As a math coach, how do you get teachers to open up to you so you can best serve them? What purposeful questions can you put in your “back pocket” to keep the coaching alive instead of just turning the session into “show and tell” ?  Listen in to this episode as we chat with first year math coach Connor Wagner from Pittsburg. Connor has had great success as a classroom teacher and coach, but sometimes struggles with how to keep the teacher reflecting and holding back on advice giving. You’ll Learn:  How to utilize and tweak techniques like the "Pebble in Your Shoe" to identify subt ..read more

Do we know what we are really measuring in our math assessments? What unintended thoughts are we conveying to our students when we pass the test back? How can we as parents and math professionals navigate complex relationships between teacher, parent, and student?  This episode delves into the complex dynamics of math assessment, addressing a universal concern among parents and educators about how best to support and evaluate students' understanding without creating undue pressure or conflict. What you’ll learn:  Gain insights from real-life experiences on navigating disputes over ..read more

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Can you feel the change that is happening in your district’s math program? Are you on the right pathway to improve math instruction and ultimately student success in your school or school district?  These are all questions our guests, Michael Scott and Morgan Siler have asked themselves (and us) on their journey to transforming their math district’s math program from the inside out.  Michael and Morgan are two math coordinators from Ohio and their district has partnered with us in the Make Math ..read more

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Are you ready to transform your math classroom into a hub of student engagement and participation? If you're a math teacher or educator striving to maintain sustained student engagement and lead effective, captivating lessons, this episode is crafted for you. We caught up with 2-time mentoring moment guest Jeremy Sarzana, a high school teacher in Boston.  Together we dive into nuanced strategies to engage the varying level of audiences we see during our day using timing, cadence, and the art of “reading the room”.  This is another Math Mento ..read more

Are you struggling to find the perfect balance between knowing what is enough guidance and structure you need to effectively teach your grade level or course? If you’re a district leader of math programming and struggling to figure out this same balance?  How much is too much hand-holding?  For math educators, coaches, and administrators, the challenge often lies in equipping teachers with the right tools without overshadowing their unique teaching styles while at the same time trying to create “buy-in” with what is effective.  This episode delves into this common dilemma, offer ..read more

How can we engage our students for the entire class with grade level content? Puzzles aligned to grade level standards is one answer.  In this episode we speak with Gordon Hamilton from Mathpickle.com who designs mathematical puzzles for K-12 classrooms.  Stick with us and you’ll learn How to use puzzles to teach grade level standards, how to challenge students who tend to move through problems faster than others, and why games are important for mathematical thinking.   You’ll Learn:  How to challenge students who complete “the work” early. How to use puzzles to teach gra ..read more

It can feel frustrating and overwhelming and you’ll feel like you’re forced to “go back to the drawing board” when your curriculum resource is pulled away from you.  What do we consider when trying to select a new curriculum resource? Are we supposed to create our own resources from scratch?  As educators, we are constantly facing the challenge of adapting our teaching methods to improve student understanding and engagement.  This often involves exploring new pedagogies, such as problem-based learning, and selecting the right curriculum resources that align with our teaching goa ..read more

Each and every year, district and school mathematics leadership teams spend countless hours crafting lofty goals and monitoring plans, but struggle to state measurable improvement in effective teacher practice and student gains.  If you’ve ever wondered:  How can I create a pd action plan that teachers view as useful and not “just adding to their plates”? We feel like we have many of the necessary pieces, but we aren’t clear on how to put them together to form an effective math program. How can I structure my PD so that I reach more teachers on a limited budget? How can I get my edu ..read more

When you shift your teaching practices from “I do, we do, you” to a problem based approach that engages students to think first you will often be led to question how you give feedback to students.  In this episode we speak with Diane Hamilton, an elementary classroom teacher from Toronto Ontario.  Diane has been implementing the 14 strategies from Peter Liljedahl’s book Building Thinking Classrooms and is here to dig into how to give effective feedback to her students instead of grades.  Stick around and you’ll:  Discover innovative self-assessment techniques that empower s ..read more

Ever wondered how to transform math class into every student's favorite subject? Join us in this episode as we dive into the world of #MathPlay with Libo Valencia, a passionate high school math teacher from New York and author who believes in shaping the future of mathematics through engaging and playful teaching strategies. Explore the transformative power of Math Play with Libo Valencia, where we unravel how this approach can instill a lasting love for mathematics in every student. Discover why math class should be a highlight for everyone, and learn practical ways to infuse elements of Math ..read more