Product reviews for The Perfect Maths Lesson

As someone who struggled with maths growing up, I often asked/wailed, -˜Why are we learning this?' Ian understands the need to bring the real world into the classroom; to give maths value and engage learners, so they have a reason to show up. He provides pupils with stimulating real life contexts that will challenge and prepare them, not make believe contexts to simply practise strategies or pass a test. Therefore young people can adapt to our -˜compressed global community' whilst becoming better learners; they are learning to learn in maths to empower them for the future.

So, why are we reading this? Like any good teacher, regardless of subject area, Ian knows you have to hook pupils in and challenge them from the off, but then maintain this pace and balance throughout the lesson: he summarises how to do this with top tips. I will be keeping the book to hand as a gentle reminder and to try out some of his practical ideas and activities (from starters to original and creative assessment opportunities) to -˜perplex, mystify and delightfully baffle' learners, which he succeeded in doing to this reader many times. He even includes mathematical jokes and inspirational sayings, as he knows that learning for children is emotional and they have to enjoy it.

His handy checklists guide you through the whole process of: planning, delivery and the assessment of an outstanding lesson, with references to Ofsted's expectations, although the learners are the main concern, first and foremost. There are even novel ways of setting homework which promote real independent learning (not just working on your own) and the discipline for students to push themselves.

Ian continually endorses challenge: -˜occupying a space at the edge of their ability' so young people embrace being stuck and see it as -˜an exciting gateway' to new knowledge or skills. Children's fear of failure is larger in maths so he illustrates how to encourage them to -˜fail better'. They will then feel more able to take risks in these real life/unknown situations, as the children's emotional wellbeing is at the heart of his drive to make maths fun and accessible for all.

In my classroom, I will now be posing, pausing, pouncing and bouncing with my pupils to ensure they truly understand maths and are not merely -˜doing' it, so I am teaching with students not to them.