Mr Barton Maths Podcast

Jamie Thom interviewed me for his excellent Beyond Survival podcast - a show aimed at supporting new teachers. Jamie asked me to share five tips that I thought would benefit those teachers new to the classroom. Here is what I came up with:

Here are the links to the things discussed in the show:

Ollie Lovell is a maths teacher from sunny Australia. He is also a head of department, blogger, research ravager, pioneering podcaster, and best-selling author. He joins me to discuss the key ideas from his book: Tools for Teachers. We focus on two key areas: regulation & relationships, and leadership. Ollie offers his usual dose of practical, actionable takeaways that any teacher can try.

Adam Boxer is a science teacher, author and creator of Carousel Learning. He joins me to discuss the key ideas from his book: Teaching Secondary Science: a complete guide, including What makes a good explanation? What role does silence play in Adam’s lessons, and how has this changed over the years? Is it important maths and science departments work together? If so, how? What role does technology have to play in terms of retrieval? Observation feedback, engaging with research, and so much more. 

I have been a big fan of Dan’s work for a few years now. Along with last episode’s guest, Paul Rowlandson, Dan’s blog is one of the few I have notifications on for new posts because I find it essential reading. I love the way Dan reflects on his thinking from the ideas he tries out in his lessons. In this episode we discuss overlearning and conceptual leaps.

Paul is a maths teacher with a strong interest in research - so much so that he is now embarking upon a doctorate. He also holds the prestigious title of being Jo Morgan’s favourite maths blogger. In this conversation we discuss Paul's research into Interleaving - what is it, what is it not, and how can teachers harness its power?

Jo is a legend of the maths teaching community. Her website, resourceaholic, is the go-to site for many teachers to find hand-picked, curated, top-quality resources and her Maths Gems series of posts are a must read for the latest mathematical gold out there. Jo joins me to discuss the importance of depth and sequencing when thinking about maths curricula.

Tom is the CEO at Learning with Parents. Regular listeners might recall that I was lucky enough to attend Tom’s session at the virtual MA conference earlier this year, and I loved it. The session was all about how schools can engage parents in their children’s learning, and dispelled a few myths I held to be true. About 2 minutes into that session, I knew I wanted Tom on the show, and fortunately he was kind enough to accept my invitation.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

This is an episode from season 2 of the Research in Action mini series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning.

Christian is an Associate Professor of Maths Education at the University of Southampton. In this conversation we discuss the importance of coherence in a curriculum, why a god textbook is so important, and what are his best bets for education research?

Anne Watson and Kris Boulton join me to discuss their answers to 8 big questions in maths education:

1. What do you see as the goals of mathematics education?

2. What does it mean to “be fluent” in something in mathematics, and is fluency important?

3. What does it mean to “understand” something in mathematics, and is understanding important?

4. Please tell us about one of your favourite maths resources/activities. Why do you like it?

5. What do you see as the key similarities and differences between variation theory and Engelmann's approach to direct instruction?

6. Is the distinction between a “novice” and an “expert” a useful one? If not, why not? If so, how might we tell if a student has moved from being one to being the other?

7. What - if anything - are the most important things for teachers to know and implement from cognitive science research?

8. What is an example of something important that you have changed your mind about?

In a follow-up to Part 1, US teacher, blogger and author Michael Pershan joins me to compare and contrast our two approaches to delivering worked examples. And then we discuss two fresh and fascinating areas: the role of mistakes in worked examples, and then the issue of using names in worked examples (either real or fictions). I loved this conversation. 

In a podcast cross-over episode, Ollie Lovell from the wonderful  Education Reading Room podcast interviews US teacher, blogger and author  Michael Pershan about worked examples. How does Michael plan his worked  examples, what do they look like in the classroom, what does the  research say, and why is self-explanation so important?

Doug Lemov returns to the podcast to share tips for the return to classrooms. Sharing takeaways from 3 books - Teach like a Champion 3.0, Teaching in online classrooms and the Coach's guide to teaching - Doug provides strategies, theories and resources to help make the return to classrooms as effective as possible

This is a reissue of a classic episode from back in April 2017. When changing podcast provider, the original episode didn’t copy across, and as it is one of my favourites (and most controversial), I didn’t want to lose it. So, here is it again I all its 3+ hours of glory.

Even if you have heard the episode before, it might be worth another listen, bearing in mind that 3 years after we recorded this, Dani and her team helped their students achieve the best GCSE results in the country.

Jo Morgan returns to the show to discuss how she is approaching online teaching 6 months on from when she first experienced it. It turns out lots has changed. Jo has some great advice and resources for making remote teaching effective and manageable.

Ollie Lovell returns to the show to discuss one of our favourite subject - Cognitive Load Theory. But instead of going over the usual stuff, Ollie talks about the things surprised him whilst doing research for his new book, what Cigntive Load Theory has to say about remote teaching and online lessons, and finally Ollie helps me get my head around some aspects of the theory that I have long found confusing!

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

Peps McCrea returns to the podcast to talk about the secret ingredient in learning - motivation. Peps argues that it is motivation that dictates what students pay attention to, and it is what they pay attention to that determines what they are likely to remember. Peps describes the 5 core drivers of motivation, and provides practical suggestions for how teachers can tap into these in their classrooms. A must listen!

Jo Morgan returns to the show to discuss how she is finding it this year with no GCSE or A Level classes. It turns out she is loving it, and we discuss in depth the beauty of teaching Key Stage 3 maths, the mistakes she sees other schools make with this phase, and the simple strategies for improvement that any school or teacher could implement.

Join me and Jo Morgan for a Conference Takeaways podcast from the second ever online MathsConf. We discuss a controversy about moving the decimal point, the importance of tasks, ratio tables, Increasingly difficult questions, technology, maths tricks, Times tables and much, much more.

Mark is a psychology teacher and Deputy Head from Scotland who joins me for the second time to discuss the challenges of teaching amidst the Cobid-19 outbreak, the importance of sleep for both students and teachers, and he thoughts about Dwek's growth mindset. Hopefully this episode will keep you awake... in a good way.

Jemma returns to the show for a surprisingly maths-less episode as she discusses her and her department's plans for what will prove to be a challenging return to school in September 2020, as well as sharing advice for Heads of Department that is timeless.

Adele has transitioned from an opera singer to a teachers, specialising working with students who have behavioral challenges both in mainstream schools and alternative provision centres. In this episode Adele shares her experiences, anecdotes and advice that will be useful to all teachers no matter how experienced you may be.

Jonathan Hall, the creator of the incredible MathsBot website joins be to discuss why he has moved to teaching in a more visual way, what this looks like in the classroom in terms of physical manipulatives versus virtual manipulatives, and what he means by behaving mathematically.

Join me and Jo Morgan for a Conference Takeaways podcast from the first ever online MathsConf. We discuss online CPD, Don Steward, magical maths, exact trig values, misconceptions with angles, teaching the what before the why, and much, much more.

Psychology teacher and Deputy Head, Mark Healy, joins me to discuss the distinction between cognitive science and cognitive psychology, their potential misuse in schools, and how schools can build a culture whereby staff willingly engage in meaningful CPD. Mark will also return soon to discuss sleep!

Robert is a US maths educationalist and all round legend. He is the brains behind the Open Middle website, and the depth of knowledge framework. In this episode we delve deep into problem solving using those two key ideas as a stimulus, and also discuss effective CPD. It is a good one!

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

Paul Kirschner and Carl Hendrick join me to discuss their excellent book: How Learning Happens. But over the course of 2 hours we delve into so mich more, including the writing of and reaction to Paul seminal paper, Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work and what advice Paul and Carl would have for teachers trying to help their students learn amidst school closures.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

“Teaching from home” is a series of episodes dedicated to supporting teachers who are working from home amidst the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. There will be technology focussed episodes - just how does remote teaching work? But also episodes focussed on the practicalities of coping with setting students appropriate work whilst also having to look after your own children at home. Then there are issues of safeguarding, differentiation, mindset and more that I hope will come up as we progress. There will be maths teachers, teachers of other subjects, and primary school teachers. There will be teachers from the UK and overseas. Hopefully something for everyone.

In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, I sat down with 3 teachers from France who are a week ahead of the UK in terms of providing online learning to their students following school closures. Listen as we discuss what works and what doesn't. Stay safe everyone.

Join me and Dani Quinn for a Conference Takeaways podcast from MathsConf in Manchester, where we discuss percentages, algebraic thinking, surds, circle theorems, and I try to find out exactly how Dani and her team got those incredible GCSE results.

I have teamed up with Jo Morgan (@mathsjem) and TES to delve deep into key matheamtical topics, looking at progression, misconceptions, resources, etymology and much, much more. Each of these episodes was filimed, and the videos are embedded into the show notes page. You will also find the PowerPoint Jo uses so you can access all the resources.

Kris Boulton returns to the show to complete the trilogy - although Parts, 4, 5... and 23 may not be far away as I have so much to talk to him about. Here we delve deep into Kris' belief that cognitive science has severe limitations when it comes to actually helping teachers improve, and what his alternative is. It is a cracker!

Tom is a former maths teacher and head of maths, and now lecturer, researcher and teacher trainer. In this epic conversation I manage to ask about 3 of my planned questions because the answers Tom gives are so insightful. We cover planning lessons, working with novice teachers, where lessons can go wrong, and much, much more.

I have teamed up with Jo Morgan (@mathsjem) and TES to delve deep into key mathematical topics, looking at progression, misconceptions, resources, etymology and much, much more. Each of these episodes was filmed, and the videos are embedded into the show notes page. You will also find the PowerPoint Jo uses so you can access all the resources.

Alex is a journalist, the man who runs the Guardian’s fortnightly Monday puzzle, and the author of some of the best-loved Maths books of recent times, including Alex’s Adventures in Numberland. As I found out, he is also just a brilliant person to have a chat to. We talk about puzzles, writing about maths, the perception of our subject, and plenty more!

Julia is a former teacher, who is now a teacher trainer, author, and pioneer of the 5Rs approach. This simple way of breaking down lessons into manageable chunks, each of which serves a key purpose, has been revolutionary in terms of the impact it has had on GCSE resit students. But, as we examine in this conversation, its application could go much wider.

In a special episode of the show, I speak to AQA's resident multiple choice question guru, Zeek Sweiry to discuss the merits of diagnostic multiple choice questions both as a teaching tool and a tool of assessment.

Rob is a mathematician, author, presenter and puzzle writer. In this episode we delve deep into the importance of estimation, even in the an age of technology. We also cover the public perception of maths, humour in lessons, the writing and answering of maths puzzles, the relationship between cricket and maths, and even a bit of parenting advice. It is a good one!

The band are back together again to reflect on what they learned in 2018/19. Expect contributions from the likes of Dylan Wiliam, Mary Myatt, Harry Fletcher-Wood, Tom Bennett, Oli Caviglioli, and many, many, many more. Roll on the summer!

Join me and Jo Morgan for a controversial Conference Takeaways podcast from the wonderful MEI 2019 Maths Conference, where we discuss everything from calculator use, schemes of work, and a potential issue with manipulatives.

Jonny is a legend of maths education, being the brains behind the wonderful RISP activities. And of course in this conversation we dig into those. But we also delve into lots of other territories, ranging from problem solving, textbook writing, and an important discussion about mental health issues in teaching.

Chris is a former head of mathematics in Scotland who now works for La Salle education. Like me, he has undergone something of a mid-career crises when he started to engage in educational research. However, we have reached slightly different conclusions in a number of key areas. In this conversation we delve deep into those areas, as well as discussing how to create or choose a good mathematical task.

Michael is a maths teacher and blogger from the US. I have been a fan of Michael's writing for a long time, and it was fascinating to get the opportunity to talk in depth about areas of pedagogy that are close to our hearts. We talked about the difficulty of moving schools, our views on problem solving and then the big one... Example-Problem Pairs (spoiler alert: we don't agree upon the best way to use them!)

Join me and Jo Morgan for 2 days at the ATM MA joint maths conference, for discussions about the evolution of maths vocabulary, problem solving, lesson observations, listening to learners, visual representations and much much more!

Join me and Jo Morgan for 2 days at the ATM MA joint maths conference, for discussions about the evolution of maths vocabulary, problem solving, lesson observations, listening to learners, visual representations and much much more!

Join Jo Morgan and I for a jam-packed discussion following the excellent Educating Northants Conference about mastery at primary, a knowledge curriculum, multiple mathematical methods, dual coding, variation starters... and a breathing exercise.

Simon Cox and I sat down to discuss our key takeaways from the excellent sessions we saw at researchEd Blackpool 2019. Hear reflections on workshops by the likes of Mark McCourt, Mark Lehain, Anne Watson, Oliver Caviglioli, Colin Foster, Simon Cox and Ben Gordon. It's a good one!

Naveen Rizvi is Maths Curriculum Advisor for United Learning, and has previously taught at Michaela and Great Yarmouth schools, both of which have been in the public eye over the last few years. In what will no doubt prove a controversial episode (always good for the listening figures!) Naveen takes us through how she plans a sequence of lessons on rearranging formulae, completed with a scripted resource booklet which you can download from the podcast page. It is fascinating listening.

Chris Smith is a maths teacher, Pi Day lover, TED Talker, popular newsletter writer, and the 2018 Scottish teacher of the Year. In this conversation we cover everything from lesson planning, time-management, running successful revision days, and the role of fun in maths lessons. Enjoy!

In this special podcast to celebrate Jo's 100th Maths Gem blog post, we end up talking about so much more than resources - although there is plenty of chat about that, so don't you worry. We also cover the role of fun in lessons, practical use of cognitive science in teaching, SSDD problems, what Jo has learned this year, and plenty more besides. Oh, and there is even a quiz!

Dr Helen Williams has been teaching, and learning about mathematics teaching, for over 30 years. Her particular expertise is in learning maths with children from 3 to 8 years of age, which is most certainly not my area of expertise! In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss exactly what an early years maths lesson might look like, why manipulatives are so important for children of all ages, and why Helen is not exactly sold on Cognitive Load Theory!

Bernie Westacott is a master of teaching key mathematical concepts in a visual way, using manipulatives and other representations. In this episode he takes me through 3 demonstrations: introducing number, operations with negative numbers, and simultaneous equations. In a world first for the Mr Barton Maths Podcast, this episode is available in both audio and also video so you can see Bernie in action, and watch me struggle!

Dr Hannah Fry is a mathematician, and a legend. In this interview we discussed her career, books, and TV work, covering topics such as the role maths can play in relationships, parenting, solving crime and driverless cars. The includes a discussion of Hannah's book Hello World, which is outstanding.

Jeremy is a Professor of mathematics education researcher at UCL Institute of Education, the co-author, along with Dylan Wiliam, of Mathematics Inside the Black Box, and the co-creator of the ICCAMS project. We had a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion that covered is findings on a project into the best way to teach low-achieving students, the importance of mathematical stories, how to deal with relevance in mathematics, and the key role fingers have to play in learning!

In this episode, I got to interview one of my all-time heroes, Simon Singh. Simon is the author of some of my favourite books, including Fermat's Last Theorem and the Codebook. But not content with retelling some of the most wonderful stories about our subject, Simon also wants to help develop mathematics excellence through his work with the Parallel Project. This is an episode not to be missed.

Slice of Advice returns, and in this episode over 30 world-class educators give their answer to the question: What does the first lesson with your class look like? You will hear about specific activities, setting expectation, establishing routines, and much more from the likes of Bruno Reddy, Mark McCourt, Jemma Sherwood, Jo Facer, and many more besides. I love this episode!

In an experimental episode, I asked 50+ of my favourite people one question: "what did you learn this year?". You will hear from the likes of Dylan William, Andrew Smith, Katharine Birbalsingh, Claire Sealy, Andrew Percival, Dan Meyer, and many others talking all things from feedback, work-life balance, signalling, metacognition, working abroad, and everything in between. A must listen for teachers of all subjects and age groups.

With the summer 2018 Maths GCSEs finally behind us, I thought it would be nice to reflect on the experiences of teachers and students over the first two years of sitting of the new GCSE Maths specification. And who better to join me on this voyage of discovery than my very own Head of Department, Karen Wilkinson, and the Head of Maths at Edexcel, Graham Cumming. Settle yourselves down for an enlightening discussion on good and bad questions, tiering decisions, and much, much more.

Alison and Charlie work for NRICH, a website of rich maths activities and problems that I am sure most of my maths teaching audience have heard of and visited. But how can we get the very best out of NRICH? Are the activities only suitable for our highest attainers? And how on earth will my students develop fluency in key skills whilst doing them? It is these questions and more that I wanted the answers to, and Alison and Charlie certainly delivered!

Ollie Lovell is a high school maths teacher from Australia. He is also an incredible thinker. Like me, he is a little obsessed with educational research and how he can apply it to the greatest effect in his classroom. In an epic 3+ hour interview we dig into how Ollie has planned out a new approach to teaching Year 12, how he runs a maths department, and his views (and questions!) about Cognitive Load Theory. I loved this interview!

Anne Watson and John Mason are two of the most influential people in the history of mathematics education. Their books, papers and workshops have influenced generations of maths teachers and this directly improved the experience of teaching and learning maths for hundreds of thousands of students. In this interview we look back over their careers, and then dive deep into the principles of Variation Theory, how to ask good questions and the importance of visualisation.

Helen is an experienced maths teacher and head of department. She is also the organiser of the Mixed Attainment Maths Conference. Mixed attainment (or as I often mistakenly call it, mixed ability) teaching is an area I am woefully inexperienced in and clueless about, so it was incredible to speak to Helen to get to the bottom of why she believes in it so much, and how to make it as effective as possible. Along the way we also tackle the concept of a growth mindset, and how Helen tries to instil that in her students.

Amir is an experienced maths teacher, someone who has been head of maths in several schools, and who is now Vice Principal for Raising Achievement at Horizon Community College in Barnsley. Listeners have requested more interviews with experienced and successful teachers, so they can learn from their habits, processes and past mistakes, and Amir certainly delivers. We talk about running successful departments, planning lessons, creating opportunities for deep work, what makes a good scheme of work, and a lot more!

Jane is a former teacher and head of maths who is now the HMI National Lead for Mathematics - to me and you that means she is the most senior maths specialist in Ofsted. In this revealing interview Jane discusses everything from observation and marking, setting and reasoning, and a lot more besides. Whether you are due an Ofsted inspection, just had one, or simply curious about what Ofsted are looking for, this is the interview for you.

Colin Foster is a former maths teacher who is now an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Research in Mathematics Education in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham. We talked about Mathematical Etudes, or what I term Purposeful Practice. I believe this is one of the most important types of practice we can give our students, allowing them to become fluent in key skills, whilst also developing problem solving capabilities. We also discuss the role of confidence in learning, and what makes a good question. I loved this interview.

Doug Lemov is a legend. As the author of Teach Like a Champion, he has had a major impact on my teaching and thinking over the last two years. I this interview we discuss several key strategies from the book, looking at the practical ways we can implement them in the maths classroom. We then turn our attention to teacher training, and Doug shares some wonderful advice for anyone delivering a training session to their colleagues. This is a cracker.

Peps has done it all. He is a former Fasttrack maths teacher and Senior Lecturer in mathematics education. He has been a National Curriculum Advisor for the DfE, External Examiner at the OU, and is the author of Lean Lesson Planning and Memorable Teaching. He now leads on the Institute for Teaching’s Masters in Expert Teaching course. We had a great time digging into three areas that really interest me: lean, effective lesson planning; making our teaching memorable; and helping teachers determine and develop expertise in their profession. Get your pen and paper ready for this one, there are nuggets left, right and centre.

Lucy is the Research and Communications Officer at Cambridge Mathematics. I base my interview around five key questions from Lucy's espresso research series: What are the effects of attainment grouping on mathematics learning? What are the issues in learning and assessing times tables? How does maths anxiety affect mathematics learning? How does assessing confidence affect learning and testing in mathematics? How can mathematics teaching be measured? But we cover a lot more besides!

Kris returns to the podcast for another epic. This time we cover Kris' concerns with minimal guided approaches to teaching, such a discovery and inquiry based learning. We also delve into what it actually means to understand something in maths, and whether we as teachers can ever truly assess that understanding. Finally, how do you decide if you should teach the How before the Why?

My first interview with Andrew caused something of a stir (in a good way!), so I thought it would be useful to release an interview I did with Andrew back in 2014 for my TES Maths Podcast. Here Andrew describes a completely open-ended inquiry lesson, as well as sharing some excellent advice on being a Head of Department.

Andrew is a head of maths at the creator of inquirymaths.org. We spoke about planning and delivering inquires in mathematics, explicit  instruction, developing fluency, problem solving, and evaluated evidence related to memory, motivation and purpose.

Rachel is an experienced primary maths teacher. We spoke about what primary maths lessons look like, what topics they have covered, their problem solving skills, their use of manipulatives, what students might be expecting maths lessons to look like at secondary school, and much more.

Trevor is AQA’s Chief Examiner for the Maths GCSE. We spoke about when the GCSE maths writing process starts, who is involved, what makes a good question and what makes a bad question, what are the difficulties, how exams are marked, and much more. This is a great listen now we have finally made it through the first new specification GCSE cohort, and essential listening as we prepare for the next!

Robert and Elizabeth Bjork are my heroes. The Godfather and Godmother of memory (my name for them, not theirs!), and they have transformed my teaching. It was an honour to talk to them. We spoke about how memory works, why forgetting is so important, why tests are far more than tools of assessment, when and why to make learning difficult, optimal spacing schedules, how to interleave successfully, and a whole lot more.

Dani Quinn, the Head of Maths at Michaela Community School, returns! In the follow-up to the controversial first interview we spoke about the behaviour policy at Michaela, the practice of drilling, teaching for understanding and the staff culture. I wonder if I will get told to "go to hell" as a result of this one.

Greg is a head of maths in Australia and a prolific and influential blogger at Filling the Pail. We spoke about the implications of Cognitive Load Theory for planning and teaching mathematics (although the lessons are applicable to all subjects), and why Greg prefers direct instruction as opposed to inquiry based approaches to learning.

Paul is a maths teacher and a leading expert on bar modelling. We spoke about planning for understanding, bar modelling, advice on questioning, what Paul learned from his trips to Shanghai and Tokyo, advice for teacher training and much more.

Tom is the UK's leading figure on behaviour in schools, and the founder of ResearchEd. We spoke about in depth about managing behaviour in the classroom, including addressing some common myths. We also spoke about how best to tackle teacher workload, and what Tom considers to be the most important pieces of educational research.

John is an experienced maths teacher and the legend behind the ridiculously good Corbett Maths. We spoke about planning and delivering lessons using a flipped learning approach, the process that goes into creating maths videos, writing good maths questions, and advice for new teachers.

Dylan Wiliam is my hero. I know this is a big claim, but I think this interview is an absolute must-listen for teachers of all subjects, possibly all humans full-stop. We spoke about feedback, planning, questioning, research, lesson observations, what Dylan wishes he had known when he started teaching, and so much more. I genuinely have listened back to this interview more than 5 times, and I pick up something new on each listen. Thank you Dylan!

At the time of recording, Beth had just finished her first year as a maths teacher. We spoke about the pressures of being an NQT, maintaining a work-life balance, and Beth shares her top tips for surviving and thriving during a gruelling year.

Jamie is an experienced maths teacher at the high achieving Tiffin School. He is also the creator of the outrageously good Dr Frost Maths website. We spoke about planning sequences of lessons, the importance of internalising concepts, and teaching high achievers.

Mark is a legend in the world of maths education. He is a former head of maths, Ofsted Inspector, Headteacher, creator of emaths, creator of Complete Maths, and the organiser of the amazing La Salle Maths Conferences. We spoke about Ofsted lesson observations, teacher training, being Head of Department and why Mark has never marked a book in his life!

Stef is in charge of the PGCSE programme at Nottingham University, and was my tutor when I trained there many years ago. We spoke in-depth about the lesson planning process, habits of successful trainees, and the most common reasons for teachers leaving the profession.

Will is a genius. He is a head of maths, blogger, and the creator of Numeracy Ninjas. He also has a keen interested in cognitive science, and memory in particular. We spoke about  being a successful Head of Department, prior learning dependency flow and the fascinating subject of memory.

Dan is possibly the most famous maths teacher in the world. His TED talk and subsequent work on 3 Act Math had a huge influence on my career. We spoke about good and bad uses of technology in teaching and learning, the future of Desmos and the excellent Aspirin and Headache series.

Charlie is a very important man in the world of maths education. He is the head of both the MEI and the NCETM, as well as still finding time to teach maths. We spoke about the importance of times tables, Mastery teaching and the best and worst features of the new maths GCSE.

Bruno is incredible. He is the former head of maths at the pioneering King Solomon Academy, and the creator of the global dominating Times Tables Rockstars. We spoke about creating the right culture in lessons and in school, homework and written feedback, mixed attainment classes, Mastery, Shanghai, and much, much more!

Mel is part of the award winning JustMaths team, a prolific blogger, and experienced maths teacher. We spoke about running a maths department, moving to a new school, and her now award-winning way of preparing students for the demands of the Maths GCSE.

Jo is a maths teacher, head of maths, and award winning blogger. Her Resourceaholic blog is a must visit for all maths teachers, and her Maths Gems posts are always overflowing with gold. We spoke about organising resources, blogging, Twitter and advice for NQTs.

On this episode I interviewed four Year 13 students about their experience in their recent Oxford and Cambridge interviews, which should be useful for anyone thinking of applying or helping a student prepare.

As part of my trilogy of interviews with the awarding bodies about the new Maths GCSE, and what it is like to do their job, I spoke to Neil Ogden from OCR.

As part of my trilogy of interviews with the awarding bodies about the new Maths GCSE, and what it is like to do their job, I spoke to Graham Cumming from Edexcel

As part of my trilogy of interviews with the awarding bodies about the new Maths GCSE, and what it is like to do their job, I spoke to Andrew Taylor from AQA.