Maths Teaching Wrap Up

Well I taught Yr 7-10 Maths for three weeks to four classes in north-west Sydney. I drove for two hours a day on the M2 and the M7 and on Old Windsor Rad, which is now a high tech 80km per hour six lane major artery. The students were mostly convinced that I was a Maths Teacher. I did field a few comments early on "Are you sure you are a Maths Teacher?" I started to worry that students had read my blogger profile or something else online about me. But I soldiered on anyway "Of couse I am a Maths Teacher." As the three weeks progressed my maths became more accurate and impressive on the whiteboard. I referred to the curriculum and my Teaching Secondary Mathematics textbook frequently. I used the math pedagogy. I supervised the end of unti examinations in the exam room and marked the exams and entered the marks in the class folders. I listened to students needs over the noise of my classes and showed Year 7 how to divide fractions endlessly. Eventually the department and you know which one must have been tipped off and I received the e-mail invite to join the retraining seminars to actually become a Maths Teacher. I read the e-mail and thought seriously about the prospect of being paid a full time wage to study Maths Teaching with a guaranteed permanent job at the end of it. However I have committed to teaching HSIE for ten weeks in the inner city. So the maths retraining e-mail sits unanswered for another six months. I am considering it however.