Shiplake prides itself on the huge array of subjects and co-curricular opportunities available to all pupils. There really is something for everyone to ignite enthusiasm, passion and creativity. At Shiplake, we encourage pupils to find their ‘thing’. The thing they can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning to do, the thing where they set themselves challenges and goals to get better, the thing that motivates and inspires them.
Each week, we will be bringing you a spotlight on an individual subject or co-curricular activity from our teachers, who for them, this is their ‘thing’. They will be talking about how they deliver their lessons (under normal circumstances, not lockdown) and how they inspire and help Shiplake pupils to achieve their best. We hope their insights will spark some passion in you to learn something new, or simply find out more about what Shiplake has to offer.
This week we focus on Mathematics, with an insight from Head of Mathematics, Mr Chris Lee who talks about how we approach the subject at Shiplake College. Mr Lee is passionate about Maths and even after twenty years in the classroom, he still gets a real thrill from seeing his students develop.
“In our experience, Mathematics is a subject that can enlighten and frighten students in equal measure. How many of us can remember sitting in the form room or lecture theatre with symbols and equations seemingly flying around randomly whilst being simultaneously paralysed by the thought of speaking up for the fear of sounding foolish?
“At Shiplake College, we try to do things differently with a strong classroom code that encourages students to take risks and not be afraid of making mistakes. Lessons are stimulating and interactive. Students are often seated in small groups and they are encouraged to try 3B4ME; in other words, they are encouraged to use their books, brains and buddies in the first instance in order to foster greater levels of independence. However, this also means that, hopefully, the more anxious students will feel ‘safety in numbers’ since questions are often asked of the teachers by these groups which helps to reduce any feelings of isolation.
“This approach also fosters the ‘soft skills’ that are required whilst students are sharing ideas, solving problems collaboratively and so forth. Furthermore, the flow of information in the classroom is far greater than the ‘bottleneck effect’ where every question is directed through the teacher. More often than not, students are able to learn effectively from one another, as long as the bandwidth of ability within a given group is well-managed.
“But this is not to say that individual accountability is disregarded altogether. Otherwise we would run the risk of storing up difficulties for later by kicking the metaphorical can down the street. Regular testing is the cornerstone of any rigorous endeavour, academic or otherwise and good quality feedback is one of the most impactful factors in the development of any individual. As such, we test students regularly at Shiplake so that we can track their progress closely, provide the aforementioned feedback on a frequent basis and intervene with bespoke, 1-1, clinics where necessary.
“Above all, we feel that there is something for everyone across the breadth of the subject and that every student can make progress during their time at the College. They may well develop a certain amount of resilience along the way! Anyone with an understanding of fractals or Euler's form will tell you that Mathematics can be beautiful but, at any level, it helps us to make sense of the space and events that envelop us. It also encourages people to think critically and analytically. These are some of the skills and traits that we hope our students will take with them when they leave Shiplake.”
