Sam Blatherwick
@blatherwicksam.bsky.social
Head of maths, head full of maths. In the corner of the fox county.
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logsandroots.wordpress.com
I am a head of maths
I look after post 16 qualifications at EMS Maths Hub
I love doing maths cpd and maths questions
I blog at logsandroots.wordpress.com
I look after post 16 qualifications at EMS Maths Hub
I love doing maths cpd and maths questions
I blog at logsandroots.wordpress.com
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
Happy to report the 2026 game works.
So: place standard mathematical operators (+−×÷√!, that sort of thing) between 2, 0, 2, and 6, keeping the digits in order without concatenation, to make the numbers 0–10.
How many can you get?
#MathsToday
So: place standard mathematical operators (+−×÷√!, that sort of thing) between 2, 0, 2, and 6, keeping the digits in order without concatenation, to make the numbers 0–10.
How many can you get?
#MathsToday
January 1, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Happy to report the 2026 game works.
So: place standard mathematical operators (+−×÷√!, that sort of thing) between 2, 0, 2, and 6, keeping the digits in order without concatenation, to make the numbers 0–10.
How many can you get?
#MathsToday
So: place standard mathematical operators (+−×÷√!, that sort of thing) between 2, 0, 2, and 6, keeping the digits in order without concatenation, to make the numbers 0–10.
How many can you get?
#MathsToday
Trying to work out if there is a mistake in the textbook answers... what's the expression for the determinant of this matrix pls? #maths
December 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Trying to work out if there is a mistake in the textbook answers... what's the expression for the determinant of this matrix pls? #maths
picked up an old textbook at school today and the name in the front of it was the dad of one of my year 13s 😂 #mathstoday
December 19, 2025 at 5:13 PM
picked up an old textbook at school today and the name in the front of it was the dad of one of my year 13s 😂 #mathstoday
different things for different people, but I really struggle to see arguments in favour of FOIL.
December 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM
different things for different people, but I really struggle to see arguments in favour of FOIL.
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
I’m trying to teach this topic using the function machine notation that @blatherwicksam.bsky.social talked about at MathsConf last year. I like how this works for multiple transformations so wanted to introduce it now. #ALevelMaths
December 11, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I’m trying to teach this topic using the function machine notation that @blatherwicksam.bsky.social talked about at MathsConf last year. I like how this works for multiple transformations so wanted to introduce it now. #ALevelMaths
the rules for ritangle MASSIVELY advantage boarding schools and international schools again 🫠
December 3, 2025 at 11:13 AM
the rules for ritangle MASSIVELY advantage boarding schools and international schools again 🫠
seems like no matter how i teach trigonometry a handful of kids will say "when are you going to teach us about sohcahtoa?"
December 2, 2025 at 7:00 AM
seems like no matter how i teach trigonometry a handful of kids will say "when are you going to teach us about sohcahtoa?"
how fluent do students really need to be with times tables?
November 29, 2025 at 11:09 AM
how fluent do students really need to be with times tables?
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
This year I’ve ended up with the most silent Y12 class I’ve ever taught. Today I changed the seating plan and put this instruction at the top of the starter, and they actually talked to each other! #WeeklyWins #MathsToday #ALevelMaths
November 28, 2025 at 7:14 PM
This year I’ve ended up with the most silent Y12 class I’ve ever taught. Today I changed the seating plan and put this instruction at the top of the starter, and they actually talked to each other! #WeeklyWins #MathsToday #ALevelMaths
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
Does anyone have a nice activity that is related to rotational and line symmetry but also is basically Christmassy and snowflakey that I can point my yr 7 teachers in the direction of? #maths
November 17, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Does anyone have a nice activity that is related to rotational and line symmetry but also is basically Christmassy and snowflakey that I can point my yr 7 teachers in the direction of? #maths
Does anyone have a nice activity that is related to rotational and line symmetry but also is basically Christmassy and snowflakey that I can point my yr 7 teachers in the direction of? #maths
November 17, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Does anyone have a nice activity that is related to rotational and line symmetry but also is basically Christmassy and snowflakey that I can point my yr 7 teachers in the direction of? #maths
covered yr 7 in #mathstoday and got the pyramids out again, this time to teach simplifying expressions, was great fun
November 14, 2025 at 7:17 PM
covered yr 7 in #mathstoday and got the pyramids out again, this time to teach simplifying expressions, was great fun
spent last week thrashing out expanding brackets with a grid/area model last week with grade 1-3 yr 10s, felt like I was going nowhere fast and encountering lots of difficulties.
This morning did reverse process to factorise with same model. Insane success rate.
#mathstoday
This morning did reverse process to factorise with same model. Insane success rate.
#mathstoday
November 3, 2025 at 8:33 PM
spent last week thrashing out expanding brackets with a grid/area model last week with grade 1-3 yr 10s, felt like I was going nowhere fast and encountering lots of difficulties.
This morning did reverse process to factorise with same model. Insane success rate.
#mathstoday
This morning did reverse process to factorise with same model. Insane success rate.
#mathstoday
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
"We may not all be teachers of mathematics, but we are ALL teachers of math attitudes." @themathguru.bsky.social is delivering our closing keynote for today. 😍 #ATMNE25
October 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
"We may not all be teachers of mathematics, but we are ALL teachers of math attitudes." @themathguru.bsky.social is delivering our closing keynote for today. 😍 #ATMNE25
Met with Further Education Mastery Specialists across our region today to think about how we can bridge the gaps for students between secondary and FE, and for teachers in our shared understanding of each others' sectors #mathstoday
October 29, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Met with Further Education Mastery Specialists across our region today to think about how we can bridge the gaps for students between secondary and FE, and for teachers in our shared understanding of each others' sectors #mathstoday
Nice little activity with further today, give them a function, eg f(x)=x²+1, {x:x<3}, and they have to say whether it is many to one or one to one, and if it is many to one a reason why (eg in this case f(-2)=f(2)), & if it is one to one to give the inverse function #alevelmaths #mathstoday
October 27, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Nice little activity with further today, give them a function, eg f(x)=x²+1, {x:x<3}, and they have to say whether it is many to one or one to one, and if it is many to one a reason why (eg in this case f(-2)=f(2)), & if it is one to one to give the inverse function #alevelmaths #mathstoday
When i was a student teacher (08/09) my placement school had such big portions for lunch it would be my main meal of the day during the week.
October 27, 2025 at 3:15 PM
When i was a student teacher (08/09) my placement school had such big portions for lunch it would be my main meal of the day during the week.
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
Circle(s) is the key, I think!
It seems like we don't even need those two angles (a, b) to be equal.
In this diagram, the shaded triangles are congruent (SAS) and so both bases are 5root2.
[Seems too simple - am I missing something??]
It seems like we don't even need those two angles (a, b) to be equal.
In this diagram, the shaded triangles are congruent (SAS) and so both bases are 5root2.
[Seems too simple - am I missing something??]
October 26, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Circle(s) is the key, I think!
It seems like we don't even need those two angles (a, b) to be equal.
In this diagram, the shaded triangles are congruent (SAS) and so both bases are 5root2.
[Seems too simple - am I missing something??]
It seems like we don't even need those two angles (a, b) to be equal.
In this diagram, the shaded triangles are congruent (SAS) and so both bases are 5root2.
[Seems too simple - am I missing something??]
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
Learning how to research is important
So much of life depends on what questions you ask and how you frame them.
As HoD, I've been asking "how do I get more 4+ in yr 11?" But now I'm asking "How do I use yr 9 to get all students 4+ ready?" Changes perspective and data and actions.
So much of life depends on what questions you ask and how you frame them.
As HoD, I've been asking "how do I get more 4+ in yr 11?" But now I'm asking "How do I use yr 9 to get all students 4+ ready?" Changes perspective and data and actions.
October 25, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Learning how to research is important
So much of life depends on what questions you ask and how you frame them.
As HoD, I've been asking "how do I get more 4+ in yr 11?" But now I'm asking "How do I use yr 9 to get all students 4+ ready?" Changes perspective and data and actions.
So much of life depends on what questions you ask and how you frame them.
As HoD, I've been asking "how do I get more 4+ in yr 11?" But now I'm asking "How do I use yr 9 to get all students 4+ ready?" Changes perspective and data and actions.
Enjoyed Q25 from the SMC and in particular liked that my own solution isnt one that is demonstrated in their videos
#mathschat #maths #alevelmaths
#mathschat #maths #alevelmaths
October 25, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Enjoyed Q25 from the SMC and in particular liked that my own solution isnt one that is demonstrated in their videos
#mathschat #maths #alevelmaths
#mathschat #maths #alevelmaths
Cat is home 🏡 thanks for the positive messages! ❤️
October 21, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Cat is home 🏡 thanks for the positive messages! ❤️
anyone got any positive missing cat stories? 😒
what's the longest yours has gone missing for? We are just over 48 hours 😪
what's the longest yours has gone missing for? We are just over 48 hours 😪
October 20, 2025 at 7:08 PM
anyone got any positive missing cat stories? 😒
what's the longest yours has gone missing for? We are just over 48 hours 😪
what's the longest yours has gone missing for? We are just over 48 hours 😪
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
“What is three-quarters, one-quarter of?”
My thinking to get to an answer was way more convoluted than it needed to be!
My thinking to get to an answer was way more convoluted than it needed to be!
October 19, 2025 at 8:06 PM
“What is three-quarters, one-quarter of?”
My thinking to get to an answer was way more convoluted than it needed to be!
My thinking to get to an answer was way more convoluted than it needed to be!
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
Can't say I'd thought to do this before. #mathstoday
October 18, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Can't say I'd thought to do this before. #mathstoday
Reposted by Sam Blatherwick
Does anyone teach #coremaths OCR B? First year teaching this and finding it challenging, could really use some advice from someone who has taught it before.
October 17, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Does anyone teach #coremaths OCR B? First year teaching this and finding it challenging, could really use some advice from someone who has taught it before.