Help! Being Observed For Maths! Ideas Please!

[Guest]

Hi, my best mate is being observed for maths by the evil maths co and the new head teacher - both of whom no nothing about foundation stage and last time gave her a 'satisfactory' for what was really a good lesson.

 

She is in full on panic mode now!

 

She has been told to push the high acheivers, the observation is next week. I think they are really looking for a much more formal year one style lesson.

 

Any ideas? We are having a crisis meeting this evening with wine!

 

Thanks x

[Panders]

I know there are some great Reception Teachers that will come along with brilliant ideas for you - so I'll just say, hope the wine works its magic and you can use the ideas that come along. You could do a search on the forum because this kind of request comes up time and time again!

[Guest]

A formal lesson in the third week of the new year?? First of all, in Reception they should not expect to see a formal Year1 type lesson, and if that's the expectation then there are not meeting the EYFS requirements. So perhaps your friend needs to discuss with her head the expectations of the EYFS. Does she have a Foundation Stage leader, or even a school govenor linked with responsibilty for the EYFS she could talk to? I think the head needs to accept that she's not going to get a formal lesson in Reception at any time of the year.

 

Hope she's ok - observations are stressful enough as it is but even more so when you feel you know the outcome before it's even happened. Best of luck to her, and enjoy your wine tonight!

[Susan]

The focus in reception at the moment should also be baseline assessment. Can your friend set up lots of maths assessment activities that the children can access and have a teaching focus based on what she already knows about the children?

[Guest]

Absolutely - so as yet she may not have identified who the more able children are - that's the whole point of baseline. So how the head is expecting to see a lesson that challenges the more able...

[Guest]

I agree with all the others re is this a suitable time to do this but never the less the observation will still need to take place so considering it is after the summer holidays perhaps something like a small group time to a number song like Five little seashells

 

Five little seashells

Lying on the shore.

Swish...went the waves...

And then there were four.

 

Four little seashells, pretty as can be.

Swish went the waves. Then there were three.

 

Three little seashells, all pearly new.

Swish went the waves. Then there were two.

 

Two little seashells, lying in the sun.

Swish went the waves. Then there was one.

 

One little seashell, lying all alone.

I picked it up. I took it home.

 

Use real shells and sand at the same time then after the activity you could have a large selection of shells and they could be left for the children to sort. It has number, music and phase one phonics!!!!

[chocisgood]

How about planning your normal activities but just concentrating on the maths aspects?

ie sorting shapes/toys etc by colours/size into hoops on floor/ diff tables?

singing and acting counting games

reading counting books

playdough- pressing out large and small shapes/ making current buns to then sing and act out with?

getting to know your classroom; find something red? big? small? etc

smartboard game on positional language maybe good? try NGfl

umm well you know what i mean!

 

oh and good practice would be to leave copy of the EYFS around with the 'maths' heavily highlighted?!

good luck