4 SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR AMBITIOUS MATHS TEACHERS

With the summer holidays now in full swing, teachers across the UK will be looking forward to a well-earned break.

But what if you want to keep topping up your teaching skills during that period?

Good news! For maths teachers, this is actually pretty easy and, more importantly, fun!

It’s of course important that you take time to relax during these blissful months, but we’ve got some brilliant summer training tips that’ll ensure you’re fighting fit for the new term.

1. Get stuck into Casio emulators

If you don’t have access to a scientific calculator this summer, there’s a brilliant way to experience everything they offer from the comfort of your laptop.

Casio’s emulator software looks just like the calculators you’re used to in school and operates in the same way. All you need is a computer to run it on.

What’s more, when you get back to the classroom, you can continue to use the emulator software to explain new material via a projector and share your screen more easily with students.

It’s a collaborative approach to learning which you can also benefit from while on holiday.

You can request Casio’s emulator software here.

2. Go graphic

If an emulator doesn’t quite cut it for you and you’d like to spend some of the summer getting hands-on with a proper graphic calculator, why not join the growing number of teachers adopting these devices?

It’s not a bad idea to invest time in this while you have it, because your students will probably be hankering after their own graphics calculators. Do you really want to be one step behind them?

Graphic calculators are fun to use and enable everyone to learn at their own pace thanks to the ability to experiment and stretch one’s understanding of equations.

The best news is that if you attend one of our free fx-CG50 training courses, you’ll unlock a special school price for this brilliant calculator!

3. Research the benefits of graphical calculators

While it’s true that many of your students will either want or already have a graphical calculator, others will need some convincing.

The same goes for parents. It is, after all, another expense, and one that many will believe is unnecessary.

By spending some of your summertime researching the benefits of calculators, you’ll learn why 88% of teachers now recommend them.

Research also shows that 43% of teachers experience difficulties when teaching classes full of mixed calculators. This is entirely understandable because while every calculator is capable of reaching the same conclusion, some take an awful lot longer to get there.

Imagine if you run an IT class full of different computers and operating systems. It would be an absolute nightmare, wouldn’t it? So, why run the same risk with calculators?

If you return for the new term armed with some genuine benefits and examples of why graphical calculators are worth it, you’ll have a much easier time convincing students and parents to make the leap.

4. Make the most of free online resources

We live in a world full of incredibly rich, free teaching resources. From YouTube to the wealth of Facebook groups and support forums, you’re never far from an answer or much-needed dose of support from a fellow professional.

It’s why the Casio team has been spending lots of time updating our resource centre. Within this treasure trove of help and assistance, you’ll find informative videos, downloadable PDFs and hundreds of additional resources.

What’s more, you can store your favourites in your own ‘my collection’ section. It’s a great use of any spare time you have during the summer.