#192 Tools and Tips for Teachers: Episode 13 (with Ollie Lovell)

In this conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss various topics,
including their health, their rankings as education influencers,
and the importance of breaking down concepts into smaller atoms
for effective teaching. They also explore the idea of sharing
what students need to hear rather than showing off one's
knowledge, and the challenges of atomization in teaching. Ollie
shares his experience working with a school and the importance of
focusing on specific areas for improvement. Craig highlights the
value of breaking down routines and processes in teaching and the
need to assess or teach each atom separately. They also discuss
the curse of knowledge and the benefits of pairing experienced
and less experienced teachers. The conversation explores the idea
of productive struggle in education and the importance of
curriculum resources. It discusses the benefits of students
struggling with tasks and the role of teachers in helping them
struggle at a higher level. The conversation also delves into the
relationship between curriculum and pedagogy, highlighting the
need for both to be addressed in teaching and learning. The
importance of shared and prescriptive curriculum resources is
emphasized, as well as the need for teachers to see themselves as
curriculum designers. The conversation concludes with a
discussion on gratitude and the power of storytelling. In this
conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie discuss the benefits and
drawbacks of discovery-based learning in mathematics. Craig
shares his experience observing a teacher who used a discovery
approach to teach geometry theorems, which initially made him
skeptical. However, he found that the students were engaged and
able to explain the theorems effectively. They discuss the
importance of efficiency and strategic use of discovery
activities in the curriculum. Ollie shares his love for teaching
in ways that allow students to make connections on their own. You
can view the shownotes here:
mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-13



Tell teachers what they need to hear (08:01) Breaking things
down is the most important thing (13:03) Choose the level of
struggle (24:56) What should we spend finite CPD time on (30:35)
Dinner table chat (51:44) Circle Theorems discovery lesson (59:27)