Making Math Moments That Matter

Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr talk with Sarah-Jane Wells about realizing personal privilege in teaching, sparking curiosity, creating an inclusive environment, using brain breaks and student-led discussions, authentic problem-solving, assessment challenges and finding balance in providing feedback, using Fresh Grade portfolios for tracking learning progression, and promoting the podcast and its resources.

This week we interview the great James Tanton. Author, curriculum writer, speaker, creator of Exploding Dots and spreader of joyous mathematics! We bet that you’ll find yourself smiling as you listen to James’ enthusiasm for joyous mathematics. You’ll Learn: Why Education at all levels K-12 is intellectually rich, profound, deep, wonderful, and equally important. How to make math joyous, wonderful, and human. Why we teachers don’t always have to be the experts in the room. The Power of symmetry in math education. Clues throughout algebra that speak geometry. The human story of mathematics is a visual one. The power of place value. Exploding Dots gives a visual model for place value. Why we should empower students to choose their own models to showcase their thinking. Resources: Show Notes: makemathmoments.com/episode6   Our Sponsor: Wipebook Get a 25% discount on the Wipebook Educator Starter Pack by checking out: mathmoments.wipebook.ca for shipping in Canada mathmoments.wipebook.com for everywhere else   Links related to this episode: http://www.jamestanton.com/ https://www.explodingdots.org/ https://www.globalmathproject.org/ https://www.beaglelearning.com/Love 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.

Nicole Martin, a 3rd/4th grade math teacher in Las Vegas Nevada, shares her struggle with organizing math lessons using online resources. The hosts provide tips on structuring math blocks, maximizing learning opportunities, and differentiating tasks for all students. They also discuss challenges in a diverse classroom, using small group lessons and 3-act math tasks, strategies for challenging high-achieving students, and building a strong mathematics program.

The hosts discuss teacher moves to spark curiosity and promote sense-making, including using Desmos Marble Slides to teach graphing. They emphasize the importance of planning lessons and understanding student backgrounds to engage effectively. They explore adapting teaching methods to individual student needs and creating a diverse classroom environment.

The hosts discuss four go-to tools for fueling sense-making in math class, including fostering deep thinking, using visuals to enhance sense-making, and engaging students in deeper thinking. They emphasize the importance of inclusive math education and the benefits of small group instruction. The hosts also emphasize the use of concrete manipulatives and gradually transitioning to symbolic representations.

The podcast discusses sparking curiosity in math lessons using the Curiosity Path strategy. It also explores handling challenging students, creating a positive classroom culture, and empowering students through choice and anticipation. The hosts share upcoming episodes and guests from the math education community and promote a four-part video series and a free website for strengthening district math programs.

Wondering how to create a classroom culture where students don't want to stop exploring mathematics when the bell rings? Join Kyle Pearce from TapIntoTeenMinds.com and Jon Orr from MrOrr-IsAGeek.com as they team up for EPISODE #1 to uncover how we can Make Math Moments That Matter for every student in the math classroom from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Discover how you can build easy to plan and fun to deliver math lessons that kids will not only love, but also learn from using the Making Math Moments That Matter 3-Part Framework. Get ready to learn as we interview math education influencers, engage in coaching calls with mathematics educators from around the world, and take deep dives into assessment, differentiation, student behaviour, engagement, problem solving, math fact fluency, and many other common teacher challenges as we strive to Make Math Moments That Matter. Let’s learn how we can meet the needs of every learner in all classrooms regardless of student readiness together!   Show notes from this episode can be found at http://makemathmoments.com/episode1Love 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.