Times Tables

Times Tables ©

By Michael Casey

It’s the turn of the New Year, 2016 is here and I’m amazed by all the fuss in the Press about Times Tables. The Government want kids to know them by the age of 11, and we get a Teaching Backlash in reply. I learnt mine when I was 8 and that was late, and how was I incentivised? I got 4 of the best on my bum, so the next time of asking I knew them. We were classed as the clever 4 in the class so Mr Gallagher expected us to know them, he threatened to test us for ages, until finally he did. As I said the next time I knew them, and I started to read by the yard, so he did change my life for the better.

I do believe in learning by rote, it works, so use it. I do believe in using any trick in the book, if it works use it. I do believe in a little bit often. That’s how I learnt my Spanish again after a gap of 25 years. I was also an Esol English teacher for a year, and I even got called excellent twice and exemplary on my external assessment. With my students I told them to fit their studies around their day, and reward themselves with chocolate, or loser’s forfeit anything to make learning fun. Learn 10 sentences a day, that’s 70 a week of 280 a month, which is a very good grounding. The thing I stressed was they should read things aloud, and when speaking put on a fake English accent just for fun, because it really does help.

Coming back to Times Tables, they are such a fundamental thing, I’d say kids should know them by 7. Learn them by rote, take a whole week to learn them. Then explain about a family of octopuses needing to know their Times Tables, how the number 10 and money connect…. All very simple fun stuff, but get the bedrock down first. Once the bedrock is down then you can build on it, it’s a shallow excuse to say it’s too hard, it’s the a b c of maths, we teach  a b c to kids as soon as they come to school, so why don’t we do the same with numbers?

There is too much technology and that can blind us, make us lazy and kids lazy in turn. Kids don’t believe you when you say nobody had a phone at home, only the rich. Tell kids you remember colour tv coming out, not to mention remote controls, and having a 4^th tv channel was amazing, they just won’t believe you. Our kids are the Google generation, the cut and paste but know nothing generation. We’ve also read in the Press that some foreign students just cut and paste, I know some of my students just looked at me as if I was an idiot if I explained exam standards. But Sir, we have to cheat, how else would we pass. Integrity and Pride were not in their dictionary.

Which brings me back to Times Tables in schools, they are so important, without the firm foundations things just topple over. Another figure in the weekend’s Press, 20% of students fail to get the 5 good GCSEs. Teaching is not a democracy, it does not have to be a dictatorship, but pandering to kids or students is a mistake.

You are here to learn, not play games and have pretty work books, nor demand old statues should be removed, you are here to learn. Technology is great and modern schools are like PC World, but if kids can’t work it out in their head or with pen and paper then their time has been wasted at school. Examples such as what is the best value in a shop, it’s not always the big box is cheaper, or this 4 pack of lager is better that 4 pack. If you don’t know your times tables you’ll be less drunk by the end of the night.

The basics are always the foundations which lead to glory, 50 years after getting the pump on my bum, I still know my times tables. 40 years after my 0 Levels I still know my French. Mr Notzing my French teacher tested us every week for the 4 years I was in his class. Everybody groaned when we heard him tearing up paper to give us before he tested us, every week for 4 years.

Primary teaching is different, I come from a family of teachers. Without teaching the basics and making it fun kids never learn anything. Then as you grow older you should realise you need to put more effort into your own education, the teacher does less and you do more. The teacher is a signpost, and not just a human Google, you have to balance what you read and evaluate it, with their guidance.

That’s all for today, I could say more, a year ago I started tests in hospital, without all the hospital specialists I may have not been here today to talk to you. So thanks again to City and QE hospitals Cardiac Crews, I sure they all know their Times Tables.