Episode
Mathematical Journaling in Action: Helping Students Think, Struggle and Explain
- Published
- May 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2203
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Summary
Get your tickets for the TDaPE Conference Online For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the Hey! What You Reading For newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribe AI For Teachers newsletter For maths curriculum questions contact us here or via [email protected] Learn more about The Story of Maths - www.alta-education.com/tsom-overview and www.acel.pro Episode 289: In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education , I’m joined by Mark Bowen to explore mathematical journaling in action. Following on from a previous episode with Kirsten and Holly on mathematical journaling, Mark shares how he took the idea, adapted it for his own class, and developed a simple classroom structure built around three phases: download, investigate and communicate . We discuss how journaling can help students move beyond surface-level calculation, become more comfortable with struggle, draw on prior knowledge, experiment with different approaches, and explain their mathematical thinking with greater clarity. Mark also talks candidly about implementation: what worked, what did not, why he introduced a classroom character called Trev, how he used modelling and scaffolding to support students, and why he would slow the process down if he were starting again. This is a wonderfully practical episode about helping students become more active, reflective and confident mathematical thinkers. If you are interested in pr…