Teaching Children Mathematics (TCM) is made up of two parts -- regular articles and departments. Regular articles go out to referees, then to the panel, for a blind review and the decision is communicated back to the author. Articles submitted for a department, such as "Links to Literature" or "Math by the Month," go to an editor. That editor will work with the author if he or she sees promise in the manuscript. The departments are described in the TCM Department Guidelines. This page gives hints for writing a regular article.

General Hints

Write about one main idea, or two at most. Including more ideas than this produces a paper without a focus or one that says many things, but nothing in depth. "Inch deep, mile wide" papers are generally not well received by reviewers.

Write with controlled enthusiasm. Be positive, but in a professional way. Don't use a lot of bold print, italics, or exclamation points to show emotion.

Write about something you know very well. Include evidence (photographs, student work, vignettes, etc.) that you used this material with students. Keep the students as the main focus of the paper, not the teacher. Do not try to give a recipe for a perfect lesson.

Specific Hints

Study the journal before you write. Look at the difference between the departments and the regular articles. Decide which is the best fit for what you want to describe. Look at the format and writing style for several such selections.

Start with an outline of your paper. Begin the paper in a way that attracts a busy teacher and leaves a clear impression of what the paper is about.

Make one point in each paragraph. Be sure that there is transition from one paragraph to another. Use headings and subheadings to organize the paper.

Conclude the paper with reflections on what you or your students learned. Include what you might change in the future.

Looking Back

Does the paper have visual appeal? Is there ample evidence of classroom use? If not, try to incorporate some graphics or examples of use in the classroom.

Run a spell checker. Review the paper, changing passive voice to active voice. Have colleagues who write well read the paper critically, and be ready to accept their advice -- expect to rewrite!

Submit

Follow the guidelines. Expect to rewrite at least one time, possibly more. Virtually every paper in the journal has been revised at least once. Referees often notice things that the author overlooks. These revisions produce the best possible paper in the end.