Teaching Cambridge IGCSE mathematics is difficult. In the U.S. only around 18% of participating students are successful in the program. Soon after taking on the task of teaching IGCSE 0444, teachers wonder, How do I cover all of it, in what order? Where do I find resources? How do I integrate the topics appropriately? How do I get my students to become problem solvers? Is it even worth it? The list goes on!
This website is designed to be a map guiding you through the development of a successful, stable Cambridge program. You will find the structure you need, from specific small things like how to teach specific topics in a way that aligns with Cambridge academic standards and ideology, to bigger things like how to structure the entire two year course.
My name is Philip Brown. I put this website together for you, the US Cambridge teacher (though other IGCSE teachers will find useful materials here, too). Since 2015, when I started teaching IGCSE math, the rest of the United States has had only 9 A-stars as of 2019, out of over 3,000 attempts. Yet, my class has had 14 A-stars in that same time period. There have been 47 A scores in the nation in that time, not including my students. My students have earned 34 A scores.
There is nothing special about me or what I do! What I do in the classroom is 100% repeatably by other teachers in other places. If you're willing to get a little uncomfortable and try some new things, you'll find what you need to get great scores on IGCSE examinations here. Think of what you'll find here as a franchise kit. All of the structure will be provided. You will be empowered as the teacher to run the show, make it work, adjust small things to suit the needs of you students. But the big picture stuff is proven over time to be successful.
How to Begin
It is imperative that you understand what the IGCSE program is designed to do, and how it does so. If you have not attended an official Cambridge International training, your school needs to send you to one. Click here to find out more about training opportunities. In the meantime, you can read about it here.
If you have had the training, make sure you have downloaded the most recent syllabus. There are at least small changes every year. Download the syllabus here.
Read through the syllabus, especially the information before the mathematics content. This explains what is expected from your students, the purpose of the entire program, and how the outcomes are measured.
Once you understand the purpose and design, which will inform all that follows, you are ready to get in the kitchen, so to speak. The first place to start is with Scope and Sequence. This structures and paces the entire syllabus. It also gradually introduces you and the students into a blended curriculum where concepts are integrated.
The blending of mathematical concepts is powerful. It quickens acquisition of new ideas and improves retention. It also promotes problem solving through existing inter-connectivity of ideas. However, taking a student that is accustomed to concepts and procedures in isolation to a blended instruction must be done carefully and deliberately. This Scope and Sequence will help you with this!
The scope and sequence is linked by topic to a Teacher's Reference for each subject, as well as a resource page for students, a Lesson Guide and a PowerPoint (where applicable).
The Teacher's Reference pages will help you to understand how to teach each topic in better alignment with Cambridge ideology and expectation. You'll learn the content itself, content specific questioning techniques, a pithy way to inform students what is at hand, a list of prerequisite knowledge, and a few pointers you can share with students. All of that information will be specific for each topic based on experience, trial and error.
While it may take five minutes or so to read through a reference page, and you may be an expert in the content already, this frames your approach and helps to define your role in the classroom. Referring to the franchise model, this is the recipe!
To read more about the philosophy and design of the Teacher Reference pages, please click here.
Once you have the philosophy and know what's expected of students, you're ready to prepare a lesson. To get you started there are Lesson Guides and accompanying PowerPoints (when applicable). The Lesson Guides pace the PowerPoint (or activity), while helping you to stay in tune with what you learned in step #3.
Keep in mind, the lessons are an example and a guideline. Every lesson delivery presents unanticipated obstacles. You will need your teaching expertise to know when to go slow, what to skip, and when to explore an unscripted teachable moment. This website is designed to empower you as THE teacher and help you improve your instruction.
To read more about the philosophy and design of the Lesson Guides and lessons, please click here.
Each lesson you deliver will have quality practice problems for your students. The problems are challenging, often integrate various concepts, but also reinforce procedural efficiency, exactly the combination they need to be successful with the IGCSE exams. Each lesson builds in time for review of practice problems because the monitoring of progress is perhaps the single most important factor for student progress. Click here to read about the philosophy and design of homework and review.
To measure their progress there are quizzes and tests, similar to the IGCSE exams in format, style and content. Each assessment has a grade threshold rubric as well as a mark scheme complete with partial credit guide. Click here to read about best practices for administration of quizzes and tests, including remediation and review.
