You are just watching for now — nothing to work out. Look at two pieces from the same pupil's journal, months apart, and notice what changed. Watch for clearer thinking, more steps shown and a check at the end, not just neater work. When you review your own journal, look for three things: a piece where you tried something hard, one that surprised you, and one that taught you something you still use.

First we talk through one review together, then you review your own. Listen while your teacher describes a journal piece out loud: a class-shop plan that used adding, subtracting, multiplying and a fair share. Together we ask three questions about it: What was hard about it? What surprised us? Would we do it differently now?

Stop hunting now and start writing. If you have found your three pieces, you are ready; if you have two, that is fine to begin with.

Then finish with one sentence about a maths mistake you used to make that you would not make now. You can start it like this: I used to think… but now I know…