Math Therapy

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Prior to spontaneously recording this convo between sessions at CAMT in Fort Worth, TX recently, Vanessa and today's guest Cathy Marks Krpan had only really spent time together while frantically travelling through airports trying to make their connections.   And in between panicked pleas to airport golf carts and documenting every detail on Instagram...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) As her Screen Time app will confirm, Vanessa spends way too much time online - so when trends involving math pop up, you can be sure she has commented, shared, ranted, and made her own version. Sadly, most of these “trends” involve negative stereotypes around math ability.  These cliches are also extremely gendered, specifically directed at women and girl...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Summer is officially ON, so it's a great time to hear from YOU in another mailbag episode where Vanessa reads the texts you've sent us!  This batch pulls together a few threads from episodes we've released over the last few months - some will make you laugh, and some might make you tear up just as Vanessa did when reading them out. And if y...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Today's episode truly puts the "therapy" in Math Therapy!  Vanessa chats with her friend Amy Johnston, a psychotherapist and empathic deep thinker, to discuss how trauma takes root in us, how it transfers through generations, and how being vulnerable about our own experiences can help us inspire students to rewrite their own narratives. Thi...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Vanessa recently took one step closer to her dream of hosting a Netflix show, recording the first ever live Math Therapy interview!   For her session last week at Leander ISD's annual Math Joy Conference in Texas, she interviewed self-proclaimed "chaos-driven non-compliant educator" Chase Orton - and you can now hear their extremely unfilte...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Exam season is upon us, but NOBODY PANIC!  Today's guest, learning strategist Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, joined Vanessa to share some simple but game-changing study tips to help you get through exams without breaking a sweat. They discuss: what actually is learning, and what does and does not count as studying why we get trapped trying to perfect to-do...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Last week Vanessa ended her episode saying the podcast would be taking this week off while she was on vacation, but it might not surprise you that she is not exactly "good" at vacation .. so while she's definitely taking some much needed time off, she also could not resist recording this short episode after receiving a very unexpected and b...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Vanessa reflects on her recent self-described " meltdown episode " in which she talked herself down from a panic spiral.  She was nervous to share something so messy & vulnerable, but the response was incredible - so many of you identified completely with her feelings. (Turns out tax season is a real trigger for us all!) Today, she shares so...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Everyone's finally talking about math anxiety - in students, parents, and anyone that goes into a panic at the mere mention of the word "math".  But one group is often overlooked: math teachers! Many teachers find themselves having to teach math whether they planned to or not, and often without even being trained on the material themselves....

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Ever feel like you don't know how to take your own advice?  Like you've learned all the strategies but can't seem to actually use them?  Like no matter how hard you try to get your life in order, it just seems to get more complicated?! Well Vanessa certainly does, and (at the encouragement of her producer) she hopped on the mic and let it a...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) 500 BC : Pythagoras may not have even existed, but a number-worshipping / bean-hating (yet vegetarian?!) cult definitely did. 1600 AD : Johannes Kepler lays the mathematical foundation for Newton's theory of gravity while innovating in both astronomy and astrology (and also inventing the genre of sci-fi in his spare time). April 2026 : Vanessa learns...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Ever since we introduced the above link to text the podcast, Vanessa has been obsessed with getting listeners to do so.  And guess what - tons of you have!  So today she reads a bunch of them on a range of topics like: the problem with labels like "gifted" gaining math confidence later in life neuroplasticity and thinking processes who is Sister...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) We cover many hot button topics in math education, but today we're taking on the most literal one ... calculators! Why are they so controversial? When are they helpful and when should we use other tools? On today's episode, Vanessa chats with Curtis Brown from Texas Instruments about those questions and more: How students can take ownership of t...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) If you listen to this podcast, chances are you believe not only that we can fix math education but that we know how to do it.  So WHY haven't we yet?! Today's guest Steve Leinwand is a true legend in this space, known for his radical honesty and authenticity in fighting for a better system for all.  He joined Vanessa from his vacation (because h...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Leadership.  Feedback.  Professional Development.  Terms that get thrown around a lot - but what do they actually mean?  More importantly, how do we develop those tools so they actually make a difference in the classroom?! Thankfully, educator Alison Mello is an expert on leadership in math education, and she joined Vanessa to discuss: why PD often fails...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Back in 2020, math teacher (with math trauma) Kylie Fraser found herself in Vanessa's Math Therapy session at the Mighty Peace Teachers Convention in Grand Prairie, Alberta and was stunned how much she saw of herself in Vanessa's story. Flash forward to earlier this month when Vanessa returned to Grand Prairie to deliver the keynote, and 30 minu...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) The Oscars are this Sunday, and to be completely transparent, Vanessa hasn't seen any of the nominations.  BUT, she is always ready to hand out an award to anyone blending pop culture and math, so today we are bringing you our 2022 interview with Ben Zauzmer, who has been using statistical analysis every awards season to predict the Oscar winners wit...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Vanessa's mentor and friend, Dr. Imogen Coe, holds many distinctions: Professor of Critical Thinking in Biomedical Sciences, award-winning scholar-activist, former Dean of Science, STEM thought leader, and all-around academic badass.  But her finest achievement yet?  Being the first returning guest on Math Therapy! Imogen joined us in 2020 to talk ab...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) For the last month, Vanessa and Math Therapy producer David have been in the studio working on their band 's next album, and Vanessa couldn't help observing many parallels between making music in the studio and learning math.  If you're reading this like "huh?!" ... then today's episode is a must listen! After a day in the st...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Today's episode is about storytelling.  So much of our self-worth and perceived ability come from internal narratives that have been shaped by stories we've either been told or that we tell ourselves - but we have the power to change them! Gorav Menon joins Vanessa to discuss the impact these stories have on our lives, and offers three simple st...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Everyone’s always ranting and raving about why student math scores are dropping, but are they focusing on the wrong reasons?   In today's episode, Vanessa details some factors that often get overlooked: Kids are raised differently now Kids are more distracted now Math anxiety has never been stronger Mental health challenges are more common Math feels...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Christopher Havens is a mathematician with published research in number theory, but what makes him unique among fellow scholars is his entire career in math has taken place in prison where he is serving a 25-year murder sentence.  Math was the catalyst and ongoing foundation for his rehabilitation, and along the way he founded the Prison Mathematics Proje...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) A lot of brain-related questions often come up on this podcast, like: Is there a difference in math ability between genders? Is there even such a thing as a "math brain"? What about the left brain right brain / math vs creativity debate? And every time, Vanessa says "I need to speak to an expert about this!" Well, when she heard today&...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Have you ever been so convinced you were bad at something that you didn’t even question it anymore? Not just as an insecurity, but like it was your full identity: “I’m not a math person.” End of conversation. Well, this episode is about what happens when that story gets completely rewritten. Sue Besant was a directionless student who was literally & r...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Whenever Vanessa talks to math educator and coach Shelby Strong, they end up saying "why didn't we record that, it was basically a podcast!"  So today we bring you an actual podcast with Shelby, exploring an absolutely bonkers range of provocative questions like: What’s the danger of defining your self-worth by being good at one thing? When...