A theatre of mathematical history – a historical memoir

• Main Author: Snezana M. Lawrence
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Belgrade, Teacher Education Faculty 2020-03-01
• Series: Inovacije u Nastavi
• Subjects: national curriculum in england; prince’s teaching institute; icme (international congress of mathematics education); history and pedagogy of mathematics group (hpm); european summer school (esu).
• Online Access: http://www.inovacijeunastavi.rs/sr/33-1-9/

This paper summarises a particular aspect of using the history of mathematics to inspire and educate secondary level teachers. Whilst discussion about the uses of the history of mathematics in the classroom is mentioned with some of the most used approaches, the paper is itself a historical memoir. It reflects on the process in which, during a career in a mathematics classroom, and later, in author’s work with teachers, the author discovered a method that proves to be most efficient, simple, and at the same time inspiring for all involved – for pupils, teachers, and the author herself. The method consists of creating an imaginary theatre of mathematical objects and images. This imaginary theatre can be considered to be a place, real or imagined, that can be recreated in any circumstance where mathematics is learnt, taught, and discussed.