Episode 178: Maths mastery’s impact on Bermuda

Andy Psarianos

Hi, I'm Andy Psarianos.

Robin Potter

Hi, I'm Robin Potter.

Adam Gifford

Hi, I'm Adam Gifford.

Andy Psarianos

This is the School of School podcast.

Welcome to the School of School podcast.

Adam Gifford

All right, we're back for another episode of the School of School podcast. What hopefully has been edited out of this is I've made a real mess of the introduction, so there's giggling in the background, which is very professional. So thanks, team.

Andy Psarianos

Yeah, we're pretty professional.

Adam Gifford

This is wonderful. We've got the usual team. Andy and Robin, how are you both? You both good?

Andy Psarianos

Yeah, doing well. Nice. Sunny day. Can't complain.

Robin Potter

Very professional. Yeah, I'm great.

Andy Psarianos

No hurricanes on this side of the world.

Adam Gifford

No. I'd like to move on quite swiftly to our far more professional guest, Crenstant Williams. It's an absolute pleasure to have you on the podcast. You are with us virtually all the way from Bermuda, and I just wonder, for listeners that may not have met you, may not have heard about you, would you mind just introducing yourself?

Crenstant Williams

My name is Crenstant Williams. I am currently the acting principal of Port Royal Primary School in Bermuda. I previously served as the math education officer for just under four years. Technically I still am because no one has taken my job and I've been deputy principal also at West End Primary. So that's the latest that I'll tell you.

Andy Psarianos

Busy, busy.

Crenstant Williams

Yep. Very busy.

Adam Gifford

I love it. And your history, you've been in education for a while, you know it well, and you've introduced a Mastery approach to your school, but I believe you also work with others with that approach, is that right?

Crenstant Williams

Yes, actually. But it started in 20, what was it, '16, '17 where I went to a workshop at a private school work academy. Had a gentleman by the name of Adam Onamber, he's actually from the UK where I met him and introduced me to the Math Mastery approach. And then at the time I was the chairman of the Bermuda Educator's Council and that's the body that oversees teachers that governs, make sure you have the correct requirements to teach here in Bermuda. And a part of the programme at my school, which was hiring to some primary at the time, and when we did at the end of the year because we follow the Cambridge curriculum, my school came out on top in terms of the exams and then I managed to convince the Ministry of Education, so we implemented into all the schools now. So all primary and middle school used the Mastery approach.

Andy Psarianos

Fantastic.

Robin Potter

So what was it about the Mastery approach that really made you think this is it?

Crenstant Williams

The representation was key for me because the bar modelling strategy and the representation, when you see how it's easy to explain to students that basically when you're showing them with pictures, it makes it that much easier and they can then come back to you and prove that they understand it. It wasn't no more a child knows their multiplication facts, very simple, but then when you get to the algebra section in the middle school, they don't know it quite as well. And your parents are complaining saying, "Well, my child knows some multiplication facts, but somehow algebra they're getting tripped up." So instead of telling me that 5 times 3 is 15, now I say to the child, "Can you prove to me why you know for sure that 5 times 3 is 15?" And the other thing that came out of the Mastery approach, which I tell everybody for me is the game changer is using the use of numicons.

The numicons in the P1, P2, that for me was the game changer. That makes sure they have a solid foundation. And it was just amazing to watch children who they would say come into primary school because our primary school is when they come from preschool, preschool is not mandated here in Bermuda. So a lot of times, not all the school, they come actually ready. And so when they started using the numicons, they learned foundational numbers and to show what one is one, two is two, and then you get to 10. When I say it's a game changer, for me that foundation was like, yeah, we have to do this. So that's where it all started for me.

Andy Psarianos

I think that's one of the things for people who are not in education, it's hard for them to understand how important those first few years are and getting that concept of number on all the various different concepts of number and how important using concrete materials, being able to actually see and manipulate things to get a sense of number. It's hard, people who don't do that for a living, it's really hard for them to understand how difficult it is to get that embedded at a young age. What are some of the challenges you had maybe with some of your peers or the community to try to instil these things? Because parents will come and say, "Well, my kid already knows how to count to 100. They've got it all figured out." But the reality is they just remember it like a parrot, they don't really know what those numbers are. What were some of the challenges that you had maybe with some of the teachers or some of the parents when you were trying to get this embedded in Bermuda?

Crenstant Williams

Well, the first issue was a lot of the teachers in primary school, which we realised the teachers are not specialists, they're generalists, as I like to say. So to come with a new programme, most of them said it's called a Singapore approach, which is the bar modelling. If you have not been taught how to teach the bar modelling, to try and teach your children's going to be a challenge. So the biggest thing, which we said is that we had to have ongoing training. So we made sure that they got training throughout the year, through our PD sessions and plus after school whereby they were trained in how to teach the bar modelling strategy. Because I would tell them, "You can't just go to tomorrow and say you're going to teach the children if you don't yourself first practise it and do it yourself."

So what we did was that we organised training sessions and then we also went around to the schools where we met with a lot of the PTAs. So we grouped them like the Western Zone, Eastern Zone, Central Zone. It's like a roadshow and we would go to these schools and the PTA meetings and we would say, "Okay, we're coming in today and this is what we're doing", and we will show them how it worked. And then we eventually created a website, which they have now is called Bermuda Math Site, which has lessons on there and embedded in it the bar modelling with the Maths Mastery approach. That's how we did it. Is it perfect? Is it complete? No, I'm not going to say that because you still, in every situation you have people who, "I've been doing it this way for 20 years, I'm not changing now", but for the most part, we're seeing gains, already people that have embraced it.

Andy Psarianos

So what would be great, Crenstant, because I think one of the things for some of our listeners, they not really familiar with the education system in Bermuda. Bermuda is not a huge place, right? Population is, what, around 70,000 people or something.

Crenstant Williams

65. Yeah.

Andy Psarianos

65. So even less, so what are some of the... Yeah, it's not a lot, right? That's the entire population. What are some of the challenges that that brings to the education system?

Crenstant Williams

Well, here in Bermuda you have the private schools and you have the public schools. Right now we're actually undergoing education reform where we're introducing what's called a signature programme. So we're going to have signatures, parish primary schools, which am now going to have where children go from year one up to year eight. And then year nine is now going to get attached onto the senior schools. So there's going to be 10 parish primary schools, and we have one for what we call special needs children. But the biggest issue I would say is the teachers... Actually, let me rephrase, because I'm not going to say the teachers, everybody just needs to sing from the same hymn book, I like to say. We have to do what's best for the children.

And here in Bermuda, we have a tendency to at times where we will bring in some PD but doesn't have a follow-up behind it. But now with me being the math office, I've made sure that there is consistent PD and ongoing PD because you have to practise your craft and keep getting better each time. So luckily I was able to get some funding from the Centennial Foundation, whereby last year we had 15 teachers that did the SSAT certification in leadership and math. So now they're deemed what we call our master teachers for mathematics. So we're hoping that come September because there are adversities in the Mastery approach and the bar model, we can put them into the schools in a leadership capacity to help train the trainer type of thing. So that's what we're looking to do.

Adam Gifford

How does the teacher training work there, Crenstant? I'm really intrigued actually because I didn't realise quite how small it was. And so you've got your population of teachers. In terms of teacher training, what's the pathway that leads into coming into your schools?

Crenstant Williams

Well, most teachers, you have to do your undergraduate degree, and you have to have what they call your teacher certification. So you can do it either in the UK, US, then there's Canada, but you have to have what they call the teaching practicum and a teaching to say that you're certified to teach. Then you have to apply to the Bermuda Educators Council to get a licence. And then after that, you can apply to the ministry of education to get a job or public schools can recruit you, but you have to have your Educators Council licence before you can teach in Bermuda. So after you've gotten your licence, then it becomes where if they've given you, say, you come in as the math teacher lead or the language teacher lead, you then undergo training. You were put on workshops in your school. The ministry puts on workshops throughout the year, and you also have the principals of the workshops, and then you have the Bermuda Union of Teachers, they also put on workshops. So that's how, you're continuously upskilling yourself because you want the best teachers in our system.

Adam Gifford

Of course, that's a massive commitment, isn't it? To have to leave to do your training to come back. Are there any issues with in the workforce getting enough teachers or is that something that's not an issue at all? Maybe Bermuda is fantastic place to live. Listen, I'd love to jump out there and see you, but no, I didn't know. Is that an issue?

Crenstant Williams

Yep. Everywhere has a shortage of teachers. We're always looking for teachers. So there is something you can do your undergraduate degree online, but you have to do, I think it's through Mount Saint Vincent University. And there's another thing is carpentry, but you have to do your teacher training, which is the practicum part. That's the most important part. So you don't necessarily have to go away, but most people do tend to go overseas and then come back.

Robin Potter

I can now hear people in the background scrambling, getting online, seeing how do I become a teacher in Bermuda?

Crenstant Williams

Well, yeah, Bermuda, it's a good place to live. We do have a very high standard of living, wonderful beaches, pink sand, everything that you could want, that's why they call it paradise. So by all means, what can I say?

Robin Potter

And a few hurricanes along the way.

Crenstant Williams

Yeah, we do have, there's one, Ernesto is on his way, I said earlier. Hopefully just blinks out as it keeps going, so not going to say we're used to it, but the infrastructure is pretty good. So yeah, we're just hoping he doesn't really do too much damage, just waves and gives us a little bit of rain and keeps going.

Andy Psarianos

Yeah, won't be your first rodeo, right? I'm sure you guys...

Crenstant Williams

No. Not the first. No. The irony of this is that we normally get a hurricane the first week of school. That's been the tradition for the past two or three, maybe five years.

Andy Psarianos

Oh, wow.

Robin Potter

Welcome back.

Andy Psarianos

Welcome back. Start it with a bang.

Robin Potter

For me, I think the one thing we haven't really discussed, because we assume people understand Math Mastery, but could you summarise it a little bit for our listeners in case they're really not sure what it is that that entails?

Crenstant Williams

Well, for me, the Mastery approach is when a child is able to dissect a problem and they can prove that they understand exactly what they've been asked to do. The biggest thing for me, I was a P6 teacher for majority of my teaching career. We had what we call the checkpoint exams that the children had to do at the end of P6 so they would do the exams in math, language and science. And here in Bermuda, language and science, the results are always high, but math was always at the bottom. And on a checkpoint exam, the highest score you can get is a six. So then based on what the children that did, that'll give you an average. And so my skill pretty low as well, my average is always like a 1.8, 1.5, 1.9. You have pockets of children who will get a six or five or four, but the majority of the children will always down the bottom. So during the summer I'll go through the data and I'll be pulling my hair out and I'll be like, why are my children not understanding this?

We went over this in class, they know how to do it, but come exam time, the two weren't matching up. So when I got introduced to the Mastery approach where you have to do your fluency part first, then you do your pertinent questions and then you can do your enrichment, I said, okay, this is showing me now Crenstant's over here in the beginning, say if he is doing his multiplication tables fine. He knows that 5 times 2 is 10. But then if I put into a word problem, okay, how does Crenstant show me that 5 times 2 equals 10? Then I can stretch him a little further where I'm going now, instead of just doing to tens, I'm getting to hundreds. And Crenstant can master it by using manipulatives or drawing a picture to say, "This is correct and I can prove it with a definitive yes, I know this is right." So by doing it, especially the bar modelling where they break it apart and even the wording I find the children gravitated toward it.

And the other thing was that in school you always have the children where they go to learning support and the like. They also seem to flourish using this method. So the parents themselves be coming to class and like "Mr. Williams, what are you doing to my child? Because Johnny came here last night, show me this bar modelling and I don't understand what he's talking about, but he worked it out and she worked it out and everything's correct. What are you doing? I need to learn this as well." So I always have to send him notes to the parents, "Listen, Johnny knows what he's doing, please allow Johnny to continue. If you are not sure, leave it alone and Johnny and I work it out in class." So that was funny for me. Yeah, the parents call it the new math said "It's not new math, it is just that now the children are proving what they're doing and they're representing it."

Andy Psarianos

Yeah, that's right.

Crenstant Williams

That was really, I wouldn't say confusion, but that was where a lot of parents were saying, "This is some new math."

Andy Psarianos

Crenstant, what did it look like before you got into Mastery? What would be typical? You said there was this disconnect. You were teaching it, you knew you were teaching it, but come around them having to do it later. It was crumbling, it wasn't following through. What did that look like? What did the teaching look like in those days?

Crenstant Williams

The teaching was fine. I think the issue was that it was more rote learning for me. The children were learning, but it wasn't sticking with them. So it was a matter of now them using a Mastery approach, especially the bar modelling strategy, I would have to draw it out to prove it, that now sticks with them. So when they leave me, I've had children that have left me and going to switch there with the private schools and they are way ahead of their peers because they stuck with that method. So I think the issue was just being able to prove that this is what it is, instead of just, okay, you sing a song or you name multiplication tables, but then later on you can't prove it when you're doing algebra, like 2X equals 10, what is X? How do you know that X is 5? But right now they can draw, say five squares and say, "Okay, I know this has to be this because I know the 2 times this is 10", they've proved it. You know what I mean?

Andy Psarianos

Yeah.

Crenstant Williams

And that was what I found is a big issue because a lot of my boys, in particular the ones I had trouble with, getting them to switch over because a lot of these boys could tell me the answer when I put a question on the board verbally. And I'll say, "Okay, yes, you're correct. Now I want you to go and prove it." And that promoted a lot of discussion amongst my boys in my class because we all know boys and men, we don't like to write dumb things. If we know it's correct, I'm not trying to prove it to you. I know it's right and that's end of that. So no, boys, so what I started doing was I would put in incentives such as I liked in my class, I have a lot of Starbursts, or I promise to buy them lunch on Friday. You prove it correct, then you get lunch on me on a Friday. So of course everybody's scrambling to prove to me that this is why it's right. Yeah. You have to be creative at times when you're teaching.

Andy Psarianos

Yeah, absolutely.

Robin Potter

Yes, incentives.

Andy Psarianos

That's great.

Robin Potter

For sure.

Crenstant Williams

Yep.

Andy Psarianos

So just note for teachers, bribe the children, right?

Robin Potter

Yes.

Crenstant Williams

I didn't say bribe. I said incentive.

Robin Potter

Incentive.

Crenstant Williams

Incentivize your classes. Yes. Incentives.

Robin Potter

That's right. Yeah.

Andy Psarianos

Incentives, yeah.

Robin Potter

This is a great intro, but I have a feeling we need to discuss a little bit more about bar modelling, because again, if people are new to this concept, they may not really get what that means. So can we have you on again? Would that be reasonable?

Crenstant Williams

Yeah, that's no problem. Yeah, that's fine.

Robin Potter

Excellent.

Andy Psarianos

Fantastic.

Robin Potter

Perfect.

Andy Psarianos

Thanks, Crenstant.

Robin Potter

So thanks. Thank you so much.

Crenstant Williams

No problem at all. My pleasure.

Andy Psarianos

Thank you for joining us on the School of School podcast.