Math is Figure-Out-Able!

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 23, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris...

How does proportional thinking prepare students for reasoning with variables? In this episode Pam and Kim explore the transition from proportional reasoning to functional reasoning. Talking Points: Connecting proportional reasoning to linear functions Scaling triangles Proportions "within" and "between" Introducing tricks stifles students' opportunity to build sophisticate...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 16, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris...

Should you require student's to show their work in mathematics? Whose work? When? How much work? For what purpose? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss classroom culture and the importance of communication in mathematics, diving into these questions and more. Talking Points: Whose work are you asking student to show? Motivations for showing work Don't fix the math, mentor the mathematicia...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 9, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_...

How can Problem Strings help build big ideas? In this episode Pam and Kim walk through a Problem String that helps students dig into area and multiplicative equivalence and help you know how to expertly facilitate. Talking Points: Facilitating the string Teacher moves during the string Modeling the string Equal products means total area is the same Why we want students to have lots of experience w...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 2, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_...

How does a Problem String look in front of real students? In this episode Pam and Kim give a play by play for how a Problem String could be facilitated. Talking Points: When to circulate and when to ask for choral response Helping students communicate thinking How and when to engage students in conversations When to anchor strategies When to be intentionally curious to solidify thinking Check out...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 25, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris...

What if finding equivalence between fractions, decimals, and precents wasn't just a task for students to do, but a tool making them more efficient in rational number computations? In this episode Pam and Kim talk about code switching with rational numbers to make complex problems more figure-out-able. Talking Points: What is code switching in rational numbers? A Problem String using equivalen...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 18, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris...

Five years of important conversations, lots of laughs and a blooper every once in a while. In this episode Pam and Kim revisit some important moments of the podcast from the last 5 years. Talking Points: Clips from the past 5 years! Types of questioning Student compliance  Problem Strings vs Problem Talks Math distortions Wait time and Private signals Check out our social media Twitter: @PWHarris...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 11, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris...

How can you get the most out of I Have, You Need in your classroom? In this podcast Pam and Kim answer some common questions and dig deeper into one of their favorite routines, I Have You Need. Talking Points: Do cars speak the language of fractions? I Have, You Need (See also Ep 7 and 164) Why it is helpful to know partners of 1, 10, 100, 1000, etc. Common misconceptions Why it is important for t...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on June 4, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_...

We've got a lot to say about screeners! In this episode Pam and Kim dig a bit more into why we screen and what we do with the results. Talking Points: Are screeners useful for diagnosing and grouping students? Are assessments important? What would be a helpful way to spend the first few weeks of school with students?  What to do with required screeners Some recommended screeners Check out our...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 28, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_...

Are Universal Screeners worth the time and effort? What do we gain?  In this episode Pam and Kim begin their discussion about using Universal Screeners and raise some wonders for consideration. Talking Points: Defining screeners Limitations of screeners What we screen reveals what we value Screeners don't always reflect the content in the classroom Check out our social media Twitter: @PWHarri...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 21, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_...

Do Problem Strings and Thin Slicing achieve the same results? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the differences between Problem Strings and Dr. Liljedahl's Thin Slicing. Talking Points: Different purposes, different facilitation The importance of recording student thinking When non-permanent surfaces can be helpful Problem Strings are strategically planned sequences and not always 'eas...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 14, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_...

Are Problem Strings the same thing as Thin Slicing? In this episode Pam and Kim talk about the similarities between Problem Strings and Dr. Peter Liljedahl's Thin Slicing. Talking Points: Example Problem String: Calling on students strategically in a Problem String Strategic seating arrangements for partner talk Similarities between Problem Strings and Thin Slicing: Purposefully designed sequ...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on May 7, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harris_m...

You facilitated a Problem String! ... Now what? In this episode Pam and Kim share they think about after facilitating a Problem String and what their next steps for their classroom might be. Talking Points: Ways to up the ante Echo strings How much to change at once Next Step strings When to move on When to anchor Get Problem String books here: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/books      Check...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on April 30, 2025.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation. Twitter: @PWHarris Instagram: Pam Harri...