Math is Figure-Out-Able!

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: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

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 workDon't fix the math, mentor the mathematician - Cathy FosnotCommunication is a mathematical behaviorDetermining 'just enough' is a mentoring opportunityCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

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: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

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 helps you know how to expertly facilitate.Talking Points:Facilitating the stringTeacher moves during the stringModeling the stringEqual products means total area is the sameWhy we want students to have lots of experience with concepts rather than just direct teaching.Check out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

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: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

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 responseHelping students communicate thinkingHow and when to engage students in conversationsWhen to anchor strategiesWhen to be intentionally curious to solidify thinkingCheck out our grade level Problem String books!Grade 1 Problem Strings: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/nps-1Grade 2 Problem Strings: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/NPS-2Grade 3 Problem Strings: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/nps-3Grade 4 Problem Strings: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/nps-4Grade 5 Problem Strings: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/nps-5Check out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

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: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

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 equivalence to think about multiplicationTasks that use equivalency to solve problems rather than just practicing conversionsSee episode 219 for learning about finding the mean: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1062400/episodes/15561786Check out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

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: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

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 questioningStudent compliance Problem Strings vs Problem TalksMath distortionsWait time and Private signalsCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC