Jonathan Hall
studymaths.bsky.social
Jonathan Hall
@studymaths.bsky.social
Maths teacher. Creator of MathsBot.com.
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
February 12, 2026 at 2:05 PM
In #MathsToday we did a task that creates the need for equivalent ratios.

We used counters, the bottom row is where the real fun starts.
February 11, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
open.substack.com/pub/neilalmo...

Trying to resurrect the old blog in a new format to get writing and reading more. Here’s 5 things that I think all secondary teachers should know about reading.
From the archive: What Every Secondary School Teacher Needs to know about Reading
This originally appeared on my WordPress blog, but it still gets a fair bit of traction.
open.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
I'm including SCG in a presentation next week on Inquiry routines / problem solving strategies.

Love this (John Mason)
SPECIALIZING means choosing examples
● randomly, to get a feel for the question;
● systematically, to prepare the ground for generalizing;
● artfully, to test a generalization.
February 8, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
It's a SUPER day for #ProblemSolving Sunday!
Check out the February Calendar of Problems... which ones did you like from this past week?
Share your thinking & working out here or on the post.
#MTBoS #iTeachMath #T3Learns #RecreationalMath #MathSky

karendcampe.wordpress.com/2026/02/01/f...
February Calendar Problems
February is here and if you need a distraction from winter ❄️ weather, I have the February 2016 Calendar of Problems from 10 years ago for your wintertime problem solving enjoyment. I have a few mo…
karendcampe.wordpress.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
GCSE maths anxiety is rising, and teachers are feeling the pressure too. Maths Revolution shares simple, steady approaches that help students build confidence and stick with it. A reassuring read for anyone teaching GCSE this term.
Available 26 Mar 2026 @BloomsburyEd
February 5, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
New post: Are book looks a waste of time?

For some, they are a meaningless scourge. For others, they are a vital accountability lever that provides insight into the lived curriculum.

Read on for more, and please share if you can!

carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com/p/are-book-l...
Are "book looks" a waste of time?
Book looks and work scrutinies are a staple in many schools. But can they actually tell us anything about teaching or learning?
carouselteachlearnlead.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Could be a nice "which one doesn't belong" prompt?

#wodb
February 8, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Raises the question about distinction between mathematical skills and topics (even those terms warrant better definition). The skill/procedure is proportion, but the topic is it's own. Much like percentages.
February 7, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Pie charts - worthy of being called a topic on their own in a curriculum, or just an application of direct proportion?
February 7, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Two regular hexagons inside a rectangle. What fraction of the rectangle is shaded?

I found this #geometrypuzzle in my sketchbook - I drew it last June, but I’m pretty sure I never got round to posting it. Better late than never!
February 7, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Here is an even more generic version, and a nudge towards a more efficient ratio table approach.

The ratios are now blanked out which is a nice bonus of the table approach.

#BlankIsBest #MathsToday
February 7, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Using Cuisenaire rods to model how we can find the nth term rule of a simple linear sequence.

youtu.be/s38PBKNdpBs
#MiniMathsBots
Finding an nth term rule using Cuisenaire
YouTube video by Jonathan Hall
youtu.be
February 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM
I love this thread!

If you've ever wanted to get into Algebra Tiles, or learn how to use the MathsBot ones, this playlist of short (<2 min) videos might be a good start.

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
February 7, 2026 at 9:45 AM
My 8yo has been making coasters with mosaic tiles and I think they’re pretty cool.
February 7, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Started the first day of Calculus class with a problem from @stevemaths.bsky.social. Students used several different strategies to calculate the red area. #ITeachMath
February 6, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Had a Year 11 intervention class today with only 6 students in because of a mock exam running.
Set 1 and the @goteachmaths.bsky.social Mark Maximiser showed us that completing the square was a huge gap…
So over to @studymaths.bsky.social MathsBot we go for some algebra tile goodness!
#MathsToday
February 6, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
In #mathstoday year 9 finally know the difference between the radius and diameter, and year 12 looked at transformations of functions.
February 6, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
🎉 We are excited to announce MC40!

Join like-minded people in a celebration of all things maths at City of Derby Academy.

🗓 Date: Saturday 18th April 2026
📍 Location: City of Derby Academy

We look forward to seeing you there! 🙌

👉 BOOK HERE: completemaths.com/community/ma...

#MathsConf40
February 5, 2026 at 6:04 PM
I used this template slide to introduce sharing in a ratio with Y9 in #MathsToday (yesterday)

The "blank is best" approach to slides is a powerful tool for responsive teaching.
February 5, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Yes, it's based on my work on the Proof Materials Project (2004 - 2005). Here's an extract from the report, arguing for taking a generic approach to the 'matchstick squares' task.
February 5, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
Interestingly, I think there are also times when the opposite approach is worthwhile!
February 4, 2026 at 10:05 AM
In #MathsToday we made a conjecture from this prompt...then tried to prove it.
February 3, 2026 at 6:23 PM
We used algebra tiles in #MathsToday to prove that the sum of 5 consecutive integers is always a multiple of 5.
February 2, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Jonathan Hall
This thread is absolutely perfect for stuff I’m trying in my classroom these days. I’m taking part in a “Developing Mathematical Thinking” project with University of Dundee and we are looking at things like this. Will try out lots of these. Did the 4 digit palindrome one. S-C-G would’ve improved it.
February 2, 2026 at 6:34 AM