Is Productive Struggle One Of Your Math Classroom Pillars? Should It Be?
Making Math Moments That Matter
Building Pillars With Your Mathematics Team
Jon Orr recommends asking teams what students should gain from mathematics and using those conversations to identify and strengthen shared classroom pillars.
What do you fundamentally believe about how students learn mathematics? More importantly, do the everyday experiences in your classroom actually reflect those beliefs?
K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/
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In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman revisit four classroom pillars—growth, curiosity, collaboration, and struggle—and ask whether they still hold up years later. They explore what happens when beliefs become more than words and begin shaping assessment, instruction, expectations, and every interaction students experience.
In this episode, you'll explore:
- Why every math teacher should identify the beliefs they won't waver from
- How classroom pillars connect beliefs to everyday instructional decisions
- Why saying you value growth means your assessment practices should honor growth
- How curiosity, collaboration, and productive struggle shape students' mathematical experiences
- Why classroom pillars shouldn't simply become another checklist
- Whether practice, precision, and mathematical reasoning deserve a place among your core beliefs
- How expectations for rigor can communicate a fundamental belief that students are capable
- How teachers and teams can co-construct their own classroom pillars
At your next team meeting, ask one question: What do we truly believe students should experience and get from mathematics? Identify the few ideas you aren't willing to compromise on, then look at whether your everyday practices actually bring those beliefs to life.
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We’ve partnered with them to help bring more collaborative learning into classrooms. Whether you’re supporting one class or math instruction across multiple schools, find the right way to get started at wipebook.com/mathmoments.
Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.
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