Page 44

Staffroom confidential

A funny thing happened… in our maths lesson

In a lesson on 3D shapes I was trying in vain to get my Year 1 class to remember the name of a triangular prism. The children managed ‘triangular’, but then went quiet. To attempt to jog their memories I started saying: ‘triangular p… p… p…”, when one child piped up “piranha!”

Fiona, Hampshire

I was teaching Year 1 children to find the difference between two numbers. I carefully wrote the numbers 3 and 7 on the board and asked them to tell me the difference between them. I was told, by a very serious little boy, that the 3 had curved lines and the 7 was straight.

Katie, Buckinghamshire

While teaching a maths lesson on sorting, I asked the children: “Why is this called a Carroll diagram?” I was hoping for the answer: “Because it’s named after its inventor, Lewis Carroll” (of Alice in Wonderland fame). I had to smile to hear the first suggestion… ”Did Carol Vorderman invent it?”

Jean, Essex

During a maths lesson about money, a Year 2 child asked my teaching assistant if she got pocket money. When she said: “No Josh, I don’t”, he replied: “Neither do I. It’s not fair is it?”!

Karen, Buckinghamshire

As part of my Year 7 work on probability, the class had discussed words and phrases associated with the probability scale of zero (impossible) to one (certainty). As a follow-up activity, groups added phrases to their own copy of the probability scale.

The finished products included phrases such as ‘when hell freezes over’, but my favourite was ‘a dead curtain’ – especially as I didn’t spot the mistake until the display had been on the wall for a week!

Jon, Derbyshire

We had been discussing triangles. I had explained that ‘tri-’ meant three. I asked the class if anyone could think of other examples where tri- was used this way.

They responded with the following: tripod – three legs, tricycle – three wheels, and trifle – jelly, cake and custard!

Arthur, Kent

I was marking a ‘speedy times tables’ test when I came across one that appeared to be blank. I returned it to the student and asked why he hadn’t done it.

He replied “but I have done it miss!” and produced a James Bond spy pen to reveal the answers… written in invisible ink!

At least he offered me the use of the spy torch so I could mark it! 

 Sarah, Dorset

The things pupils say

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Next issue: A funny thing happened in our art lesson. Send us your anecdotes by Friday 30 July.