Math Chat

Send us Fan Mail Do you struggle with not having the time to create every math task yourself but knowing that what your curriculum has to offer just isn’t enough? Take a deep breath, this episode is for you! We are diving into:  The pros and cons of math curriculums  The pros and cons of teacher created lessons My recommendation for how to spend the bulk of your time during math planning Links men...

Send us Fan Mail What are schoolwide math norms and why are they important? In this episode, we’re breaking down schoolwide math norms because they are a problem or nonexistent in almost EVERY school. We are chatting about:  Why every school should have schoolwide math norms Examples of math norms How we establish and USE these norms for math Links mentioned in this episode: The Math Pact 8 Ways t...

Send us Fan Mail What is student-centered learning and why should we use it in math? A student-centered math classroom has students doing the work – the thinking, doing, exploring, figuring out. The teacher is the guide on the side in that exploration and sense making. In this episode, we're chatting about:  What student-centered learning is NOT ( hint: out of control or easier for kids ) The...

Send us Fan Mail Are you looking for a math coach or to grow as a math teacher? In this episode, we are talking about resources for teachers to use to grow their skills and knowledge (in case you are looking for summer learning opportunities!) We're chatting about:  Setting our own goals as a teacher My favorite resources and PD for teaching math What to do if you don't have the funding...

Send us Fan Mail Math teacher friend, you are powerful. I’m here to remind you of the 6 best teacher moves you can make in the math classroom in this upcoming school year!  This episode will empower you to see your math teaching for what it truly is... ambitious. We are covering 6 ways you can make the most impact in your math classroom. We are talking about:  Practical steps to empower your stude...

Send us Fan Mail Does the gradual release model belong in math class? In this episode, I'm going to argue that we do the opposite of the "I Do, We Do, You Do" instructional approach in math. Instead, I am going to walk you through teaching practices I've used to create equitable, student-centered math classes that empower students to BE mathematicians. We are talking about:  Wh...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a math coach or looking to step into a coaching role? If so, learning from other math coaches is a great way to build your skills as a coach. In this episode, I'm interviewing one of the greatest math coaches, Nicora Placa, on her approach to collaborative math coaching, creating learning environments for teachers to hone their craft, and her book filled with tools an...

Send us Fan Mail Do you have students who struggle to access word problems in math? The truth is our students struggle to get started on word problems because they don’t have access. This episode breaks down what access to word problems is and simple ways we can help our students get started with a three-step routine. We are talking about:  What a launch routine is The steps in a launch routine Ho...

Send us Fan Mail Are you looking to create a math classroom that allows students to lead even as visitors come in?  In this episode, we are talking about my rules for others as they enter my classroom. These rules allow my students to have the opportunity to lead the thinking and doing of math without being rescued too soon by an on-looker. We're talking about:  How a student-centered classro...

Send us Fan Mail Are you looking for practical ideas for teaching Black history in your classroom? I have the perfect interview for you about how to incorporate past and present Black history into your classroom from a teacher who truly understands the classroom perspective. This episode is about teaching Black history year around, not only during Black History Month and practical, simple ways to...

Send us Fan Mail What questions do you need to ask during math? And no, you don't need a long list of questions to have great math discussions in your classroom.  This episode is about simplifying the questions you ask during math and listening to student responses to gauge their level of understanding.  We are talking about: 3 simple questions to ask students Student examples How asking ques...

Send us Fan Mail Do you want to do LESS as a teacher?  This episode is about how doing less as a teacher can help our students to do more - while using our time to make the biggest impact possible.  We are chatting about:  How talking less will give students more time to talk When you do less (like giving less problems) students can focus on thinking deeply about one or two problems Supporting stu...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a math conference with a student when you ask them to describe their thinking and you are met with a blank stare? This episode is about effective math conferences during grapple time. We need a plan for our math conferences and I'm sharing 5 simple steps to make your math conferences productive and empowering for students! In this episode we will chat about:...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a primary teacher implementing Building Thinking Classrooms? I have the expert you want to know on the show today!! Maegan Giroux is the co-author of the about-to-release Building Thinking Classroom Tasks book for elementary!  Even if you haven't started implementing Building Thinking Classrooms, Maegan is a dream to know! She is passionate about helping students beco...

Send us Fan Mail Do you hear people talking about "New Math," but you're at a loss for how to convince them it's not so bad?  This episode is about getting your school community on board with "New Math." It's good for kids, so we've all got to give it our best shot.  In this episode we will chat about:  How School culture plays a role in New Math  The approa...

Send us Fan Mail Standardized Test Stress is REAL. Today we're chatting about 3 ideas you can implement now to reduce standardized test stress. In this episode we will chat about:  Our goals for standardized tests  3 ways to empower students  easy to implement ideas to use in the classroom now  Links Mentioned:  MonaMath.com/TestPrep Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonam...

Send us Fan Mail There is no point in having a math discussion if students aren’t listening to each other.  It is a pointless, waste of time.  You’re probably like dang, Mona, that’s harsh. And it is. But I don’t want you wasting your time if it’s not paying off. You don’t have extra time. I know that and I want whatever you’re doing to be well worth your time.  I will say that math discussions ar...

Send us Fan Mail Are you an upper grade teacher that is struggling to help your students engage with math meaningfully and build an understanding of math concepts?? Things like multiplying or dividing fractions. If so, this is the podcast episode for you! Even if you aren't struggling, you will love my chat with Brittany who is the teacher behind Mix and Math. She is passionate about helping...

Send us Fan Mail Teacher professional learning is something I am passionate about and I bet you are too.  As a teacher, professional learning is part of who you are, a life long learner. So, when presented with professional learning opportunities and coaching I bet you have opinions.  On today’s episode we’re going to dive into what it looks like to develop as a math educator in the context of pro...

Send us Fan Mail Do you have a range of needs in your classroom? Are your students at different levels? As a 3rd grade teacher I was often teaching students who were still figuring out place value between hundreds and tens, while I had others who understood adding 3 digit numbers. It made it difficult to differentiate to meet everyone’s needs.   How do you think about differentiation in math? 📣 L...

Send us Fan Mail Are your students tired of mundane math worksheets? Do your students lose interest when you say "Time for math!"?  Tune in to today's episode as we dive into the world of fun manipulatives with Kimberly Rimbey, in the math classroom! Let's keep students engaged and excited about learning! In this episode we will chat about:  keeping students engaged without mat...

Send us Fan Mail Listen, I LOVE to talk. That’s why I have a podcast. I cannot function in my life without talking. I have to talk to work out my ideas, to understand, to fully experience life I have to talk. So, when I learned that maybe I didn’t need to talk quite so much in my classroom… it blew my mind.  Why would you even want to talk less? The whole point of teaching is to help kids by showi...

Send us Fan Mail I first learned about Problem Types with Cognitively Guided Instruction in the book Children's Mathematics. The group of researchers studied children and found that when given open ended questions children move through a progression of understanding… when given no explicit instruction. 🤯 It blows teachers minds to think that children can develop understanding with no explici...

Send us Fan Mail I am passionate about teaching our students math in student centered ways that help them grow as human beings that are positioned to make a difference in the world. So that means, the work has to be real and relevant. Today we’re going to talk about the power that math can have when you INTEGRATE math with social studies. In this episode we will chat about:  bring in diverse mathe...

Send us Fan Mail Thin sliced problems were coined by Peter Liljedahl in his book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics . What are thin sliced problems & how can you use them to meet all the needs of your students? Be sure to listen as we go through the 9 simple steps to using thin sliced word problems in your math classroom.    In this episode we will chat about:  thin sliced problems na...