HELP! Teacher needs advice on maths : )

[StitchingMoss]

To cut a long story short, I have been out of teaching for five years (although working in SEN education) and have also had two children in that time. I am now hoping to restart my teaching career and have found a p/t job to apply for teaching maths (and some literacy) to Y4/5.

I'm guessing both numeracy and literacy have changed rather a lot since I last taught and was just wondering if any of you lovely primary teachers could give me some hints and tips on stuff to research if I'm lucky enough to get an interview and things to drop in to conversation when I go on my school tour!

I'm so desperate to get this job and get back in the classroom and don't want my lack of current experience to put them off .

TIA

I'm in 2nd year of teaching, plus Year of PGCE before that, so came in not long after you moved out, having seen my children go through primary and done some courses for parents about how num and lit are taught. I would say very little has changed, but that change is on its way. The national strategies are pretty well out now, but National Curriculum remains. I think a lot of schools have bought-in or self developed 'creative curricula', where core skills are woven through x-curricular teaching, but I have not come across a school where there is not an hour or more of lit a day and an hour of maths. Starters and plenaries and pace are still all expected. Thinking skills a bit of a hot topic - all focused towards children becoming independent learners, know how they have learned as well as what. But, really, I think you could slip back in and no-one would know you've been gone!

Thanks party - that's good to know !

This is quite a traditional school so I think, even though they have the creative curriculum, that this role is for very specific maths/literacy teaching. They'll know from my application that my knowledges is a little rusty so maybe I should just front up and ask them what plans they follow?

Feeling ridiculously nervous!

The old national maths framework provided weekly plans that you could doctor for your own needs. That doesn't exist anymore. The school may use another scheme as there area my out there but since the dawn of the primary framework I have found that schools expect more creative lessons which particularly challenge and fulfil AT1 objectives at least once a week.

Are you familiar with the maths 'blocks' that now exist in the primary framework rather than the 'spiral' from the national framework?

feel free to PM me if I am making no sense on here!

Hi Laura, thank you - no not sure what you mean by maths 'blocks' but remember the primary framework, that was what I was using when I left so interesting to know it's now defunct.

If you could provide any further info on here or by PM I'd be v grateful (or point me in the direction of some more info - I know how busy teachers are and don't want to be a pain!) .

Now off to bed but if you want any teaching info feel free to pm me - have been teaching for quite some time now and happy to help.

this erm "old" national strategy you are talking about. is that the national numeracy strategy. (I remember that coming in, eek)

when I was training we were given the 9 or 10 nc ringbinders to use for teaching practise. I clearly remember staggering home with them walking and on the bus.

creative curricula? that sounds familiar... sounds a bit like my early days of teaching, hey ho!

(and what is wwith all this non contact time, wasn't like that in my day... and teachers had to live in a shoe box between the outside toilets and the school boiler )

Thanks sugar, will pm you tomorrow - too tired to think straight tonight and off for my visit tomorrow morning!

at blackeyedsusan!