For learning to be joyful and meaningful, there seems the need to tap into the curiosity of children, tickle their imagination, appeal to their reason and evoke that most natural love for discovery, pattern and beauty. Through the Maths Club, I hope to give children workouts that are enjoyable; analogous to long adventurous hikes in the woods rather than repetitive sessions in a gym.
Equally, it is important for us as teachers to cultivate these qualities for ourselves, so we remain life-long learners, teaching with child-like joy. Can we curate material that deepens our own understanding? Can we share the excitement of our discoveries with the children we teach? What are the roadblocks? In my teacher workshops, we dive into these and similar questions.
The intent of this program is to expose children to the beauty of Mathematics, develop in them an appreciation for pattern, sharpen their thinking skills, but most importantly discover the thrill of problem solving!
Age: 10-18 years
Batch Size: 8-12
Mode: In-person and Online
Duration: On-going, 90 minute sessions, 4 times a month
In this program, we try and make sense of techniques and formulae that are often taken for granted, discover Mathematical links and relationships for ourselves and also see what it means to apply Mathematics in the real world.
Age: 12-18 years
Batch Size: 8-12
Mode: In-person and Online
Duration: On-going, 90 minute sessions, 4 times a month
‘Learning (a bit) about Teaching and Learning through the Teaching and Learning of Maths’ is a program for in-service Mathematics teachers, where we examine how various seeds that are desirable in the teaching-learning process may be germinated in our classrooms.
For: In-service Mathematics Teachers
Level: Primary / Middle / Senior
Batch Size: 5-15
Mode: In-person, In-school
Duration: 90 minute sessions, 4 times a month, for 6 months
The three pillars of teaching-learning include: curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Here we attempt to deepen our subject knowledge, expand our pedagogical repertoire and broaden our teaching mindset, so we revel in the mysterious process of teaching-learning and see it as a life-long pursuit.
For: In-service Mathematics Teachers
Level: Primary / Middle / Senior
Batch Size: 5-15
Mode: In-person, In-school
Duration: 90 minute sessions, 4 times a month, for 6 months
Each school is situated in its own context, having their own challenges and operating under their own constraints of time and resource availability. The attempt here is to support in-service Mathematics teachers by tailoring customized programs that address their specific needs.
For: In-service Mathematics Teachers
Level: Primary / Middle / Senior
Batch Size: Flexible (1-on-1 / Group sessions)
Mode: In-person, In-school
Duration: Flexible
The Maths Club has been conducted in several schools in the past, including APL Global School, KC High International School, PSBB Schools and Ramakrishna Mission Matriculation Higher Secondary School. Since 2020, the Maths Club has moved online, with children participating from all parts of India and some even from abroad.
Teacher workshops are conducted in-school for in-service teachers. For these programs to be successful, it is important for participating teachers to have the full support of their school's leadership team. In the past, I have had the pleasure of offering my workshops to some highly motivated and open-minded teachers from different parts of India, teaching in Amrit Vidyalaya (Vadodara), APL Global School (Chennai), DAV Schools (Chennai), KC High International School (Chennai), Lamdon Model Senior Secondary School (Leh) and other schools.
I have not established any organisation and I personally conduct all the sessions I offer.
This means that my work can only reach a small set of people. But by keeping things small, I am able to continue to work directly with teachers and learners - a pleasure that I remain too attached to, to trade! Plus, this affords me yet another selfish pleasure - of working on problems each week and continuing my own learning journey in Mathematics, bit by bit!
Being by myself also ensures that I take personal responsibility for the quality of my offerings. And when things don't quite go to plan, I have no one else to blame!
I conceptualise and structure all the programs I offer, for both the Maths Club as well as the Teacher Workshops. The specific material presented is however mostly a curation of the work done by others.
I have a lot of people to thank for the material I share. There are plenty of fabulous online resources, freely available. Here are some websites that I regularly dip into:
In addition, I curate from beautiful books that I have had the good fortune and pleasure to read. Here are some that spring to mind:
I am also particularly grateful to the insights of Pamela Liebeck whose wonderfully instructive book, titled, 'How Children Learn Mathematics' is a must-read for all primary school Mathematics educators. In addition, my thoughts on Mathematics education have been influenced by Paul Lockhart's seminal essay, 'A Mathematician's Lament'.
The Maths Club should not be seen as a coaching centre training children to clear some specific competitive examination. Nor are the programs attempting to substitute the school Maths teacher or provide homework help.
The intent of the club is to expose children to the beauty of Mathematics, develop in them an appreciation for Mathematical pattern and in the process, sharpen their Mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. Hopefully, the kids discover and clarify certain Mathematical concepts along the way.
All of this seems to be necessary for a child to enjoy the subject and do well in it. But are these sufficient to excel in school work? Possibly not! That requires a level of fluency, attained through rigour and drill, which is beyond the scope of our work at the Maths Club.
The work I do with children is, at best, that of a little torch that shines upon some amusing and interesting aspects of learning. For children though, it is their school teachers who are the primary beacons of light, guiding them in their quest to make sense of the world and the abundant beauty and mystery lying within it.
If I should, in some small way, inspire and motivate teachers, perhaps the knock-on effect would reach more children than I ever could? It is this - coupled with my desire to share some learnings and insights that I have been fortunate to pick up over the years - which motivates my work with teachers.
The fee for my programs is as follows:
These contributions are usually made monthly, around the start of the month.
However, I try not to get cost in the way of working with those who are keen and interested, and especially so for those who come from economically under-privileged backgrounds.
I also try and take some of my work, free of cost, to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the future, I hope to be able to help teachers and learners in war-torn regions and conflict zones. Your contributions support my efforts.
The teacher workshops are conducted as and when there is an interest expressed by a school. So if you are a teacher keen to attend one of my programs, do please speak to your school management, so we can work out a flexible schedule for you based on mutual convenience.
The Maths Club sessions are held online (on Zoom), once a week, and they run through 11 months of the year - June to April. Children may join in and drop out at any point, though for the sake of continuity it is suggested they pursue these sessions for as long as possible, until such time that they feel a lack of excitement. It is also advised, for the sake of their own learning, that children not absent themselves unless unavoidable, once enrolled.
We meet at the following times:
There are batches for different age groups. Please contact me to know what may work best for your child. And then they can begin! There are no other registration formalities.
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