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Matthew Clapp, Teacher of Mathematics

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History/Background

1999: I was 14, in SEN Secondary Education, and I made some decisions about life. I wanted to help people. I felt the best way to do that was through the avenue of teaching. My favourite subject was math's. So, just over 10 years later, at the age of 25, I finished my PGCE course. (20100630 note: I am still awaiting final results on assignments.)

2001: The way different strands of secondary and A-Level curriculums used Algebra to form general-ised patterns interested me in school(s) (I switched to a different school for my A-Levels) and I took this interest to university.

2003: My first degree (Pure Math's) was enjoyable, but I felt that working at higher level somehow took the sparkle out of math's as I recalled it from school. Indeed, I felt (and feel) that the knowledge one gets in a math's degree (and possibly other disciplines too) doesn't sufficiently prepare one to teach. It was a necessary step to becoming a math's teacher, but I was eager to get back into Secondary Education.

2007: I applied to the PGCE course at Brighton University in 2007, but took advantage of the opportunity to take part in BriUni's MEC pilot. The 6-month course was run at their Hastings Campus and I loved it. We covered 4 GCSE and A-Level subjects (one per semester), as adults intending to be teachers, but also as learners. I found it very useful, as a result, to compare my feelings as a teacher and a learner.

The course wasn't designed for math's graduates - so I was the only one! However, the value for me wasn't just in "acquiring" subject knowledge (Q14!), although this was catered for.

The main benefit, as alluded to, was the empathy and insight I gained - from my own feelings (as a math's graduate) and from those of others (who weren't - all had degrees) of being an adult in a math's classroom.

2008: In 2008/9 and 2009/10 I have worked towards the award of QTS. Finally, after what seems like a lifetime, I got a letter on Tuesday July 13th, 2010, saying I'd passed my course.

The course consisted of two teaching practices - the first in a medium-sized (1200) Boy's School, and the second in a very, very small (19) Special Education Unit. Along the way, there were a number of assignments that I found enjoyable - honestly! (My Education CV has a complete list if you're interested.)

2010: Following this, I'm in contact with a few select school in the SEN field, and eagerly await the opportunity to teach "for real" in September 2010.

Pedagogic Stance

What is pedagogy!?

I wouldn't be so bold as to say I have a clearly defined stance. Even with "10 years" behind me, I have still only been "teaching" (in classrooms) for about 6 months (over the 2 placements) - although I have done other things like tutoring, etc.

Nevertheless, I have some directions that I'm interested in pursuing. Mike Ollerton, and particularly his book on "adding up", share some insights on how to use a problem solving approach in classrooms. I mentioned being "set free" above - the two schools I practiced in had set ways of doing things, which I had to respect. As a (soon to be) Qualified teacher, there will be (slightly) more freedom in how "mathematics looks" inside the classroom (and out), so I'll get a chance to see if what Ollerton says is right!

Math's

For reasons that I have yet to justify fully, I tend to write math's. It's a bit pedantic, perhaps, but I don't like the way some people write math's and look down on those who write mathematics as being "stuffy"; and those who write mathematics look down on those who write maths as not being sufficiently articulate.

For a (worryingly) long time, I have had an internal debate over whether I should be stuffy or inarticulate ... I feel that by writing math's I can be both - or do I mean neither!? I save ink by writing, effectively, maths but allude to the higher articulateness (this "word" exists; I wasn't neologizing) of writing mathematics.

CREATION: 2010.06.30 | UPDATE: 2010.07.19