Making Math Moments That Matter

In this episode, Kyle and Jon speak with James Tanton, Mathematician-at-Large for the Mathematical Association of America and Founder of the Global Math Project and Ted Coe, NWEA’s Director of Content Advocacy and Design. James and Ted hop on the show today to dig into the collective work of a group of mathematics education leaders involving one of the most important yet misunderstood concepts in mathematics: Proportional Relationships.Stick around as we dig into ideas around proportionality and what we can do to help declutter this crucial middle school math concept. You’ll Learn: How so much of the mathematics we explore in school is cluttered and what we can do to declutter your proportional relationship unit;How math is not just about the act of doing, but also the act of thinking and habits of thinking; About James’ fascination with emu eggs; Why you want to start with the most difficult problem first; and, Why we should be thinking about the words we use and say in math class. Resources: Episode 6: Looking for Joy in Mathematics: An Interview with James Tanton [Podcast]Episode #45 – Global Math Week, Exploding Dots, and James Tanton [Podcast]Proportional Relationships Decluttered - At Last!Common Core State Standards (CCSS)CCSS Progressions DocumentsStacking Paper Problem Based Math UnitLove 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.

Today we speak with Garret Schneider, a middle school math teacher from Indiana. Like many of us, Garret is feeling a little bit like he’s a lone wolf as he continues to seek out ways to elevate his teaching practice while many colleagues continue independently on their own teaching journeys. In this Math Mentoring Moment Episode, we will dig into why this lone journey is getting Garret down and how he might be able to work towards developing a professional learning community where all members feel accepted and valued regardless of their teaching philosophy and pedagogical approach.  You’ll Learn Answers To: How can you build your own support network / PLC;How to help your fellow teachers “get on board”; and, Why it’s a blessing when you find something new that works. Resources: Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard [Book]: https://amzn.to/2B1vjXLJoin Us For A Math Mentoring Moment Episode: https://makemathmoments.com/mentorThe Make Math Moments Academy: https://makemathmoments.com/academy Proportional Reasoning Course: https://makemathmoments.com/proportions Problem Based Tasks: https://makemathmoments.com/tasks/The Thinking Classroom: https://buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/podcasts/ 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.

Today we speak with Aubrey McKelvey, a 7th & 8th grade teacher from Nashville Tennessee. Like many middle schoolers, Aubrey's students are tuning out and demanding the “fast food” version of math class. Her students want to skip understanding and go directly to the how. In this episode we’ll uncover the real issue behind this lack of engagement and help Aubrey with some next steps. 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 Answers To: What to do to help students apply their learning to a new or different context;How to craft a productive struggle that students will want to engage in;Why slowing down and “breadcrumbing” students into your lesson is crucial to spark curiosity and fuel sense making; and,Tips to implement the Curiosity Path in your lessons each day.Resources: Problem Based Math Units Desmos Lessons Illustrative Mathematics Math Is VisualWeeks of Inspirational Math - YouCubed & Jo BoalerNana’s Choclate Milk on DesmosLove 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 speak with Philip Dituri from FiCycle.org about financial literacy: while so important in the real world, but is somehow rarely discussed or taught in schools. Philip shares how we can answer the common question “when will I ever need this in real life?” He shares how teachers can blend their existing curriculum with contextual lessons based in personal finance, and we discuss why we need to prepare students for life, not just tests. You’ll Learn: How we can answer When will I ever need this in real life?How I can blend my curriculum with lessons based in a personal finance context;Why we should be teaching financial literacy and algebra in concert; and,Why we need to prepare students for life - not tests. Resources: Free Lessons on Ficycle.org Life Cycle Theory of Savings: What influences our saving behavior?Explore Make Math Moments Problem Based 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.

Discover why sparking curiosity is crucial in transforming math resources, how to identify problems for easy transformation, and ways to overhaul lesson design. Explore strategies for elevating math resources without reinventing them, fostering curiosity and critical thinking in math education, and enhancing student collaboration through problem-based tasks.

We speak with Po-Shen Loh from an American professor of mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University and the national coach of the United States' International Math Olympiad team. Po-Shen shares how he believes - whether teaching in person or online - that we can never take the attention of the student for granted. So how do we craft engaging lessons that can keep the attention of our students when we’re up against TikTok, Instagram, and other modern day distractions? Stick around and dive into this conversation on the Making Math Moments That Matter Podcast with our guest, Po-Shen Loh.You’ll Learn: How to craft engaging online learning experiences that compete with the likes of TikTok and InstagramHow leveraging techniques from improv classes can draw in your audienceHow educators can make small changes to their lesson delivery to make students feel that they are a part of your lesson instead of just a spectatorResources: Poshenloh.com [Po-Shen Loh’s Website]Po-Shen Lo’s Zoom Chat Add-On Connect with @PoShenLoh on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn & YouTubeExplore Make Math Moments Problem Based UnitsJoin The Make Math Moments AcademyLove 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.

Kyle and Jon speak with Tyson Banker, a senior high school teacher from Calgary, Alberta. Like many of us teachers Tyson wonders how to change his assessment routines and structures without compromising his timelines and content standards. In this chat we share with Tyson some practical ideas that we’ve implemented in our classrooms that help with Tyson’s real struggle. 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 Answers To: How do I change my assessment practices without blowing up my timelines? How can I create a classroom of thinkers instead of mimickers? Where does practice time fit in my daily lesson? How can I structure my lesson so students perform better on assessments?Resources: Problem Based Tasks: https://makemathmoments.com/tasks/Desmos Lessons: https://teacher.desmos.com The Thinking Classroom: https://buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/podcasts/ 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.

We chat with Nicole Whitty about the importance of big ideas and intentionality when leading your lessons. In this Math Mentoring Moment Episode we dig into how you can learn “who heard what” in your math lesson; why focusing on the intentionality of your problem based lesson will help make more connections during the consolidation of your lesson; and, what you can do when some kids are ‘getting it’ and others aren’t quite there yet.  You’ll Learn: How you can learn “who heard what” in your math lesson;Why focusing on the intentionality of your problem based lesson will help make more connections during the consolidation of your lesson;How to set up your problem based lesson to maximize sense making;What you can do when some kids are ‘getting it’ and others aren’t quite there yet; Resources: Squares To Triangles Unit: https://learn.makemathmoments.com/task/squares-triangles/ Visible Learning: An Interview with John Hattie https://makemathmoments.com/episode35/ Dane Ehlert’s Blog https://whenmathhappens.com/ Make Math Moments Problem Based Units https://learn.makemathmoments.com 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 episode, Jon & Kyle share a reason your math lesson may be coming up short and how you can fix it. Jon & Kyle share their 4 pillars of classroom norms that shape the routines and learning in their math classes and how you can create your pillars! You’ll learn: Why your math lesson might be coming up short;How co-constructing your classroom learning pillars can help with classroom management;How to prevent unproductive classroom behaviour such as excessive cell phone use or general lack of engagement;  limit unproductive.Resources: Make Math Moments 3-Part FrameworkProblem Based Math 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 speak with Lenny VerMaas from Lincoln Nebraska. Lenny has spent 28 years as a middle and high school classroom teacher followed by an additional 16 years working to support math teachers! Lenny shares with us struggles and strategies he’s learned and overcome over the years he’s helped teachers. 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: The importance of students experiencing problem based lessons;How to support teachers when creating and delivering lessons;How to reverse the “I Do, We Do, You Do” teaching model; and,The importance of planning the details that matter when planning lessons.Resources: Find Lenny on Twitter: @lennyvermaasLenny’s Bitly PageVroom, Vroom [Lesson] Make Math Moments Problem Based Units Learn How To “Flip” The Gradual Release of Responsibility Lesson ModelLove 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.