Michelle Lyons-Zwarenstein – Head of Mathematics

Suzanne Plume – Co-ordinator of Gifted and Talented 7 – 12

Reflections from Mathematics Accelerants

The academic gains associated with subject acceleration and peer ability grouping for cognitively gifted students are well documented. As a result, every year since 2011, a small group of students here at Emanuel has compacted the Mathematics course and written one, or sometimes two, HSC Mathematics papers in Year 11.

This buys the accelerated students time to add an extra university course in Year 12, to explore Mathematics further by completing Extension Courses 1 (and 2 if desired) or to pick up an Extension course in another subject. It also gives the students an opportunity to experience preparing for an HSC paper a year earlier than their peers.

The demonstrable success of our subject acceleration program is supported by two pillars: the dedication, expertise and commitment of our Mathematics staff and the selection process by which individual students are expertly matched to the appropriate program. Acceleration is a path that can be extremely beneficial to some students. We make sure to reflect on the process to consider the needs of the current accelerants and to consider their perceptions of the process.

Here are some of their thoughts:

What do you think have been the benefits of being accelerated?

Our smaller Maths class of like-minded individuals has become very close; we have found a nice balance between a fun, playful atmosphere and a focused, pragmatic one, where outbursts of laughter, friendly peer-to-peer explanations of problems and the sharing of notes are common place. These interactions have helped me better my communication and people skills outside of the classroom. The opportunity to acquire these social skills is unique to the accelerant classroom and isn’t as accessible in other school avenues.

Being exposed to fundamental mathematical principles a year in advance has given me very solid conceptual foundation and an extra edge to tackle 3 and 4 unit Mathematics in Year 12.

I gained an insight into the amount of work I need to do to succeed in Year 12 and I am better prepared for longer examinations. I also believe that acceleration may have relieved some of my stress of Year 12 so I know what is expected of me.

The most important thing I’ve gained is the emotional maturity, more specifically in terms of dealing with examinations (before, during and after). I also had a better understanding of myself, how I work, how I react under pressure and how I can better prepare myself for the HSC next year.

What have you learned about yourself through the process of acceleration?

• I have learned that the amount of work I do outside of class is not enough to sustain good marks and that I need to do more. I have also learned how to manage my time and stress levels during the exam period.
• Learned organisation skills and that I can push myself.
• I’ve always believed what I can do is limitless but in many ways acceleration has proved just how much I can achieve when I put my mind to something.
• Before the acceleration process I had a talent for understanding mathematical concepts but I didn’t necessarily enjoy the subject. It was only as I began the more rigorous academic challenge and demanding pace of acceleration, did I discover the thrill of problem solving and building an intuitive understanding of abstract topics. The Accelerant Program has consolidated my talent for Mathematics with a passion for learning that I never knew existed and I found myself enjoying the subject to the point where I would research higher-level concepts in my own time.

What have been some of the challenges?

• Moving quickly, missing school made it hard to catch up and not being as hard working at the beginning of the year
• Handling an HSC course with a Year 11 workload, dealing with the stress and getting marks I’m not satisfied with.

Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?

Yes, I’m far more prepared for dealing with Year 12, HSC and stress. In terms of academics, I think I’m more resilient and confident.

Yes, I would do it again as it gives an insight to Year 12 and thus helped me prepare for Year 12 better than I could have without acceleration.

What advice would you offer to students about to embark on the process?

• Keep on top of work and do questions outside of class so you fully understand the concept before moving on to the next one. I would also suggest taking notes/making summaries of each topic because you may get to Trials/Half-Yearly exams and realise that you don’t completely remember how to do something and having a quick summary to look at and refresh your memory is definitely very helpful.
• Although it may not give the best possible Mathematics mark, how acceleration helps in general with all of school, all other subjects and study skills and techniques is amazing.
• It’s good to accelerate especially so that you get a taste of the HSC before doing it – like dipping your toe in a pool before jumping in.
• The most powerful thing you gain from acceleration isn’t the marks you get but how you get them and to remember in times of stress that the world is a lot bigger, and that you matter far more than your mark.