Math Chat

Send us Fan Mail Today, we’re diving into a tough but important topic: Why are we so afraid to give kids hard math problems? If we’re being honest, it can feel uncomfortable to watch students struggle. We want them to feel successful, and sometimes it's tempting to step in and help too soon. But when we rescue students from struggle, we rob them of the chance to build resilience and problem-s...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we're talking about 5 quick math talk strategies that will spark math conversations and increase engagement!  As math teachers, we often feel like we're talking at our students. As you know it is easy to fall into the cycle of telling students what to do and how to do it in math. But, deep down what we really want is more engagement. If we’re being honest with our...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we’re talking about comparison problems: what they are, why they’re tricky, and how we can help students build strategies to solve them. We’re gonna start today’s episode with a problem. Omar made 22 baskets during practice. He made 9 more baskets than Eli. How many baskets did Eli make? This is a comparison problem and there are 3 types of comparison problems...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a student looking at you, frustrated, saying, 'I don’t get it.' It’s tempting to step in and rescue them, right? Today, we’re talking about productive struggle—why it’s a game-changer for math classrooms and how to make it happen without letting kids flounder. We are chatting about:  What productive struggle is Why it's important to let students struggle in...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Math Chat! Today’s episode is all about how we can break free from the script and let our students lead.  Today’s episode is going to require a shift in teacher mindset. So, if you are like me and a bit of a control freak, Type A if you will… then I’m talking to you. Letting go of control can actually help students learn more in math. I know it’s hard, but it is es...

Send us Fan Mail If you've ever seen the spark in a student's eyes when they really get the joy of solving a tough problem, you know what I mean when I say math can be joyful. It’s all about creating the right environment. Today, Pi day, we're serving up a slice of math joy by diving into how we can make problem-solving the most joyful part of our math classrooms. We are chatting ab...

Send us Fan Mail How do we create classroom communities that includes and values each member's expertise? In this episode, I'm sharing my NCTM session with you on empowering learners through math discourse. We're chatting about:  How to partner with our students in math discussions to leverage each student's insights Strategies for teachers to use to build a strong math culture...

Send us Fan Mail How do we get students to show their reasoning in our math classroom community? On today's episode, I'm sharing about a simple way to build community & student confidence with a simple lesson plan straight from my favorite research based instructional practice... Word Problem Workshop ! We are chatting about:  What is a math community & why it matters  The elemen...

Send us Fan Mail Are your students thinking deeply about math concepts? Today we are talking about having research-based instructional strategies for math to create student-centered classrooms.  We are chatting about:  Why research based instruction matters The research Word Problem Workshop is based on  How you can have peace of mind knowing that the strategies and routines you are using in your...

Send us Fan Mail What math intervention curriculums actually work? This is one of the questions I get asked the most and today I'm excited to chat about all things math interventions with my friend, Juliana! We're chatting about:  Having high expectations of our students The important piece math intervention curriculums miss  Just in time approaches to math interventions Other links: 8 W...

Send us Fan Mail Do math grades stress you out? If you are needing to get some grades in the grade book for progress reports, this episode will help you figure out what to grade, when to grade, and how to grade in math. In this episode, we are chatting about:  Separating student behaviors and their academic achievement for math grades    Formative assessments for math grades Unit tests or summativ...

Send us Fan Mail Do you use counting collections in your classroom? I have the expert you need to hear from on the show today! Kathy shares practical tips to start using counting collections, helpful routines for counting collections, and how to use counting collections to differentiate our math instruction. You will feel empowered to start using counting collections or to use them in new ways aft...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a math community? On this episode, we're talking about 3 things I don’t want you to miss in math class to help you forge a community of mathematicians that work together to problem solve through discussing their thinking, taking risks, and learning through mistakes. We are chatting about:  Creating entrance routines Having discussion structures Maki...

Send us Fan Mail You’re starting the school year and it’s time to set the bar high. Let’s talk about how you can get every child engaged now so that they stay engaged all year. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ideas to get every student engaged in math class. We are chatting about:  Community building experiences that build trust, relationships, mindsets, and norms  Expectations and how to comm...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually look like for our students to be proficient in math? In this episode, we are talking about the 5 strands of math proficiency and breaking each of them down so we can design our math instruction to help students build their math proficiency in all 5 areas. We are chatting about:  Conceptual understanding Procedural fluency Strategic competence Adaptive reasoni...

Send us Fan Mail Are you thinking through your classroom management strategies for the new school year? I have the expert you need to hear from on the show today!  Jenna shares practical tips so that you can feel confident in your classroom management. You will feel empowered to build strong classroom routines and relationships with your students after listening to this episode.  In this episode w...

Send us Fan Mail Have you been thinking about how to establish clear expectations and a strong foundation for classroom management this school year? I’m not a big fan of rules… and this rule is the best rule. On today's episode, I'm telling you about the only rule you need and how to use it. We're chatting about:  The one classroom rule that changed the game for me Setting clear bou...

Send us Fan Mail Are you thinking about planning out your school year?  On this episode, we’re going to talk about how to plan for your year that includes more than just your scope and sequence. We chat about these 3 planning mistakes and what to do instead:  Focusing on the wrong content Misunderstanding "rigor" Leaving conceptual understanding till the end once kids “get the procedures...

Send us Fan Mail Are you looking for a way to support your students in building problem solving skills, a deep understanding of math and a positive math mindset? In this episode, we are talking about Word Problem Workshop - my step-by-step plan for teaching problem solving in a student-centered way.  We are chatting about:  Moving from the WHAT to the HOW in math  Using research to make shifts in...

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...