![]() This started in Grade 8 and 9 where one day of each week was set aside for problem solving. Most importantly, there was an emphasis on learning to think mathematically – they were regularly being given problems that required original thought and were not just knock-off versions of problems they had seen before. ![]() The advanced class differed from the regular stream in three ways. The teacher and the students worked together with enthusiasm and a sense of joy. As the years passed a strong degree of group cohesion formed, with the same students and teacher together for so long. Usually, the class had the same teacher for all or most of the five years. ![]() We placed students where they were most comfortable to learn – they were not restricted in any way. Others of equal ability, but with a passion for mathematics, were willing to work very hard to keep their place in the advanced class. Some quite capable students preferred the regular group where they could effortlessly be at the top of the class. In later grades, students still had an opportunity to join the class, but usually had to take a summer school course to bridge the gap. In the early grades, students could move in and out of the class. The advanced class was a five-year program where the students were tentatively chosen at the beginning of Grade 8. I taught such a class in advanced mathematics during the last 29 of my 37 years as a high school teacher – and contrary to today’s critics, it was an extraordinarily positive experience for all involved. The Vancouver School Board, for example, recently decided to eliminate honours high school courses in math and science for so-called equity and inclusion purposes. Special classes for “gifted” students are currently under attack in Canada. ![]() John Barsby, who taught mathematics for 37 years, has been retired since 2004. ![]()
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