to keep

solutions. (You will be surprised at how fulfilling completing even a small project is.)
 * Do informal investigations which challenge learners to come up with different


 * Encourage learners to do self assessment after each lesson.


 * Let the learners evaluate you.

of work.
 * Encourage learners to make their own mind maps, especially at the end of a section


 * Provide materials and opportunity for learners to do their own research.

M. Policies, preparation and planning
willingness to control homework.
 * Draft school homework policy and include parent body to get their "buy-in" and


 * Establish a school academic support program based on enrichment and diagnosis.

to work towards the outcomes of the lesson. She can spend time figuring out the best method to use, the materials and teaching aids needed, the type of questions to ask and generally how to get learners to where she wants them to be by the end of the lesson.
 * Prepare lessons. A well prepared lesson gives an educator direction and helps her


 * Always be prepared for the unforeseen.

is going.
 * Always select a variety of examples to use and select according to the way a lesson


 * Plan lessons to accommodate for special needs.


 * Thorough planning is vital for success.


 * Do long term planning (broken into weeks, days, hours).

N. Professional relationships amongst colleagues
during their teaching recently. The strategy of class visits by educators to colleagues also helps in that one sees problems that other educators encounter and how they remedy them e.g. learners with disabilities and measures for coping.
 * Hold educators' phase and grade meetings to discuss what educators have learnt


 * Hold phase, grade and subject meetings for strategic- and year planning.

one is doing.
 * Team teaching helps all to move at the same pace; all know more or less what every

keep all abreast of latest developments.
 * Continuous reporting back from workshops and other in-service training helps to


 * Evaluate and reflect on one's successes, failures and ways of improving

O. Projects in and around the school
Department of Education, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an international funding scheme. We exchanged views about getting across the message of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. The community was sensitized to the scourge of HIV/AIDS by children placing cards with their writings on the school walls and other places where the community usually congregates. People in the community started talking and advising others on the epidemic. An HIV/AIDS centre has been established as a result.
 * We organized an HIV/Aids awareness campaign in the community by involving the

can be used in the science, mathematics and technology classroom.
 * Train learners to collect and obtain equipment and items (often thrown away) that

even without knowing it. You then have a chance of highlighting the principles when you assess their projects or when they explain them. A project like building a model of a house with an electrical light system lets learners discover how, in practice, bulbs are connected in a house.
 * Give your learners projects to work on. They will use scientific principles, at times

situations from doing things themselves and making informed judgments.
 * Allow a reasonable time frame to complete a project. Children deduce real-life

the area to be paved, choose the tiles, their color and suitable texture/finish of the material. Do calculations.
 * Calculate the cost of materials and labour for paving the school courtyard. Sketch

P. Respect for others
would like their rights to be respected. be ridiculed.
 * Encourage punctuality as a mark of respect for educators and others learners.
 * Explain the importance of respecting the rights of others, just as every individual
 * Respect the rights of each other and their property.
 * Establish a classroom code of conduct with regard to mutual respect.
 * Learners should feel free to participate in lessons in the knowledge that they won't
 * Respect each other's language.