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james nottingham poster growth mindset classroom visible learning printable student lego display ks2

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As a mathematics educator who also happens to be a new mom, I have serious concerns about the future math classroom my daughter will enter. One of my biggest fears is that the math class will stifle much of her curiosity and creativity that I have witnessed every day during her first few months of life.

In my collaborations with preschool to 2nd grade early-childhood educators over the past five years, I have found that teachers often wrestle with two historically competing philosophies of educating young children. One philosophy embraces the importance of creating play-based environments, where children learn by exploring and engaging in play. The other emphasizes the need to prepare students to meet state and national mathematics standards by focusing on specific academic skills. These two philosophies are not either-or. In fact, mathematical thinking and learning often happen during play.

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards and an increasing focus on so-called 21st-century skills, our thinking about supporting students' curiosity and creativity has progressed in recent years. However, as with most change, the implementation of our ideas hasn't yet panned out the way we might have hoped.

I am finding that teachers are increasingly feeling the pressure to address learning standards in ways that do not build upon young children's inherent curiosity and inclination to experiment. Math instruction in the early grades is too often becoming more like traditional high school math classes. I have seen kindergarten and 1st grade teachers giving short lectures followed by having children complete worksheets filled with math problems. These worksheets often consist of the same type of problem just with different numbers (e.g., 1+2 = __; 1+3 = __; 1+4 = __) and noninteractive images for young children to count or compare.

What I am witnessing is not surprising given our misconceptions of what it means to learn math in school. Many think that math is all about learning procedures and memorizing rules. At both the high school and elementary levels, procedurally focused learning is not conducive to supporting students' understanding of important mathematical concepts. In fact, a 2016 study published in Scientific American found that students who rely on memorization are half a year behind their peers who approach math by relating concepts to existing knowledge and monitoring their own understanding.

It is important to attend to mathematical learning goals while fostering creativity early in a child's education. We need to create more opportunities for young children to explore mathematical ideas in interactive and playful ways. Instead of doing math worksheets, young children need intentionally designed activities that allow them to think and engage like mathematicians by testing out different ideas, experimenting with strategies, and explaining their thinking. Unlike traditional math worksheet problems that can only be solved one way, children should engage in problems that have many possible solution strategies and are ripe for discussion and debate.

What can we do as educational practitioners and leaders?

1. Be curious about how children think. Young children have fascinating strategies for how to solve mathematical problems. Our goal is to support them to develop perseverance, confidence, and critical thinking skills when solving math problems. Rather than telling them exact steps for solving a problem, a good first step is to ask open-ended questions ("How did you figure it out?"). Then watch to see what the child does before asking another question that is based on what you observed ("I noticed that you moved the blue bears. Why did you do that?").

2. Support teachers to change things up. Teachers should be encouraged to focus on the creative nature of math. It's OK if math assignments don't look like traditional math worksheets. If teachers give homework, it should be interactive and exploratory in nature, not stagnant worksheets.

3. Get parents on board by encouraging them to find opportunities to engage in math in our everyday lives and surroundings. A great way to start is by counting collections of objects with young children. A collection can be made up of anything found at home, such as coins or utensils. The goal is to figure out how many objects are in the collection and to support children to think deeply about quantity in a way that makes sense to them. In my experiences, children are very excited to figure out how many objects are in their collections and will use a variety of strategies in the process (e.g., sorting, multiplying, adding, etc.).

If we make a concerted effort to push back against traditional math worksheets, my concerns might be alleviated by the time my daughter enters kindergarten.

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Ditch the Math Worksheets and Stop Killing Kids' Curiosity (Opinion)

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As a mathematics educator who also happens to be a new mom, I have serious concerns about the future math classroom my daughter will enter. One of my biggest fears is that the math class will stifle much of her curiosity and creativity that I have witnessed every day during her first few months of life.

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Disclaimer: This post is purely about my own experience about teaching maths without worksheets. This isn't an attempt to discredit the validity of all worksheets... just most of them.

This semester, I set a challenge to myself to refrain from handing out any worksheets during lesson or for homework. I did this because I felt like there was a disconnect between how I was teaching and how I was expecting my students to work during class time. The topics that I was teaching this semester included Exponents & Logarithms (index and log laws), Polynomials (big focus on Quadratics/Parabolas), and Rates of Change (introduction to Differential Calculus). Around the same time, I was working with some primary (elementary) schools about creative ways to develop students' fluency in mathematics. When they asked about what I did in my own classroom, I felt uncomfortable admitting that I resorted to handing out worksheets, expecting students to develop a deep level of understanding through practice. I came to the realisation that handing out worksheets wasn't solely the issue, rather the purpose that I expected it to serve. So, I went cold turkey - no worksheets. Ever.

Early Days

Thankfully, I had plenty of magnificent people to steal ideas from, ask questions of, and share thoughts with. These people, The Global Math Department (if you don't know them, you need to meet them #MTBoS), transformed the way I teach and how my students learn. My aim was to help students develop a stronger, broader, and deeper conceptual understanding of the mathematics they were learning. For me, as a teacher, it is the exploration of mathematical concepts (often through efforts to find ways to engage my students to learn them) that has allowed me to develop a strong understanding. I didn't practice problem after problem to try and master procedures, or become super-quick through doing so. So, I don't expect my students to do the same, nor do I think that they will become better learners if they do.

It was tough though. Resources that I had previously printed off and used as gap-fill in my lessons were now obsolete. When teachers handed me spare copies of their worksheets, which I would have previously photocopied for my students, I now awkwardly took them and added them to my scrap paper pile face down on my desk. Initially, my students were expecting and even asking for worksheets in class, assuming that it was the next part of the lesson or the homework to be completed. With the students, at least, I was able to have an open conversation with them about why they wanted a worksheet and it often led to reasons centered on being ready for a test. This is what kept me motivated.

Change

More work. That's usually what change initially feels like and boy, it did. Instead of planning the first 40% of the lesson before serving the three-course set menu of worksheets, I was thinking more critically about where the students needed to be in order to be ready to push their understanding to the limits and discover the next concept or key idea. One blog post that I've been quite significantly influenced by is Jon Orr's Hero's Journey in Math Class. He writes at length about two really important aspects of learning that I spend a lot of time trying to get right as a teacher. Productive Struggle and the Development of a Need to Learn. My efforts to do this in my class can best be followed by reading some of my blog posts over the past couple of months, but here are some more specific examples of what took place of worksheets in my sessions:

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Assessment

A big reason that many students feel practice is important is to ready themselves for a test scenario. Can you do the maths in isolation under a certain amount of time? Why is that so important? Unfortunately, this has been the main focus for many students, and perhaps even more unfortunately, some teachers too. Our assessments needed to also challenge the status-quo. Not because new is always good, but because old didn't match up with what we wanted the students to understand about mathematics. I try to help my students connect their understanding from topic to topic, subject to subject, and year to year. I do this by making them feel like there is a clear purpose for why they need the maths before actually learning how to "do it". I would emplore you (especially if you're still reading the post all the way down here) to read my post on Ditching Tests for Desmos. Then, try it in your class. Here were our four tasks this semester:

Exponents & Logarithms Test (boo)

Quadratics Desmos task (see Ditching Tests for Desmos)

Polynomials folio task - based on graphing out narrative tension in films or books

Mathematicians commentary (Rates of Change) - justification / motion analysis of a film students made for another subject

Apart from the first test, which the students nailed by the way, the assessment tasks focus on students' ability to communicate their understanding of mathematical concepts.

Review

Teachers are always looking for something to quantify the effect pedagogy has on student learning. Usually, this is done by handing out and analysing tests, surveys, and other formative work (e.g. check quizzes). I'm not sure if we can ever expect to find a clear-cut answer to justify our choice to educate in a certain way, but I think reflection is incredibly important. Here are some things that I noticed in my class when I stopped handing out worksheets:

More discussions. Like, heaps more.

More questions. Better questions.

More students asking for re-explanations or clarity on their thoughts.

More collaboration and arguments (good ones - based on maths).

Less sheets left on tables at the end of lesson.

A greater sense of community amongst the class. More group-based problems helped with this.

More use of graphing tools, such as Desmos.

Less stress about skill development for test preparation.

More a-ha moments. Louder ones too.

Your Thoughts

Do you think I'm crazy? Please comment below, I'd love your thoughts, challenging questions, or any other comments that you have!

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Disclaimer: This post is purely about my own experience about teaching maths without worksheets. This isn't an attempt to discredit the validity of all worksheets... just most of them. This semester, I set a challenge to myself to refrain from handing out any worksheets during lesson or for homework.

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Are worksheets good or bad? That is the question.

For those of you that follow my blog closely you have probably formulated a guess as to my answer to this question. I'm going to start by saying that I don't think worksheets are "bad". I believe that they have a place in this world, but in very very very very very small doses. There are ample alternatives to worksheets, and I hope you'll consider them.

​ I have used worksheets before and will continue to use them occasionally in my teaching career. However, I use them sparingly, and I use a specific style of worksheet. ​

​When I use the word "worksheet" in this post from now on, what I am referring to is that of the "drill" variety such as pages or packets filled with the same questions over and over again that have right or wrong answers.

​Someone might refer to an inquiry-based learning paper template with scaffolding questions as a "worksheet". I would not, and that is not what I am referring to here.

Why I Don't Give My Students Worksheets:

2) Worksheets do not accommodate all learners.

Worksheets are a one-size-fits-all approach, and learners are not one-size-fits-all. This can leave many students confused, frustrated, and deflated.

Personal learning is a popular approach to accommodating all learners needs and interests, which is at the heart of experiential learning.

At a minimum, make worksheets an option, but beware that students are likely choosing worksheets because they offer concrete right or wrong answers. It's easier than having to problem-solve , work together as a team, reach out to community as a resource , as some non-worksheet learning activities would require of students.

3) Drill worksheets do not have a place in life outside of school.

The only time I have ever done worksheets in my life was when I was in school. It would never come up in life; not to get a job, not to keep a job, not to plan for a family, not to plan a trip. Drill worksheets serve little purpose in life, so why do them? I'm short on time as it is. Adding busy work that serves no purpose is not something I'm going to do.

Prospective employers are going to want to know if the student has a thorough understanding of the content necessary to succeed in their field. They're going to want to know if the student can work well with others, control their impulses, critically and creatively think, work independently. These 21st-century skills aren't gained by completing drill worksheets.

I have loved Ken Robinson's philosophy on this since seeing his incredible TedTalk - Do Schools Kill Creativity? This presentation blows my mind.

​I am an educator who spent 10 years in the classroom and went to public school myself. I am firm believer in public education. But are we serving our students well in the current system?

If you're mulling over this question in your head right now, whether schools are killing curiosity, I highly recommend reading Ken Robinson's book, Creative Schools . The book focuses on how classrooms can transform; move away from rote memorization and testing culture, and toward practices that serve 21st-century learners and ignite a passion for learning.

If you purchase this book through the affiliate link I will receive a small commission (at no cost to you). I only endorse products that I have personally used, benefited from, and support.

4) Worksheets "decontextualize" learning.

Drill worksheets are loaded with questions or problems in isolation from the whole. For example, I would get worksheets in high school chemistry that were filled with chemical equations to be solved. We would practice solving these equations with worksheets yet I had no idea how those formulas applied to chemistry or what they really meant.

I wasn't learning chemistry. I was learning how to regurgitate information that had little meaning to me, which ultimately served me no purpose.

I think the Alfie Kohn quote below is referring to "schooling" in general, but it applies to drill worksheets, which tend to be tasks isolated from a bigger picture. Worksheets perpetuate this problem. By hammering discrete units, students are collecting piles of bricks but not building a functional home.

5) Worksheets do not ignite a passion for learning.

Worksheets are boring! Some may say, "who cares, students don't have to like it. That's the real-world. Life isn't always fun and games. Better to prepare them for that now."

​Students can quickly lose their passion for learning if worksheets are the norm. What I want for my students is to love learning. You will never have students seeking you out years down the line to share with you the incredible impact that your worksheets have had on their lives. They will thank you for building a relationship with them, creating opportunities for them to pursue their interests, challenging them, and giving them choice because it's those things that make a real and important impact on their lives.

I think it's important to note here that if you're struggling with worksheet completion, such as those given out as homework, this is probably your reason. You're losing students because they aren't interested. Something to keep in mind.

Drill style worksheets don't teach Important 21st-century skills such as tech literacy, creativity, social/emotional skills, collaboration , communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and other skills employers of today desire. Rote memorization is no longer a skill worth spending a lot of time cultivating because information is so readily available. This practice might have made sense 50 years ago. Now drill worksheets are an archaic practice.

I have talked to a lot of teachers and parents that defend drill worksheets. Below I have listed some common answers I get from parents and teachers when asked why they give out or support the use of drill worksheets. I have included some alternatives to satisfy those justifications:

1) " I assign worksheets to students as content review."

Many teachers give worksheets to students with the intention of hammering in an idea or concept covered that day in class or in that unit.

What's the problem with that?

Unless that content is tied to life, the real-world, or something personally meaningful to the student, much of that content won't be remembered long-term, regardless of how many times they repeat repeat repeat. They may remember it until the test if you're lucky.

What to do instead:

If your purpose for using review worksheets is to help students memorize content, consider doing an activity that will leave a lasting impression. Then students will not only remember the content long enough to pass a test, but may remember it 20 years later, and say to themselves, "Hey! That's an example of commensalism! I remember that from that ecology vocab scavenger hunt we did in Ms. Segar's bio class! Remember that egret we saw sitting on that cow?"

As an experiential educator, I believe "leaving a lasting impression" requires that the learner be involved in some way. A scavenger hunt where students can observe and experience the ecology vocab in action is more memorable than copying definitions onto a worksheet. Even a combination of an activity and a worksheet would be more effective than a worksheet alone (if you insist that the worksheet is necessary).

2) "I sometimes give out worksheets as a formative assessment."

Sometimes teachers just want to see if students know the material that they've been taught. I do understand why teachers would do this. It's quick, it's easy, it's cut and dry.

What is the problem with that?

The problem is that drills are typically in isolation from the whole. It's difficult to see how drill problems connect with the an overarching concept. You often miss misconceptions that students have developed, and you wouldn't necessarily know if students understand the concepts or if they are just great at memorization.

What to do instead:

Try other versions of formative assessments . I get a lot of my from the book "Science Formative Assessment" by Page Kelly . It gives a ton of quick, easy formative assessment strategies that are designed to reveal where students are having trouble or forming misconceptions. It says it is geared toward science concepts, but I have found the formative assessments in the book to be pretty versatile.

There are so many creative formative assessment strategies out there. Do a simple Google search or head to Pinterest. You can even simply ask students to write a reflection, which is what I do with my students, as reflection is an important part of experiential learning .

3) "Worksheets give students practice."

I hear this one a lot, and understand why someone might say this. I hear, "improving muscle memory" as a point for worksheets often. A drill worksheet likely does give students practice, but what is it that they're practicing exactly, and is it something we want them practicing?

What is the problem with that?

What students are practicing is memorization for the purpose of passing a test. This just isn't necessary anymore. They have access to information all of the time. The internet is not going away. I would argue that using worksheets to "practice" is doing more harm than good. If students are doing drills for practice, and they are doing the drills incorrectly or don't understand the material, the "practice" is just reinforcing misconceptions and confusions.

And muscle memory is improving slowly, if at all, if what students are repeating has no context.

What to do instead:

Again, if the purpose for drilling is to get students to memorize the information, try making it experiential. As Ainslie Johnstone mentions in an article about muscle memory , "you'll build muscle memory much faster if you trade mindless repetition for strategic habits that give those neural connections a workout." So consider taking those drill-style worksheets and adapting them to include real-world context.

There are so many great ways to do this like inviting speakers to talk about their research, taking students on field trips, collaborating with the community, inquiry-based learning , problem-based learning, project-based learning , STEM, STEAM, maker education with design thinking and more.

These are all effective strategies for practicing and understanding content, while providing opportunities for students to build important life skills.

​This is much easier said than done for some teachers. I have math teachers in mind here. For experiential math teachers , check out a previous post here written by Tony Geraci. He is a high school math teacher that incorporates 21st-century skill-building into his curriculum.

4) "Sometimes kids have to do things they don't want to do. That's life."

I hear this one a lot, "That's life", as if drills prepare students for life. I myself have said this before, especially when I'm frustrated with my students and their lack of productivity.

What's the problem with this?

I have to take a step back and remember that life is hard as it is, especially for teenagers. My students have experienced a lot in their short lives. They are tougher and more responsible than they should have to be at 16-years-old. Worksheets are also not a real-world reality. Students will unlikely encounter a job in which they have to sit at a desk and fill out worksheets for the purpose of rote memorization.

What to do instead:

There are many things that our students do in life that they don't like. You don't need worksheets to teach them about hardship or work ethic. Encourage students to prepare for the real-world by getting a job or starting a business.

Facilitate learning experiences that are so they can practice desired career skills . Problem-based learning is a great example activity. Promote community relationships with your students such as starting a mentorship program or organizing service learning experiences .

5) "Worksheets are quick and easy to plan and implement. Sometimes I just need a break from rigorous lesson planning."

This is completely understandable. Teacher burnout is real and powerful. Sometimes teachers just need a breather. There is no problem with that.

What to do instead?

Like I said, I get it. If you must give out worksheets to give yourself a break, try to do it sparingly. There are other ways to take breaks that are better for everyone. Try something fun or student-directed to take the burden off of you and place the responsibility on your students. It's a win win situation.

As you make your goals for this year, consider what your students really need from you.

​What kind of people do you want your students to become? How do you want your students to perceive learning? Does your current approach support your teaching goals? ​Are drill worksheets working for you, and more importantly, are your students getting anything out of them?

If your answers to those questions revolve around the theme of "I want my students to have more authentic, engaging, and effective learning experiences moving forward", then check out my free experiential learning tools to get your rolling.

Looking for resources to replace worksheets? Try these:

Did you know there is an experiential learning Facebook community?

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Why I Don't Give My Students Worksheets and What I Do Instead

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Blog post by Experiential Learning Depot. Most teachers would say worksheets aren't effective learning tools, yet I see them ALL the time, particularly as homework. Why is this? Check out common reasons teachers assign worksheets and why parents support t

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Desmos offers best-in-class calculators, digital math activities, and curriculum to help every student love math and love learning math.