This document summarizes Dann Mallet's experiences in a graduate diploma program for secondary mathematics teaching and his subsequent professional experiences placements. It describes the structure of the graduate program, some of the theories taught around curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. It then discusses Mallet's experiences teaching in the professional placements, including lesson planning, managing diverse students and classes, using technology and active learning strategies. It concludes by reflecting on how the program shaped Mallet's understanding of effective teaching practices and prepared him for his current role in mathematics education.

1. “What the hell am I doing?”
Experiences in the high school mathematics classroom
Dann Mallet
QUT School of Teacher Education and Leadership

2. A life change

3. Hue

4. The Graduate diploma
• An “initial teacher education” program
• These are accredited nationally to “ensure that all teachers are
prepared to a high standard, and gain the knowledge, skills and
experiences to make a positive impact on student learning.”
• 1 year FT, 8 units, 2 “professional experience” stints
Professional experience 1 Professional experience 2
Engaging diverse learners Professional practice of educators
Maths curriculum studies 1 Mathematics curriculum studies 2
Classroom & Behaviour Management Mathematics curriculum studies 3

5. What the hell?!
• First sentence of first reading of first unit in Grad Dip…

6. Curriculum, pedagogy and
assessment
AKA “curriculum studies”

7. Curriculum studies @ QUT
• Constructivist, cognitively guided approach
• Assimilate (take in stimuli, try to make sense),
accommodate (adapt to the new), and attempt to
equilibrate
• Bell’s (1993) principles:
1. Idea connectedness 4. Reflection and review
2. Explore within/between contexts 5. Intensity/challenge
3. Feedback
• Learning via problem solving
• Me? Well… I try.

8. Theory to practice
• So yeah, there’s theories
• Practice
• Presentation
• Exemplar
• Explaining
• Rethinking
• Activity
• Sure… do these questions, code this algorithm, etc.
• Think-pair-share, think-say-show

9. The extent… numeracy
• What’s 4 take -3?
• What’s 4 lots of -3?
• What do these even mean?
• How do you explain it?
• How do you help someone else
get it?
• Debts, moonwalking, etc
Things I hadn’t even thought of:
augend + addend = sum
multiplier x multiplicand = product
Does this even matter?
Activity: on a slip of paper, write/draw what these
statements mean to you (21, 16, yes, but try harder):
a) 7 × 3
b) 96/6

10. Harder stuff & vids
• https://youtu.be/pfzNpwMnPu4

11. Thinking differently(?)…
• Aboriginal knowledge as process
(not content!)
• So much in here that makes
sense to us (mathematicians)
• Large-scale vs small scale
• eg guide tutor/learners interactions
“Respect is more than tolerance and inclusion – it
requires dialogue and collaboration. And when we
bring our best and highest ways of learning together,
we find that we connect at a truly deep and
productive level.” (Tyson, 212-3)

12. Think-pair-share
• A way to
• Encourage student
interaction
• Develop communication
skills
• Improve understanding
• A seminar on TPS at MAA
mathfest 2017

13. Modelling for understanding
• Most of us here “model”
mathematically
• Teachers do this a lot too
• Area model
• Multiplication of integers
• Multiplication of fractions
• Expanding binomials
• Factoring binomials
• Connectedness,
within/between!

14. Undoing yourself
• Poorly stored cables/ropes
• Untangle, reform

15. Issues in the classroom
• Also considered a number of “issues”
1. Numeracy
2. Literacy
3. Indigenous perspectives
4. Positive environments (conversation, growth mindset)

16. The professional experience

17. The professional experience
• “prac”
• Undergrads take more, but shorter, chunks
• For Grad dip:
• PEx 1: 2+20 days
• PEx 2: 3+30 days
• At a real school
• Observation, planning, delivery, mentoring
• Surprisingly, no real “journaling” or “reflection” required

18. Off we go then…off to class
• Theory, practice… PLANNING!
• RAMR (YDC – Cooper et al.) cycle:
• Reality, Abstraction, Mathematics, Reflection
• Central pedagogies: flexibility, reversal, generalising, changing,
assessing
• Baturo’s knowledges
• Entry, representational, procedural, structural
But what’s the point here?
Framing the experience, the plan, the learning.

19. My PEx site: Ipswich Grammar School
• 1863 | Ipswich | Bradfield | Watson
• Boys only (≈ 1000) | 90 staff | Boarders
• 6x50min classes/day
• Taught Yr 7-12 students

20. Planning
• Examples coming around
• Different levels: work plan, unit plan, lesson, activity
• Activity
• Purposeful
• Careful
• Directed
• …and interesting hopefully

21. Nightly teaching prep
• Real teachers already know their
plan!
• Prac teachers have to make it up
• 3-5 diff’t classes each arvo/night
• Guinea pigs
• Different thinking again
• × “What content am I describing?”
• √ “How to explain this?” “What
problems will come up?” etc

22. Students’ levels
• Years 7/8
• Year 9s/10 can be jerks ;-)
• Year 11s – transition
• Year 12s – all over
• 10 advanced/ordinary
• Maths A/B divide

23. Individuals and classes
• Class size does/doesn’t matter - research
• EVERY SINGLE PERSON
• is important
• can be important – it’s possible
• Behaviour and management
• Personalities
• What’s possible
• Very, very detailed instructions!

24. Being explicit – something I learned
• Provide instructions
• Be explicit about what you want done
• Minimise # of instructions
• Repeat
• Use patterns over time
• Communicate constantly
• So how is this relevant here at uni?

25. Active and physical models
• Lots of us “see” maths in
our heads…
• That is NOT NORMAL!
Activity: on the slip of paper, write what you
think of when I say “exponential function”

26. The tea room
• Tightknit culture, collegiality
• Awareness of
duties/responsibilities
• Separation
• Sharing

27. Thoughts on technology
and learning spaces

28. Learning spaces
• Thoughtless design
• Training?
• Surely teachers get what
they want?

29. Technology
• Lots of options, new ideas
• Again, be aware of trends
• Apply them appropriately,
thoughtfully

30. So how did I teach?
• Whiteboard + scribbled prep
• Tablet PC
• Pre-prepped slides (PDF and PPT)
• Wireless projection and live annotation
• Desmos activities

31. Where am I now?

32. Teacher registration - provisional

33. But…
• This P-plater is now
Professor of
Mathematics Education
• Reimagining maths
teaching for BEd 2019+

34. New Senior Curriculum
• 4 senior subjects
• Essential, general, methods
and specialist
• Bit of shuffling
• Yr 11 2019
• See QCAA website for
syllabi
• External assessment
• ATARs from 2020
• Schools using different
models of study

35. So what?
• I knew the content. That’s not
enough at school. Nor is it here.
• My expectations/goals
• Managing stress/anxiety
• Being “the system”
• Observing/being observed
• Motivation
• Lesson planning and strategy
• Effective pedagogies
• Perception
• Reflection
“It’s all up to the
individual isn’t it?”

36. Well then….
• Thanks :-)