Making Math Moments That Matter

Join us for an uplifting conversation with Mike Lipnos, a middle school teacher and math coach from Ohio. In this episode Mike shares his experience and insights on helping teachers build ownership and agency for students in their mathematics classrooms. We discuss how some teacher moves ultimately shut the door on students seeking higher levels of mathematics, and how young people are thinking beings and are capable of doing high level thinking, even if a data point may say they are "low" and how having agency as a mathematician is going to be more impactful on humanizing mathematical experiences than the traditional “I do, we do, you do” model of math teaching.You’ll Learn: How some approaches to teaching mathematics can ultimately shut the door on students to seeking out higher levels of mathematics;Once you see student strategies and developmental approaches, you can’t unsee them;Why we need to be intentional about positioning ourselves as a co-learner instead of the expert in math class; and,How to teach the practice standards through content and not vice versa.Resources: Rethinking the gradual release model - An article from Tim McCaffrey.Mike Lipnos on X @mlipnos Mike Lipnos Email: mikelipnos.kidscan@gmail.comIllustrative MathematicsDistrict Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Book a short conversation with our team now. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

Join us in the latest episode as we dive into the world of mathematics education with Shayla Heavner, the visionary founder of MathBait™. With over a decade of experience and a prestigious Sarah D. Barder Fellowship Award for teaching excellence under her belt, Shayla has been on a mission to revolutionize math education.As a certified online teacher and master reviewer for Quality Matters, Shayla shares insights on the significance of quality, highly engaging material that is accessible to all students. She explores the power of storytelling as a versatile tool across all levels of math education, shedding light on how it can not only captivate students but also serve as a gateway to deeper conceptual exploration.You’ll Learn: Why teaching for conceptual understanding first is critical to ensure students are empowered to reason and prove;Why storytelling is a powerful tool for all levels of mathematics education;Why there must be quality, Highly Engaging Material Accessible to ALL students;How can we use storytelling in an effective way to not only engage but lower the floor to dig into mathematics conceptually;Resources: www.MathBait.comhttps://bit.ly/numbervillehttps://www.facebook.com/mathbaithttps://www.instagram.com/mathbait/https://twitter.com/MathBait District Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Book a short conversation with our team now. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

In this where are they now mentoring moment episode we speak again with Adam Love; Adam joined us back on episode 120 when he was as first year teacher from Myrtle Beach South Carolina. 3 years later and a wealth of ideas, teaching strategies, and many lessons learned Adam is here to discuss how to help students show their thinking in multiple ways. This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we chat with a teacher like you who is working through some problems of practice and together we brainstorm ways to overcome them. You’ll Learn: How do I help students use models and strategies over the algorithms? How do I keep students on task when I’m working in small groups?Why you need to be crystal clear with expectations around demonstrating understanding.Resources: Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & UnitsDistrict Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Book a short conversation with our team now. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

Get ready Math Moment Makers for a great “call” with Crystal Frommert, who will be sharing some great tips and strategies that we can put to use to promote productive conversations with parents - especially when the news isn’t necessarily positive. We’ve all been there before: a student is experiencing struggles in our math class and the time has come where we must make that informative call to ensure parents are in the know. Let’s reframe how we look at conversations with parents by leveraging some of the ideas that Crystal shares in her book, When Calling Parents Isn’t Your Calling. You’ll Learn: Why the first conversation you have with parents is an opportunity to ensure they know you have their child’s best interests in mind;What language swaps should educators being using to create a welcoming vibe; How to communicate a student’s mathematical progress to a parent/caregiver with clarity, empathy, and hope.Resources: Illustrative Mathematicshttps://twitter.com/mrs_frommert https://www.CrystalFrommert.com  District Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Book a short conversation with our team now. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

Are you on track to hit the goals you set out for yourself, your school, your district? It’s December, which often marks the half-way point of the school year and also a great time to check your progress on your program’s action plan. It’s quite likely that the busy-ness of school has taken you away from your intended focus on what really matters in your school or district’s math program. In this episode Kyle and Jon share why we need to define our objectives (Rocks) and how to stay focused when there are so many distractions that seem urgent so that when the end of the year comes we can look back to our progress and know that we’re moving toward our targets.You’ll Learn: Why we need to define what our “rocks” are and what matters most in our math programs;How to know when you’re focussing on the wrong things;  What we can do today to pivot and focus on the right things in our math classrooms; Why the biggest thing is to make the biggest thing the biggest thing. Resources: What Matters Most in a Successful Math Program - Workbook & WebinarTake the Make Math Moments Math Program Assessment Tool [Classroom Teacher & Leader Versions]Join the Academy - Free for 30 DaysDistrict Leader Resources:Take the Make Math Moments Math Program Assessment Tool The Make Math Moments District Planning Workbook [First 3 pages] Learn About Our District Improvement ProgramAre you a district mathematics leader interested in crafting a mathematics professional learning plan that will transform your district mathematics program forever? Book a time to chat with us!Other Useful Resources and Supports: Make Math Moments Framework [Blog Article]Make Math Moments Problem-Based Lessons & UnitsLove the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

We welcome back Ryan Kinzler, an 8th grade teacher from Pittsburg. Ryan is here to fill us in on the changes he’s made in his classroom since he last spoke with us over two years ago. He shares how the teacher moves he implemented resulted in his best year ever and then subsequently followed by his worst year ever. In this episode we dig into the differences between the two years and help Ryan set himself up for another great year. This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we talk with a member of the Math Moment Maker Community who is working through problems of practice and together we brainstorm possible next steps and strategies to overcome them. You’ll Learn: Why avoiding the rush to advice giving is critical while students are productively struggling; Why focusing on listening and observing trumps covering the curriculum; Why teachers should seriously consider mentorship or coaching conversations during the summer to help make bigger shifts in your practice;Why it is important to think of your own definition of success in your classroom; How to help students with their own definition of success and giving them steps to achieve it; and, How can you help students with mindset by rewarding the behaviour and not the result.Resources: Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & UnitsAssessment For Growth Course [An online course] District Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Book a short conversation with our team now. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

“I’m not a math person.” I’m sure that is something you two have heard more than once. But have you ever heard someone say, “I am not a reading person?” It seemingly is socially acceptable to be bad at math, but there may be more to it, including the underdiagnosis of dyscalculia. The research shows… Dyscalculia is less well known, and there are fewer screening and diagnostic tools (Jaya, 2009), but its prevalence is similar to dyslexia- 5-7% of the population (Menon et al., 2020; Price & Ansari, 2013; Santos et al., 2022). Add to that an estimated comorbidity of 35-70% with other neurological disabilities, including dyslexia, and suddenly there are a staggering number of students who are at risk of failing math when early identification and intervention can mitigate the problem in many cases (Kisler et al., 2021; Litkowski et al., 2020).In the last 20 years, there has been a push to address illiteracy through early identification with universal screeners, but the same focus has yet to be there for innumeracy. Even with the increased need for math skills due to technology, there have yet to be national campaigns to address the problem (Bryant, 2008; De Visscher, 2018; National Center for Education Statistics, 2022).Dr. Sandra Elliot, Ph.D., has spent over four decades working in education as a Special Education teacher, a five-time principal in Florida and Colorado, and a district-level administrator. She is now making it her mission to champion increased awareness of dyscalculia. You’ll Learn: What is dyscalculia? Dyslexia vs. dyscalculiaIn the last 20 years, there has been a push to address illiteracy through early identification with universal screeners, but the same focus has not been there for innumeracy. Even with the increased need for math skills due to technology, there have not been national campaigns to address the problem (Bryant, 2008; De Visscher, 2018; National Center for Education Statistics, 2022).Underdiagnosis and the academic and social consequences;Importance of early detection and intervention;BeLove the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

This week we bring on another 2023 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit speaker: Fawn Nguyen! Fawn is on the Math Advance Team at Amplify Desmos Math. She was a math coach for a K-8 school district for three years. Before that, Fawn was a middle school teacher for 30 years. Fawn was the 2014 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. In 2009, she was awarded the Math Teacher Hero from Raytheon. In 2005, she was awarded the Sarah D. Barder Fellowship from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.Fawn will share why understanding the impact of your past choices in the classroom is necessary for your growth, how learning how to visualize mathematics allows educators to break free from the rush to the algorithm, and how to teach with the website visualpatterns.org the right way!You’ll Learn: Why understanding the impact of your past choices in the classroom is necessary for your growth;How learning how to visualize mathematics allows educators to break free from the rush to the algorithm;How to embed the 8 mathematical practice standards into you classroom lessons; Practical classroom routines to amplify student discourse; How to teach with the website visualpatterns.org the right way! And, Why math class could and should be as fun as recess; Resources: Twitter: @fawnnguyen fawnpnguyen@gmail.com https://Visualpatterns.org Grassroots WorkshopsDistrict Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

Join us for a lovely chat with Kendra Jacobs about mathematizing our world around us and bringing it into our classrooms. Listen in and learn the one simple thing you can do in your classroom to get students to enjoy mathematics instead of despise it. Kendra is an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, facilitating ‘Teaching Children Numeracy’ and ‘Numeracy for Diverse Learners’. She is the founder of Mathematizing 247, where her mission is to inspire and empower elementary teachers to create engaging, joyful, and equitable math opportunities.She works as a part-time classroom support teacher, alongside educators to support strong numeracy instruction that nurtures the development of joyful, independent learners.You’ll Learn: The one simple thing you can do in your classroom to get students to enjoy mathematics; Why we as educators need to ensure that our students don’t perceive mathematics as only a societal access gateway;Why picking one particular part of your day to begin intentionally bringing out the mathematics is the best way to start; and,Why leveraging oral language and curiosity can bring joy into mathematics learning experiences.Resources: Pumpkin Time Bomb ActivityKendra Jacob’s Instagram @mathematizing247www.mathematizing247.comDistrict Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Book a short conversation with our team now. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

On today’s show, we’re bringing on Sunil Singh, a colleague, friend, and fellow Ontarian from the math education world for a second time. Sunil, the author of three books (Life of Pi, Math Recess, and Chasing Rabbits) with his fourth on the way (Sonic Seducer), joins us to share his unique insights into effective teaching and learning of mathematics. In this episode, Sunil highlights the significance of rich, narrative-driven mathematical content in facilitating engaging teaching experiences. He unveils the two essential pillars for becoming an effective math teacher, while also unraveling why the number 70 is weird and its potential to captivate students' attention. Sunil guides us through the strategic elements that school districts should prioritize when shaping professional development plans for math educators. He introduces the concept of developing a K-Lifetime mathematics program, emphasizing the importance of cultivating lifelong mathematical curiosity. You’ll Learn: Why finding good, rich content that tells the story of mathematics is important for effective teaching and learning of mathematics;The two things you need to strengthen to be an effective math teacher;Why 70 is a weird number and how you can use that fact to uplift your students; What school districts should focus on when developing their professional development plan; How to develop a K-Lifetime mathematics program; Why helping your students to trust mathematics is one of the most important outcomes you can have as an educator.Resources: Sunil Singh on Twitter (X)District Math Leaders: How are you ensuring that you support those educators who need a nudge to spark a focus on growing their pedagogical-content knowledge? What about opportunities for those who are eager and willing to elevate their practice, but do not have the support? Book a call with our District Improvement Program Team to learn how we can not only help you craft, refine and implement your district math learning goals, but also provide all of the professional learning supports your educators need to grow at the speed of their learning. Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.