Hi everyone! I had the opportunity to observe David’s Year 7 Maths session with Jack, which focused on decimals. This also included how to find remainders, rounding up or down, and working through different decimal places. David’s teaching style was very clear and structured, making it a great session to understand how to teach junior years in particular.
To start the lesson, David used the whiteboard to give visual examples that helped the student better grasp the concept of decimals. He didn’t just dive into solving problems; instead, he walked the student through the foundational concepts of rounding up and down, breaking down each step so that it was easy to follow. One thing that stood out was how patient and attentive David was during this session. He made sure the student was keeping up with each explanation, regularly checking in by asking questions like “What do you think happens next?” to encourage active participation.
As maths is not my primary focus in tutoring, I interpreted David’s lesson as a way to see how to engage students more generally.
When working through questions, David went through each component in a step-by-step manner, which not only clarified the topic but also boosted the student’s confidence. i found this is a great method which I can also apply, so the student understands the value of answering the question given, and not just any broad answer.
David also made sure to change up the examples just enough to keep the student engaged. David also encouraged the student to try solving problems independently after explaining the process, guiding them when necessary but allowing them to take the lead.
His explanations were practical, allowing the student to feel more comfortable with decimals and rounding. This ensured the student remained focused and felt supported.
By the conclusion of the session, it was clear that the student felt ready to tackle more complex mathematical problems in class and in their upcoming exam.
Eleni Nicholas
