How did co-ordinators help colleagues to use new ideas in the classroom?
Co-ordinators supported their colleagues to move forward from discussion of ideas and to begin to make changes to classroom practice by providing demonstration lessons and mentoring. The ease with which mathematics co-ordinators were able to implement these practices depended upon colleagues’ expectations and previous practice at the school, as well as on the co-ordinators’ own self-confidence and experience and the type and extent of support available to them. Modelling and demonstrating The NNS entitled all classroom teachers to see a numeracy lesson actually being taught by either a ‘leading mathematics teacher’ from the LEA, from another school or from within their own school. The co-ordinators had received either three or five days of training about the NNS, but many found having to lead these demonstration lessons stressful. Their discomfort increased if they: • had little experience in the role of mathematics co-ordinator • felt that other staff were relying on them as the ‘resi
