Mathematics classrooms must strive to be places that encourage students to think deeply and be flexible learners
DrĀ Bern Long
As teachers we are constantly being told to give students lots of experiences with problem solving. Teachers try so hard to teach students how to problem solve. However, many of the examples we are being shown are based around worded problems. There are many other ways for students to develop problem solving skills. In this presentation I will provide a variety of examples of ways class teachers from F-6 can encourage students to think deeply, work collaboratively and reason their way to mathematical solutions while promoting maths as a fun subject.
AboutĀ Dr Bern LongĀ
Bern Long has 3 adult children. She has taught in a range of schools with different socio-economic backgrounds and cultures. She is very passionate about helping students develop a love of mathematics. She has held many leadership roles including having been a mathematics leader in a number of schools.
Presently she works part-time as a Mathematics Leader at Glowrey Catholic Primary School. Bern has also been a Mathematics Lecturer and a Numeracy Consultant and Coach. She completed her PhD in 2017 working under Professor Peter Sullivan. Her research looked at developing a mathematics intervention for students who fell approximately 6 months behind. The intervention called 'Prepare 2 Learn' had 4 components; prior knowledge, mental computation, growth mindset and metacognitive strategies. The students were tracked for 30 months to see the long-term effects of the intervention. Bern also facilitates PD sessions through Simply Maths.
