Math Therapy

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...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) As you may know, Vanessa and producer David are in a band together, and they're currently writing songs for a new album. The path through writer’s block and their ups and downs as a collaborative team led to some unexpected debates about the creative process that share surprising parallels with the greater discussion around mathematical thinking. So...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Happy new year!  To get in the mindset for a great 2026, here's a motivating episode about one of last year's hottest topics in math ed: student engagement .  Why is it so hard to get students to really engage in the classroom?  What does engagement even mean?  What can we try differently this year? In this episode, Vanessa explores four reasons...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Five years ago, Vanessa fell head over heels in love with a Christmas movie.  The plot twist? This wasn't one of the countless Hallmark romcoms she actually consumes throughout the year - this was a movie about a little girl who literally saves Christmas with math! Back then she interviewed Producer Lyn Sisson-Talbert and Writer/Director David E. Tal...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Getting students to think is a hot topic - but what does it actually mean ?  When kids are asked to "show their thinking", can we really blame them for being like "WTF?!?!" Today on Math Therapy, Vanessa explores the surprising number of ways we can define & interpret "thinking", and shares 5 strategies to demystify it in...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Since our humble (and as you'll find out, quite disorganized) start in 2019, Math Therapy has come a long way ... and today we celebrate our 100th episode! Join host Vanessa Vakharia and producer David Kochberg (with a cameo from OG MT producer Sabina Wex) as they reminisce and argue about: The (mostly) true origin story of Math Therapy Where the “fi...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Today we follow-up last week's episode with unfiltered celeb moms Cat and Nat ( listen here ) by interviewing Nat's daughter Taylor!  Currently in Grade 11, she's a wealth of hard-earned wisdom, having taken her education into her own hands to overcome a system that literally told her not to bother even trying. This ep is overflowing with r...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) From the moment Vanessa met bestselling authors/podcasters Cat and Nat on Breakfast Television, where the 2 moms proudly professed to hate math ... she knew she had to have them on Math Therapy to dig deeper and find out why .  They are the definition of unfiltered, so they are a perfect fit! This interview may be uncomfortable for teachers to hear - hone...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) * call-out before we get into today's ep* - If you or a colleague/parent/student has a story about incorporating the absurd 6-7 phenomenon into actual learning, we need you!  Seriously, send us a brief text or a voicenote via Instagram DM or email .  We've heard some stories and want to do an episode about enhancing learning by reaching kids thr...

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) This past weekend, hearts across North America shattered as the plucky underdog Toronto Blue Jays lost to the LA Dodgers in extra innings of the deciding Game 7 of the Major League Baseball World Series.  And if none of those words matter to you at all - then you and Vanessa have much in common! However, as a self-admitted bandwagon jumper, even though sh...