I decided since I didn't know what to expect of the students prior mathematical training I would add a column to the register for "previous mathematics". As an example to get the ball rolling I filled in my own line "BSc, 6 years ago." I was hugely suprised when 10 out of the 16 students in the room had A-Level experience of mathematics in the last two years.
One student asked me whether they really needed to attend and I gave the advise I had been asked to give. I said I wasn't going to tell them not to attend, but that they had been sent to me to obtain a certain level of mathematics and that level was represented by the course content. I also made clear that if they failed the module they might have a hard time retaking it if they had a poor attendance record, though I was a bit vague when pressed for more details since I don't know the extent to which this is a bluff. I can't imagine a student will be kicked off their course without being given an attempt to resit. When I finished talking I realised well over half the room had put down their pens to listen in.
When I handed out the course notes, about half the room opened the booklet and supressed a laugh or snort - an involuntary gesture of derision. I was a little dismayed - I had planned to go through the material in the first part of the booklet on the board. Clearly this would be very unwelcomed by most students in the room. I decided that since the material was so basic - really only a revision - and most of the students were obviously over-qualified anyway I would be better off running the whole lesson as a kind of problem class. The students would work through problems and I would be available to assist and answer questions as needed. This is a tried and tested method of teaching mathematics. "Right," I said, "I don't think there's any point me showing you how to multiply fractions, is there? So please have a go at the exercises on page 10 and let me know if you have any problems."
I followed this with a large blunder. I suggested that anyone who didn't feel confident in the materials should come to the front and I would go through it with them. Of course, no one moved. I realised instantly this was such an unwelcome idea. I grinned and said to a chap on the front row "That was a silly thing to say, wasn't it?" He laughed, "there's no way I'm letting you single me out," he said.
The class proceeded at their own pace for about an hour. I wandered round checking how students were doing and answering questions as they arose. The students were all capable and intelligent; some were a little rusty on the specifics of the material but eager to relearn. I tried to engage a few students in discussions about their home disciplines in order to bring them round to being enthusiastic about mathematics. I was suprised that none of them seemed to be questioning why they are learning the mathematics. One or two gave me examples of how the maths would be relevent to their disciplines. This was greater motivation that I had been expecting.
After an hour one student came up to me and said "me and my friends are on this page and we wondered if we could go now." According to the lesson plan I had from a previous year (but had not shared with the students) they were on week 4; and it was only halfway through week 1. I said they could go early; after all I am not their keeper and it is hardly my place to forbid them to leave. They could have simply not attended in the first place. It emerged that most of the room had advanced already beyond week 1 material and all left early. I went back to my room and typed up my register.
On numbers: 6 students in the room did not have A-Level experience. One student had sent word ahead that she would not be able to attend (see next post). This left 8 students who were expected to attend but had not.
