Hip, Hip, Array.

A gorgeous video for our last daily challenge of #MathsWeekScot courtesy of science.ebird.org/en/status-an... What can you see happening to the global population of barn swallows over time? What stories can you tell about this data? #StatsInTheWild @mathsweek.scot @royalstatsoc.bsky.social

Got a real buzz in #MathsToday checking these homework submissions. I love it when pupils have the ability to navigate a question and express their solution strategy in their own unique way. They seem to be developing the relational understanding I would want them to have.

Which One Doesn’t Belong? Mathsbot Rods courtesy of @studymaths.bsky.social #WODB

Ordering decimal fractions with S1 in #MathsToday. The task: “Using the four digits 1, 8, 0 and 9 (from today’s date), in conjunction with a decimal point what’s the smallest number you can make. The biggest? Create an ordered list.”

Greenhead Moss, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire is home to a raised peat bog. These stairs aid access to the surface of the bog. The numbers on the risers, not quite an arithmetic sequence, indicate the age of the peat at the corresponding depth.

Times tables. Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s Church, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire

Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire. A hidden geometric treasure.

Simultaneous Linear Equations with my S4 class in #MathsToday. These tasks seemed effective in delivering my aim to help consolidate learning to date and with general sense-making. Just realised my wording could be better in task 2.

Relatively “new” and definitely improving department in an improving school. In my 19th year teaching, after two full years at Smithycroft, I don’t recall a time when I was happier at my work. Only two days left to apply to be part of this!

Teachers in Glasgow (and elsewhere in Scotland) are back in schools tomorrow, pupils returning on Thursday. I’ve been assembling a garden bed this afternoon. What maths can I do with my pupils using this as a prompt?

Episode one features new evidence suggesting Homo sapiens existed 300 000 years ago, one third more than the previously accepted estimate of 200 000 years. Cutting edge, indeed.

Starter for summer reading, courtesy of my colleague, Garry. Recommended.

Garden path geometry. Lagos, Portugal.

More last day mini-whiteboard maths. What is each catchphrase?

Last day of the school year here in Glasgow. Having some fun on mini-whiteboards with senior pupils.

Square with right angles removed.

This was reasonably effective in #MathsToday with my new Advanced Higher class. They encountered the product rule for the first time last lesson.

Changing the subject of formulae in #MathsToday. I’ve been working on sequencing questions to build skill and understanding. I’m quite pleased with this question set.

My daughter is working in Iceland as a chef. One of her colleagues in the kitchen needed a certain piece of equipment and, despite being fluent in English, couldn’t think of the word for it. She described it as “a circle triangle for making water smaller”. What was she looking for?

Here are two slides from my “Graphical literacy” workshop at the recent Scottish Mathematical Council’s annual conference. The full presentation - along with some others - can be found on the SMC website. scottishmathematicalcouncil.org/conference-p...

Some “increasing constraints” questions from my SMC graphical literacy workshop. Each box actually contains 4 questions: 1. line 1 2. Lines 1 & 2 3. Lines 1 - 3 4. Lines 1 - 4.

Some more tasks From my “graphical literacy” workshop.

Here’s the first four tasks from my presentation on developing graphical literacy with National 5 and Higher Mathematics pupils at yesterday’s Scottish Mathematical Council annual conference in Stirling. I’d love to see what different functions the bsky maths community can come up with for these.

Spheres

Barrelelogram.

It’s the last day of term. Here’s my pre-Easter treat for my S3 class in #MathsToday. Thanks to @catrionaagg.bsky.social and @studymaths.bsky.social for the inspiration.

Added set 4 later to keep my S3 class on their toes - after all, the old stuff can seem harder alongside the new stuff. #MathsToday

Laws of indices in #MathsToday

Some more repetition for #MathArtMarch. These are from the Burrell Collection in Glasgow.

Some repetition in nature for #MathArtMarch day 20.

#MathArtMarch day 20: repetition. Another one from my photo gallery. This is a war memorial erected by the people of Munster in the grounds of Ypres Cathedral, taken during a school visit.

Reposting this on day 15 of #MathArtMarch - triangles. I made and first posted it in January to mark the arrival of 2025, the square of the ninth triangular number.

#MathsToday I’ve drawn up this table to help introduce significant figures. How could it best be used to promote and support learning? What would you do next?

Some more from my photo gallery on the theme of “growth” for day 9 of #MathArtMarch. These were inspired by a #beingmathematical task from @atmmathematics.bsky.social . exploring “growing”sums of cubes and squares. Appropriate for 2025.

For my Higher class in #MathsToday.

I like these “swirly” representations of multiples, factors and primes. The second one is incomplete. #MathArtMarch

@ayliean.bsky.social Here’s another from my photo gallery sort of on the theme “on a square grid”. Just fold-doodling on a post-it pad. #MathArtMarch.

@ayliean.bsky.social Had a Quick Look through my photo gallery for #MathArtMarch day 2, “on a square grid”.

Yes, as here perhaps satisfry.blogspot.com/2024/09/fra0...

A task attempting to view Pythagoras' theorem through a purely geometric lens ... i.e. with a focus on areas rather than numerical lengths. (Are there already tasks out there like this? Maybe I've just not seen them.) #UKMathsChat #iTeachMaths

2025

Festive Giveaway! RT and follow by 5pm on Friday 27th December. I’ll pick one lucky person from all entrants on Twitter and Bluesky. One lucky person can pick either shelf 1, 2, 3 or 4 from my Bertvent books of the year as a New Year treat! UK only.

Through the stairwell window in my workplace this morning.

Finally got my number square on the wall. Many thanks to the S1 and S2 pupils who helped in #mathstoday.

Multiples, factors and primes: 1 to 20.

Factors of 9, 10 and 12

Factors of 4, 6 and 8.

A nice run of dates this month.