Product reviews for The Perfect Maths Lesson

A very big title for a very small book, to be sure  - but it delivers in so many ways. At 107 pages in small format, this book takes only a couple of hours to read, but for many maths teachers, it will re-invigorate and re-inspire them to reflect on the most Important aspects of teaching maths. We are there not just to deliver a cur'­riculum, but to inspire students, to engage them, to pique their curiosity and thirst for wondering 'why' and above all, to help them become creative problem-solvers and out-of-the-box thinkers.

In a nutshell, it is a very concise and excellent summary of eve'­rything that we were taught on our PGCE or BEd courses, regard'­ing best practice. It is not about becoming a better maths teacher, it is about developing strategies to build an environment in the class'­room which really helps students engage, and be excited about being curious.
Much of this book is built around Ofsted recommendations, but it gives many useful examples about best practice for each particular point. I especially liked the examples and commentary pertaining to 'Why are we doing this?' and 'open-ended questioning', but for me the most interesting section was regarding praise for effort and not results, and how to encourage a 'growth' mindset not only for those who find the subject difficult, but for the high-flyers as well.
Whilst this has been written primarily for secondary-school mathematics, the ideas and suggestions are neither age-specific, nor for most, subject-specific. If one focused on just a handful of ideas and strategies to implement, I have no doubt they would be extremely well-received by their students - whatever the subject.