Making Math Moments That Matter

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/Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr talks with James O’Neal Jr. about his upcoming session at the 2026 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit on motivating and supporting hard-to-reach students. James describes these students as learners who carry years of what they believe is failure in math, and explains why picking up a pencil can feel heavy when it’s tied to memories of not getting it.James shares why he builds math motivation around four connected cultures: praise, competence, belonging, and autonomy. He explains why students need opportunities to win, how sense-making builds ownership, and why the first shift for teachers is believing that students can. Jon connects James’s ideas to the Results Pyramid and the role experiences play in shaping beliefs.In this episode, you'll explore:What James hopes former students will say about their math experience years from nowWhat makes a student hard to reach, and why years of perceived failure matterWhy praise, competence, belonging, and autonomy are central to math motivationHow competence and belonging are closely connected in math classWhy James asks teachers: Where will your kids win today?How routines like Which One Doesn’t Belong and Notice and Wonder give every student an entry pointHow letting students discover why anything to the zero power is one builds ownershipWhy the first lift for teachers is believing that students canWhy students may need several positive math experiences to outweigh a negative oneHow experiences shape beliefs, and beliefs shape the actions students take in math classAs you plan your next lesson, ask yourself James’s question: Where will my students win today? Look for one moment where a hesitant student can enter the math successfully, and one idea you usually summarize for students that they could discover on their own. Then notice how those students respond, and think about how you could build more of those positive experiences into the weeks ahead.Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!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.

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/Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr talks with Hilary Larvis, Mallory Messinger, and Courtney Fain, elementary math coaches in Dublin City Schools near Columbus, Ohio. As part of a team of eight math coaches serving 15 elementary schools, they noticed their math professional development felt disjointed, especially while much of the district’s attention was on literacy.They share how the team used the Make Math Moments District Program Assessment to align, narrowed a detailed district vision to two priorities, and chose teacher content knowledge as their focus. They describe the eight-session, for-credit course they built where teachers do the math first and bring back student work, and how monthly and weekly team meetings, content leads, and coaching cycles keep their work connected and sustainable.In this episode, you'll explore:What a team of elementary math coaches learned about planning and meeting teachers where they areHow the Make Math Moments District Program Assessment helped eight coaches find common groundHow the team distilled a detailed district vision into student discourse and problem solvingWhy building teacher content knowledge became the highest-leverage focusHow an eight-session, for-credit course gave teachers time to do the math themselvesHow teachers brought student work back to reflect on what they tried in their classroomsWhat participant feedback revealed about teachers’ appetite for math PDHow a month-by-month coaching plan supported the rollout of a new curriculumHow content leads, opt-in coaching cycles, and administrator partnerships extend the team’s reachWhy shared decision making helps math improvement survive turnoverLook at the math professional development your team offered last year and ask: Was it connected by a clear focus, or was it a collection of one-off sessions? Choose one priority that matters across all of your schools, map out how teacher learning could build toward it over the year, and decide how you’ll gather feedback from the teachers doing the work in classrooms.Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!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.

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/Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr talks with Mona Iehl about her upcoming session at the 2026 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit. Mona, a former math avoider turned author, explains why students need opportunities to talk about their thinking in math, and why teachers don’t need more word problems. They need ways to bring the problems already in their curriculum to life.Mona shares the moment she realized she was recreating the math classroom she hated, how a math coach introduced her to the idea of nudging instead of telling, and the daily routine she built around one rich task. She also names a barrier many teachers overlook: helping students learn to listen to each other.In this episode, you'll explore:Why Mona hopes her students leave believing their voice matters in mathHow talk gives students a low-stakes way to try out their reasoningWhy we don’t need more word problems, just better ways to use the ones we haveHow teachers can adapt curriculum tasks to fit the students in front of themThe moment a self-described math avoider realized she was recreating the classroom she hatedWhat a “nudge” is and how it differs from simply telling students what to doA daily routine of launch, grapple time, sharing, discussion, and one more problemHow replacing textbook characters with students’ own names makes strategies personalWhy listening is the barrier most teachers don’t see comingHow changing “tell me” to “tell us” shifts who students are talking toChoose one word problem from tomorrow’s lesson and ask: How could I bring this off the page? Plan a short launch, give students time to grapple, and pick two students to share their strategies with the class. Then notice your language as you circulate. When a student is stuck, what nudge could you offer instead of an explanation? And when students share, are you saying “tell me” or “tell us”?Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!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.

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/Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman tackle a common problem in math improvement planning: leaders setting key results for teachers. They explain why year-long targets are often too far away to drive action, why quarterly milestones keep momentum going, and why the people creating the change should be the ones setting the targets.Yvette walks through a K–12 school that chose the first Standard for Mathematical Practice as its objective, then had each PLC commit to its own short-term change, including a key result focused on just three students. Jon and Yvette also share advice for system leaders supporting many schools: learn the conditions for success in one place before trying to scale.In this episode, you'll explore:Why key results should be set by the people who will create the changeWhy six- or nine-month targets are too far out, and why quarterly milestones work betterHow key results differ from end-of-year achievement scoresHow a K–12 school used the first Standard for Mathematical Practice as its shared objectiveHow each PLC chose its own short-term change based on what students were showingA real key result focused on three students retelling a problem without the numbersWhat makes a strong key result: a baseline, a clear bar, a date, and multiple sources of evidenceThe leader’s role in protecting PLC time and connecting every team back to the objectiveWhy system leaders should learn the conditions for success in one school before scaling to manyLook at the key results or targets your team is working toward right now and ask: Who wrote these? If they were set at the leadership level, consider bringing your PLCs together to choose their own short-term change instead. Ask each team what they’re seeing in students, what one move they could realistically commit to this quarter, how they’ll gather evidence, and when they’ll bring it back to share.Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!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.

Jon Orr and Sue Looney preview her Make Math Moments Virtual Summit session and share how stories, memorable characters, and a four-step story lens can help teachers build resilient problem solvers in math.Register for the 2026 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit for FREE. 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/Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr talks with Sue Looney about her upcoming session at the 2026 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit. Sue, who began her career as an English major, explains why stories are a powerful and often overlooked way to help students build resilience in math. She describes resilient problem solvers as students who aren’t afraid when the fog rolls in, and shares how characters, historical math tasks, and a four-step story lens can help students see those qualities in themselves.Jon and Sue also tackle the question every teacher and coach will ask: where does this fit in an already busy day? Sue offers practical ways to start small, connect with what’s already happening in ELA, and build toward regular problem solving time.In this episode, you'll explore:What Sue hopes teachers will say about teaching math 15 years from nowWhat resilient problem solving looks and sounds like in a math classroomWhy students need “foggy” problems instead of packaged ones with an obvious pathHow stories help students connect with characters who show resilienceHow an ancient magic squares legend became a children’s book about perseveranceA preview of the four-step story lens Sue will share at the summitWhy holding up a mirror to students may be the most important stepHow to find time for stories by starting small and connecting to ELAWhy human qualities like curiosity and perseverance matter more as technology advancesThink about a story you already love, whether it’s a picture book, a novel, or a classic like The Odyssey. What problem does the main character face, and how do they stay with it when things get hard? Look for one place in the coming week where you could share that story with students, name the resilient qualities you notice, and then ask: Do you see yourself in this character? What would it take to bring those qualities into our math class?Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!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.

Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman explore teacher buy-in and resistance in math PD, and how the Results Pyramid helps leaders create the experiences that shift beliefs, build trust, and move teams to action.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/Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman respond to a question they heard three times in a single week: what do you do when your math team pushes back on every new idea? Drawing on Change the Culture, Change the Game by Roger Connors and Tom Smith, they explain why widespread resistance is usually a culture problem rather than a personality problem, and how the Results Pyramid can help leaders design the experiences that shift beliefs and lead to lasting action.They contrast two teams they support: a 6–12 group that built trust through a co-constructed vision and three years of consistent messaging, and a 9–12 team stepping into the work feeling anxious and skeptical. Along the way, they share practical first steps for listening, building relational trust, and helping more people move above the line.In this episode, you'll explore:Why widespread resistance is a culture problem, not a personality problemWhat “above the line” and “below the line” thinking looks like in math PD and PLCsHow the Results Pyramid connects experiences, beliefs, actions, and resultsWhy math improvement plans that jump straight to actions often stallHow one district built trust by co-constructing a shared vision and repeating it for three yearsHow transparency around observations and data collection builds relational trustWhy listening to teachers’ fears is the first step toward buy-inHow trusted informal leaders can help pull a team above the lineHow teams can hold each other accountable without shutting down honest ventingThink about the last time your team pushed back on a new math initiative. What past experiences might have shaped that response? Identify one interaction you lead regularly, such as a PLC, department meeting, or PD session, and ask: What experience am I creating here, and what belief is it reinforcing? Then decide on one change you could make next time to help pull people above the line.Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!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.

Dr. Nicki Newton, a mathematics educator and author specializing in fact fluency and equitable instruction, rethinks what it means to know math facts. She explores fluency as efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy with understanding, why timed tests can mislead, and how differentiated practice, better assessments, coaching, and equity-focused data conversations can reshape schoolwide learning.

Yvette Lehman, a mathematics education professional with MakeMathMoments.com, joins a deep dive into the beliefs that shape math classrooms. They revisit growth, curiosity, collaboration, and productive struggle, exploring how these pillars influence assessment, rigor, classroom culture, and student expectations. They also consider practice, precision, sense making, and how math teams can co-create meaningful guiding principles.

Graham Fletcher, a mathematics educator and professional learning presenter, explores how to create a stronger through line in math instruction. He discusses the pitfalls of constantly changing contexts, how familiar settings can deepen conceptual understanding, and connections across whole numbers, fractions, and rates. He also highlights mathematical progressions and ways teachers can recognize student thinking across grade levels.

Yvette Lehman, a mathematics education consultant and instructional leader, shares lessons from a three-day school visit across five campuses. She explores turning a vague math vision into observable classroom practices, distinguishing participation from independent thinking, and using curriculum tasks to promote student ownership. The conversation also covers non-evaluative observations, focused instructional moves, and short-term milestones that build lasting improvement.