Being a good teacher /mathslearning/ en New website for Making Your Own Sense blog /mathslearning/news/list/2025/12/16/new-website-for-making-your-own-sense-blog The entire content of this blog has been moved to its own website with the web address . Several new blog posts have been added and will continue to be added in the future.

]]> December 16 2025 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2025/12/16/new-website-for-making-your-own-sense-blog Making the lie true /mathslearning/news/list/2023/07/13/making-the-lie-true We at my university regularly sell quite a big lie.

]]> July 13 2023 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2023/07/13/making-the-lie-true Why mathematical induction is hard /mathslearning/news/list/2023/06/06/why-mathematical-induction-is-hard Students find mathematical induction hard, and there is a complex interplay of reasons why. Some years ago I wrote an answer on the Maths Education Stack Exchange describing these and it's still something I come back to regularly. I've decided to post it here too.

]]> June 06 2023 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2023/06/06/why-mathematical-induction-is-hard Space to enter /mathslearning/news/list/2023/03/02/space-to-enter This is a photo of the entrance to my Maths Learning Centre. What do you notice?

]]> March 02 2023 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2023/03/02/space-to-enter Book Reading: You're Not Listening /mathslearning/news/list/2023/01/23/book-reading-youre-not-listening This blog post is about the book You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy, and in particular my reactions to it from a teacher's perspective.

]]> January 23 2023 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2023/01/23/book-reading-youre-not-listening Four levels of listening /mathslearning/news/list/2022/09/23/four-levels-of-listening Listening is one of the most important aspects – no, scratch that – the most important aspect of my work in the Maths Learning Centre.

]]> September 23 2022 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2022/09/23/four-levels-of-listening Other(ing) Explanations /mathslearning/news/list/2022/09/09/othering-explanations Most people who teach mathematics are aware that it's useful to have alternative explanations for concepts, and useful to have different ways to approach problems.

]]> September 09 2022 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2022/09/09/othering-explanations Running out of puzzles /mathslearning/news/list/2022/02/02/running-out-of-puzzles Because people know I run the One Hundred Factorial puzzle sessions, they often ask me if I have a repository of puzzles they can use for their classroom, enrichment program, maths club, or their own enjoyment.

]]> February 02 2022 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2022/02/02/running-out-of-puzzles My first Maths Teacher Circle /mathslearning/news/list/2021/01/25/my-first-maths-teacher-circle Last week I participated in my first . I just want to do a quick blog post here to record for posterity that I did it and it was excellent. I choose to take the practical approach of just relating what happened.

]]> January 25 2021 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2021/01/25/my-first-maths-teacher-circle The Solving Problems Poster /mathslearning/news/list/2020/11/19/the-solving-problems-poster This blog post is about the Solving Problems poster that has been on the MLC wall for more than ten years in one form or another.

]]> November 19 2020 David Butler /mathslearning/news/list/2020/11/19/the-solving-problems-poster